Christmas Day is the day the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station will officially bow to the public.
The long-anticipated opening was announced this morning from the venue, the centerpiece of a $187-million family entertainment complex at Union Station, the National Historic Landmark which originally opened in 1894 as the biggest and busiest train terminal in the country.
“We are thrilled to be able to invite the public into our new home for the holidays,” said Tami Brown, executive director of the St. Louis Aquarium. “This is a great way to start a new family tradition by experiencing the wonders of aquatic life at the aquarium.”
Special Christmas Day hours will be from noon until 6 p.m, with timed admission tickets now available for sale at stlouisaquarium.com.
General admission tickets are $25 for adults and $18 for children ages 3 to 13. Children younger than 3 are free. Tickets will allow access to all of the aquarium’s galleries, exhibits and interactive experiences. The St. Louis Aquarium will offer timed ticketing that will allow guests to avoid waiting in line. A limited number of same-day passes also will be available for purchase every day on site.
The aquarium will be open for extended holiday season hours from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily, Dec. 26 through Jan. 4. Beginning Jan. 5, the aquarium will be open regular hours from 10 a.m until 6 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; and 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The 120,000-square-foot venue covers two stories and includes environments filled with more than a million gallons of water. The aquarium will have 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.
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 – as well as 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.
The Shark Canyon exhibit will offer views of 60 sharks and rays in a 250,000-gallon environment with acrylic J-walls that arch high over the heads of visitors. Divers will interact with guests from inside the exhibit. The Deep section will take visitors on a journey through the depths of the world’s oceans to meet the animals that live there, including jellyfish and a giant Pacific octopus.
The second floor also will include a variety of interactive exhibits and touch tanks to create a hands-on and hands-wet experience.
“Visitors will leave the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station with wet hands and a greater understanding of the planet’s rivers, oceans and aquatic life,” said Brown. “They will be able to feed turtles and stingrays and interact with invertebrate animals in our touch tanks. Our staff also will have a variety of other animals such as sloths and birds to explore with the guests.”
More than 1 million visitors are expected annually.
Opening along with the aquarium is its nonprofit partner, the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation Conservation and Education Center. It will work to provide access to the aquarium to underserved students and communities and to offer educational programs and field trip opportunities. The foundation is also an advocate for water stewardship. The CEC is filled with hands-on exhibits and an art installation created from recycled plastic water bottles.
More information about Annual Passes and Combo Tickets that include admission to Union Station’s other attractions – the St. Louis Wheel, Carousel, Mini Golf, Ropes Course and A-Maze-Ing Discoveries Mirror Maze – is available online at stlouisaquarium.com/tickets. St. Louis Union Station gift cards also can 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.
