The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station opened on Christmas Day.. This is the latest attempt to revitalize what was once one of the busiest train stations in the country. The train station motif is present throughout the aquarium.
The design of the aquarium is designed to handle a large amount of traffic. Given the attendance in the first week that’s a good thing. You can purchase tickets online for a specific time . Doin g that will make your visit much more pleasant unless you like waitin a lot.
Unlike the Atlanta Aquarium (which is just ridiculously amazing), the St. Louis Aquarium is laid out in a linear fashion with three sections. The first section has local fish (I.e. Mississippi River), otters (!), and the like. the second section is more interactive exhibits for the smaller folks and Stanley the Blue Loster. The last section is the very large saltwater exhibit complete with sharks, rays and lots of different schools of ish. There are also sea dragons and jellyfish (of course).
Tickets are $25. Is it worth that? I’ve heard a few people question it. I wouldn’t call it a value and we did only take an hour to go through the entire attraction. But my kids really enjoyed it. (‘Kids’ being college age and beyond. I think younger ones would enjoy it even more). So while not a bargain if you compare it to similar attractions elsewhere I’d say the price is about what you would expect. Saint Louis folks are spoiled by the free zoo and Science Center, but those are tax supported. I don’t think this is.
Highly recommended While you’re there take the walk to the hotel, part of the original Union Station. The lobby is amazing.