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The much-anticipated St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station will open on Christmas Day, with special Christmas Day hours from noon until 6 p.m.
Visitors will enter the aquarium via a 3D, virtual reality train ride that honors the history of St. Louis Union Station’s railroad past. The multimedia train delivers guests to an area that explores the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. They will learn about the fish that inhabit the great rivers of America, and explore the global rivers area to see fresh water species from around the world. Playful otters – named Sawyer, Finn and Thatcher – piranhas and doctor fish are just some of the highlights. Lord Stanley, the rare blue lobster named for the NHL’s Stanley Cup and St. Louis Blues’ championship, will live in his own habitat with a hockey theme.
To avoid waiting in line, timed admission tickets are now available for sale at stlouisaquarium.com. General admission tickets are $25 for adults, and $18 for children, ages 3 to 13. Children under the age of 3 get in free. Tickets will allow access to all of the aquarium’s galleries, exhibits and interactive experiences. A limited number of same-day passes will also be available for purchase every day, on site.
More information about annual passes and combo tickets that include admission to Union Station’s other attractions, like The St. Louis Wheel, Carousel, Mini Golf, Ropes Course and A-Maze-Ing Discoveries Mirror Maze – are available online at stlouisaquarium.com/tickets. St. Louis Union Station gift cards can also be purchased and loaded with any amount at the aquarium’s retail store. Gift cards can be used for admission to any of the attractions at Union Station or in any retail location.
The opening is part of Union Station’s $187-million family entertainment complex in downtown St. Louis, with the aquarium being the centerpiece. The aquarium and other attractions, including the 200-foot St. Louis observation wheel, are housed at the 500,000-square-foot National Historic Landmark train shed at Union Station, which originally opened in 1894 as the biggest and busiest train terminal in the nation.
The 120,000-square-foot aquarium covers two stories and includes environments filled with more than 1 million gallons of water. The aquarium will include one-of-a-kind exhibits featuring more than 13,000 aquatic animals from fresh water and marine environments around the world. It will bring together state-of-the-art technology, animal care, education and conservation with the excitement of aquatic creatures.
More than 1 million visitors are expected annually.
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