Aquarium planned for Union Station in downtown St. Louis | Business | stltoday.com It will be located in Union Station, costing about $45 million, if it does indeed come into fruition.
Very interesting! The article states that the proposed aquarium will be 75,000 sq. ft., thus making it triple the size of a typical Sea Life. Also, the idea of attracting a million visitors per year is an ambitious one considering that the Greater Cleveland Aquarium has been struggling to get 300,000 visitors each year since it opened in 2012. However, the city of St. Louis is clearly a place where people support zoological facilities as the zoo is one of the best in the nation and there are a number of small zoos in the surrounding area. I will point out that "World Aquarium" is in St. Louis, inside the bowels of the kid-friendly City Museum, and it is the strangest aquarium that I've ever toured.
@snowleopard: The World Aquarium actually has moved locations. The City Museum and the Aquarium had a disagreement, and seeing as how the aquarium was in the museum, the museum obviously won and the aquarium had to move out. There's more info in the news thread for the World Aquarium.
Do they mean the "one-of-a-kind" multi-species shark tank that is a main feature of almost every aquarium?
No, I think in the spirit of the age it will involve predatory entrepreneurs and venture capitalists .
The link below is from last month and so it contains some updated information in regards to the St. Louis Aquarium. There is even a short movie that literally looks like a film that would be released in theaters during its first minute or so...an interesting advertisement for the facility. The logo for the aquarium has an image that looks suspiciously like a sea otter, even though those animals are not featured in the mini-movie. Perhaps river otters or small-clawed otters? St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station shares vision of completed project
The otters shown in the video are in a tropical-looking tank that also has what appear to be Asian fish in it, so appear to be small-clawed based on that. The logo does, perhaps misleadingly, resemble a sea otter.
The aquarium finally opened at the end of last year - December 25, 2019. I visited today, just short of two weeks after it opened and it did not turn out as ambitiously as the initial article I linked said it would. Despite this, I enjoyed the facility and soon I intend to create a review/news thread with my thoughts. To clear up the otter confusion, the aquarium features 3 North American river otters.
What I didn't know was that this facility was going to be in Union Station! The value just skyrocketed for me. Putting something so family-friendly of general appeal into this historic structure is a win/win all around. Hotels and shopping have kept the space buzzing for 30 years, but the aquarium is an experience, just like the station itself. I really need to get me to the Midwest.
Here is an article about the aquarium opening, and includes a few pictures: PGAV Destinations celebrates opening of St. Louis Aquarium | blooloop
I have just uploaded a comprehensive set of photos of the aquarium to the gallery, here are a few highlights: Train-themed Entrance Hall by geomorph posted 26 May 2021 at 4:55 PM Train-themed Entrance Hall by geomorph posted 26 May 2021 at 4:55 PM Train-themed Entrance Hall - Cichlid Exhibit by geomorph posted 26 May 2021 at 4:55 PM Confluence Gallery - Mixed Species Exhibit - Overhead Window by geomorph posted 26 May 2021 at 4:55 PM Global Rivers - Red Piranha Exhibit by geomorph posted 26 May 2021 at 4:55 PM Changing Rivers - North American River Otter Exhibit by geomorph posted 26 May 2021 at 4:55 PM The Ocean Shore - Touch Tank by geomorph posted 26 May 2021 at 4:55 PM Shark Canyon by geomorph posted 26 May 2021 at 4:55 PM Shark Canyon by geomorph posted 26 May 2021 at 4:55 PM The Deep - Pacific Sea Nettle Exhibit by geomorph posted 26 May 2021 at 4:55 PM
Jellies-piranhas-sharks-river otters-touch tank-coral reef tank...is this the exhibit backbone of almost every aquarium in North America?
Really nice looking place, I love the theming! Well done, not over done or kitschy. Thanks for the photos!
100%. Usually sandbar, sand tiger, nurse, and blacktip reef sharks. Often a rescued sea turtle or two. Bigger ones have a penguin exhibit.
