St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station

"The aquarium staff were exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable. Despite the aquarium's small size, the multitude of interactive exhibits offered plenty to explore. I was able to pet stingrays, sharks, and jellyfish (they had other animals too!), and even received a manicure from the doctor fish. You should also pay attention to the show times, such as the otter feeding, as you'll be able to watch them perform tricks. The aquarium also impressed with its technology. Upon entering the main lobby, I was greeted by fishes swimming around a clock and a miniature light show on the ceiling and walls. Other features included a virtual reality train ride, interactive sandboxes, and a bioluminescent hallway. After spending a few hours exploring, an employee noticed that we were having a blast, so he offered us a complimentary Behind-the-Scenes Tour. This provided us with an intimate look at the aquarium's operations. The most memorable part was walking across the rope bridge, where we literally were right above the swimming marine life. This employee answered any questions we had and told us that we were the first to correctly answer his pop quiz. It was disheartening to learn about instances of reckless behavior (e.g., taking them out of water, squeezing them tightly), particularly among children, leading to the death of jellyfish. Hopefully, the aquarium will take a more proactive stance to prevent such incidents in the future. Lastly, while the price seems high, if you take your time and engage in all the activities, you can really spend hours here!"

"The aquarium was awesome. What a spectacular shark exhibit. It’s a bit smaller than I am accustomed to, but still a great aquarium and learning experience. They have several interactive exhibits and you can actually touch several of the animals, which was awesome! Staff was very knowledgeable and friendly!"

"The St. Louis Aquarium is the most hands-on interactive aquarium I've ever visited, and probably the coolest (for that reason). There were what seemed like dozens of unique displays all attended by skilled, enthusiastic, and kind staff. The exhibits highlight geographical features of local bodies of water, like the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. There were urchins, jellyfish, sharks, doctor fish that nibble at your fingers, stingrays, turtles attended by the informative Darius, water-shooting archer fish, Elvira the corn snake, a tortoise, otters, starfish, lobsters, lionfish, a mother octopus tending to her eggs, and so many others. The entrance to the aquarium involves attendees to board a virtual train, with John Goodman narrating the introduction to St. Louis and the aquarium. This set the stage for what can be expected through the rest of your visit. It was reminiscent of Disney World and how developed their experiences are. I've heard many locals scoff at the ticket price to enter the aquarium. We spent $95.76 for a family of three on a Tuesday morning in January 2024. Though it does feel steep, we St. Louisans are lucky to have as many quality free attractions as we do. I don't mind splurging for this, especially when the experience was as memorable and fun as it was."

"Full disclosure, rating as a parent with a small child. For kids, this place rocks. Between the interactive exhibits and kids area, you can find yourself letting little ones keep busy for hours if you really want. The huge water table would have kept my kid entertained all day if we would have let him. For adults only, likely not worth the cost. You will likely be all the way through in well under an hour."

"For a smaller aquarium, it is jam packed with all sorts of hands on and educational modules. I love aquariums, but I really enjoyed experiencing this with my kids. Feeding the stingrays and being able to put your hands in the tank with the Doctor Fish were major highlights!"