St. Louis’ most fabulous and innovative new addition has to be Union Station. If you haven’t been to this reimagined train station yet, it is an absolute must for your next night on the town! Union Station has not had trains coming and going since 1978. After that, the building was only used for restaurants and event spaces until the city decided to give it a modern renovation and new life (quite literally)! The station now has an aquarium filled with aquatic life from across the globe, several unique restaurants, a fire and light show in the heart of it all, and a larger than life ferris wheel overlooking the beauty of St. Louis. Union Station is said to be a wonder for people of all ages, and, after visiting it, Darby and I definitely agree!
Grand Hall
I have been to Union Station before, but it was Darby’s first time. Our goal was to explore and also scope out cute locations for pictures. Let’s just say, there is no shortage of photo ops. The top of the Ferris wheel was an obvious choice (and the pictures turned out great!), but one of the best spots actually turned out to be inside the hotel in the Grand Hall. Having been to Union Station before, I was familiar with the areas outside, but I never cared to visit the inside. Now that I have, I can confidently say that you CANNOT skip it! The building is magnificent. The halls are dotted with flowing fountains, large archways and beautiful balconies. But the real show stopper for Darby and me was most definitely the Grand Hall. To say that the Grand Hall is glamorous would be an understatement. The architecture absolutely takes your breath away. It has an entirely mid 1900s feel while still coming across as modern and fresh. One perfect photo-op is the Chaise Lounge in front of a beaded curtain that will definitely give you 1920s, The Great Gatsby vibes.
Another location is a large set of white doors that contrast a colorful, eccentric floor.
But one thing that you HAVE to make sure to see if you go inside the Grand Hall is the 3D light spectacle. Darby and I were caught off guard as the lights went down in the hall when all of a sudden, vines and flowers started growing up the columns, and sparkles of light encircled the design patterns on the walls. The projections looked truly spectacular, and Darby and I were so glad that we caught it! We later found out that the show is every hour, so if you plan on going, definitely put seeing the impressive light show into your schedule.
The Wheel
Ah yes, the biggest staple of Union Station, and rightfully so! Standing at 200 feet tall, it is impossible to miss, and it's also impossible to miss out on! What makes the ferris wheel so special is that you can see all of St. Louis. Seeing the city from above gives you a new appreciation for it, and it honestly looks so beautiful. Pretty pictures are incredibly easy to get, and Darby and I were lucky enough to capture a sunset while up in the sky. The arch is also in view which is definitely a plus for pics! Darby had to get over her fear of heights in order to get on The Wheel, and minus a couple of freak-outs every time we reached the top, even she was able to admit that the view was beyond worth it (and she was able put on a smile for some pictures).
The Details
Darby and I barely scratched the surface of all the activities available at Union Station. There is the aquarium, of course, which I have been to before, and found it to be a really cool experience! There are countless marine animals to see and even chances to pet some of them such as fish and stingrays. I definitely recommended exploring it at least once. Although, if you choose not to go to the aquarium, there’s still an abundance of activities! There’s a mirror maze, mini golf, the attention grabbing fire and light show in the center of the courtyard, and some unique restaurants! The Soda Fountain is definitely the most popular, and it’s a hotspot for Instagram pictures. They have a cute candy shop, retro style booths and lights, and huge, colorful milkshakes! Another great restaurant option is Landry’s Seafood House. It has a deck right next to the pond overlooking the fire and light show, which would make for an epic experience! Darby and I discovered that, at Union Station, there’s enough activities for an entire night of excitement, and we definitely want to go back and try out some of the things that we didn’t get the chance to.
So Basically,
Union Station significantly boosts the class of the St. Louis area. It is most definitely a step in the right direction for the city, and hopefully more renovations like it will follow! Another thing that is really nice about Union Station is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money for an amazing experience. Simply walking around the courtyard, taking pictures, and watching the lights shows for free makes for a fantastic time! Darby and I give this stop a 10/10 and 1000% recommend it for your next date night, girls night, or any other night on the town!
For more information and pricing, visit https://www.stlouisunionstation.com