St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station

Located within St. Louis's Union Station which was completed from 1891 to 1894 and is a National Historic Landmark, the St. Louis Aquarium opened in December 2019. The aquarium features nearly 50 exhibits with over 13,000 creatures, representing more than 250 species from around the globe. Exhibits highlight the different animals and the ecosystems in which they live, from the Mississippi River to the world's oceans. Popular exhibits include the 250,000-gallon Shark Canyon and a trio of North American River Otters whose names are based on characters in Mark Twain's novels. In the lobby, a curved 4K screen overhead displays a virtual ocean, while the rounded archways that once led to the train terminals reflect elements of Union Station's original architecture. The aquarium offers visitors a short virtual ride in a passenger car that incorporates a brief history of St. Louis, including the role of Union Station, showcasing an earlier era when the city was a hub for railroad transit.

Designed in the Romanesque Revival style and constructed from Bedford stone in 1894, Union Station served as a major railroad hub until the mid-twentieth century. During the 1920s, it was the largest railroad terminal in the U.S, and it included a small hotel. At other peak periods, such as during World War II in the 1940s, its Great Hall frequently accommodated up to 100,000 visitors daily. As the federal government invested in the interstate highway system in the 1950s, train travel became less frequent, and the last passenger train departed from Union Station in the late 1970s. Although the building was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1970, it was converted into a shopping and dining complex with a large hotel following a 1985 renovation, serving as a retail tourist attraction for the next several decades.

The opening of the St. Louis Aquarium in 2019 marks the most recent phase of Union Station's redevelopment. Unique elements, such as the ornate gold leaf and green glazed terra cotta bricks in the Great Hall, were preserved, while the original train shed was redesigned to accommodate living space and exhibit galleries for 13,000 animals. Upon entering the aquarium, a virtual display on the curved ceiling overhead offers visitors an experience of being underwater, with deep sea creatures swimming above. Industrial steel beams and decorative rounded archways, which once led to the passenger train terminals, are still visible, blending elements of the historic architecture with an aquatic experience, in a somewhat surreal fashion.

Visitors can board a replica passenger train car for a three-minute virtual tour that incorporates elements of Union Station's history and architecture. The virtual tour shares the history of the 1904 World's Fair and 1904 Olympic Games held in St. Louis, as well as the 1963 construction of the Gateway Arch (designated a National Park), before dipping below the water to explore the Mississippi and Missouri River ecosystems. Titled "Confluence," this underwater exhibit gallery features local river fish such as the longnose gar, largemouth bass, and paddlefish. A "Global Rivers" exhibit highlights fish from the Amazon river basin, including copper-flecked piranhas. Another gallery, "The Deep," shows creatures that thrive far below the surface of the ocean, including Giant Pacific Octopus, Leafy Sea Dragon, and jellyfish.

Exhibit galleries throughout the 120,000-foot space currently include more than 250 different animal species. Some are part of interactive displays, such as the Ocean Shore Tide Pool, a touch tank filled with sea cucumbers, stingrays, pencil urchins, and small sharks. By far, the largest exhibit is Shark Canyon, where visitors can observe whitetip reef sharks, lesser devil rays, sandbar sharks, and spotted eagle rays. A total of 80 sharks and rays glide through the water, with special lighting that was engineered to create the illusion of entering a deep ocean canyon. Elsewhere in the aquarium lives a rare blue lobster, donated by a Massachusetts restaurant proprietor to commemorate the 2019 Stanley Cup victory by the St. Louis Blues.

In an article for St. Louis Magazine, the aquarium's executive director, Tamara Lash Brown, stated that "our highest priority is making sure that our animals are thriving and healthy." To this end, visitors can learn about some of the practical aspects of the aquarium day-to-day operations, such as Water Quality Testing and Life Support, through a special program on-site. The aquarium also offers a full range of year-round programming for school groups, children, and families such as Breakfast with the Rays, Virtual Lunch with Sharks, Virtual Scuba Diving, a Virtual Earth Day Festival, and a World Oceans Day celebration.

Galleries, St. Louis Aquarium. Accessed February 6th, 2023. https://www.stlouisaquarium.com/galleries.

Haynes, Danielle. St. Louis opens aquarium in old Union Station building, UPI. December 26th, 2019. Accessed February 6th, 2023. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/12/26/St-Louis-opens-aquarium-in-old-Union-Station-building/8551577383698/.

Hermann, Michelle. St. Louis Welcomes New Aquarium At Union Station, Forbes. February 3rd, 2020. Accessed February 6th, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/micheleherrmann/2020/02/03/st-louis-welcomes-new-aquarium-at-union-station/?sh=6507da2827d9.

How They Did It: St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station, Illuminating Engineering Society. Accessed February 6th, 2023. https://www.ies.org/lda-magazine/featured-content/how-they-did-it-st-louis-aquarium-at-union-station/.

Roberts, Jen. A peek inside the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station, St. Louis Magazine. November 18th, 2019. Accessed February 6th, 2023. https://www.stlmag.com/longform/union-station-st-louis-aquarium-open/.

Union Station - City Landmark #14 National Historic Landmark, St. Louis MO Gov. Accessed February 6th, 2023. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/planning/cultural-resources/city-landmarks/Union-Station.cfm.