Observation wheel at Union Station to open in October, aquarium in December
Date Posted: July 11, 2019
Posted In: Projects,
From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The downtown landscape is getting some legs.
The support towers of the new 200-foot observation wheel at Union Station are rising above the former train shed; about a quarter of the wheel’s spokes are also in place.
By mid-October, you’ll be able to take a ride year-round in one of 42 climate-controlled gondolas. Each gondola can hold up to eight people.
The wheel will be just one aspect of the $187 million entertainment complex at the former train station-turned-shopping mall-come St. Louis Aquarium. The aquarium is set to open in mid-December. Officials opened the building Thursday for a media tour.
A 36-foot-wide carousel with 30 animal rides and two chariots will open at the same time as the wheel, as well as an 18-hole mini golf course.
For riders, the wheel offers a new perspective on the city below, with views stretching up to 20 miles in every direction on a clear day. And those on the ground will get to enjoy the wheel’s 1.6 million LED lights, which can display 16.7 million colors in any combination to celebrate the occasion, like the Fourth of July or yet another Blues hockey win. You can even pay to have the wheel light up in the colors of your choice, like your wedding colors, school colors, or pink or blue for the ultimate gender reveal.