St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station — Attraction in St. Louis

My husband and I visited the aquarium yesterday and it's definitely our new favorite out of the ones we've visited!

The design and set up is beautiful, clean and provides great traffic control. Some aquariums are very crowded due to the way they're set up, but this one flowed nicely. It was also very calm, yet fun; not overstimulating at all. They even had a calming room for any kids or adults who might need it.

The staff were friendly, engaging and educational. We learned so much just by listening and asking questions. Lots of touch and look pools! We got to see starfish, jellyfish, turtles, anemones, and manta rays all close up and had some very unique experiences such as feeding the manta ray (very strange and scary, but so cool and highly recommend it!) and the turtles.

We got to watch staff feed the otters and archer fish, which the latter shoot spit at their food to catch it!

As we were heading towards the shark area, an amazing staff person named Stephen popped out of the back rooms and invited us back for a surprise behind the scenes tour of the shark tank!

He told us all about the animals there, facts about different species and names of different animals, such as Eugene the pufferfish (who loves to stare at people due to having amazing eye sight, he blinks!) and their rescued sea turtles, such as Quasimodo whose shell was injured by a boat propeller and wears a patch and weight to help her stay underwater.

We got to cross the rope bridge above the tank and see the sharks swimming around. It was an amazing, once in a life opportunity that we won't forget and are so appreciative of. Thank you!

We highly recommend this aquarium for all ages and you can easily...

We have been here before and have always had a good time. My son, myself, my DIL, and my grandson (3 months old) were having a good time until an employee named Erica ruined everything. I was carrying my grandson to put his hand in the tank where the fish suck on your hand. First thing she says real sparky as I walked past her was only hands no feet. I looked at her and said thank you. I took one hand to flatten it out so he could feel the fish and his mom had him grasp her finger with his other hand. We then both dip his hands in the water. He got so excited. He thought it was cool, then Erica pipes up and says, with another attitude, make sure he isn't grabbing those fish. I looked at her and said we've got him he isn't grabbing anything he's being held and is 3 months old. She starts running her mouth about babies shouldn't have their hands in there anyway (which we weren't the 1st today). At that point I thanked her told her she didn't have to be so rude and I went to wash my grandsons hands. My son did not like the disrespect shown to his mother so he made it very clear what her role as a customer service employee is about. Then my DIL got mad because who was she to say what someone else's child should or shouldn't do. Especially since we continued on rheough the aquarium and was fully welcomed at the jelly fish and sting ray touching exhibits. They told us to lay him on his belly of the ledge and all. I hope the manager took care of this situation, however I doubt it was. So again, thank you for ruining the fun atmosphere and happy attitudes we all had when we walked it. I hope you had the kind of day you deserved. Sorry but I for one will not go back...

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...