The abandoned church-turned-skatepark going viral needs our help

Everyone is in love with this park, now we can help save it.

There are hundreds of places in the United States known only to locals, and this abandoned church that’s become a skate park is one of them. Now it’s going viral, and there’s more to this than meets the eye.

The church pictured is “SK8 Liborius Social Club” in St. Louis. The abandoned St. Liborius Cathedral was turned into a venue for skaters, artists and musicians back in 2018, who breathed new life into the neo gothic building. Now it stands as a testament to what can be achieved when people turn their attention to renewal and re-use, rather than new construction — but even as images of the church go viral, very few people know that the building is under threat.

As it stands SK8 Liborius is closed, with the cathedral failing to meet city building codes. Various repairs are needed, from new windows, to entries that meet ADA guidelines. Locals are trying to save the venue, but it’s estimated that it will cost $500,000 to bring the building back up to code, and to turn the location into the skate park and art space it was always imagined to be. At the time of writing a little over $46,000 had been raised on GoFundMe, but there’s a long way to go.

Skaters, artists and locals are trying everything to save their beloved cathedral. A place where people of all races, creeds and beliefs can gather, skate together, and provide a cheap recreational venue for like-minded athletes and at-risk youth.

This is literally one of the best projects happening in a city right now, and while we all appreciate the splendor of the photos, we should also all consider giving what we can to help restore SK8 Liborius, and bring it to splendor.