And we thought the Whispering Arch was cool…
Phase One of the renovation of St. Louis’ Union Station is now complete and will open to the public—on time and on schedule—Saturday, May 10, which just happens to coincide with National Train Day.
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
A hundred years ago, our city’s Union Station—while visually stunning—was for most people a transfer point rather than a destination. With all the changes and additions already in place by Lodging Hospitality Management (LHM), Union Station’s new owner, the opposite is true.
The wow parade begins, as it should, at the renovated Grand Hall, which also doubles as the lobby for the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. In a St. Louis Magazine article from December of last year, before the work on the Grand Hall began, LHM’s owner Bob O’Loughlin said it “needs to be more welcoming, and it needs an event. Like the Peabody ducks…”
An event is now has, in the form of a series of 3-D mapping videos projected onto the ceiling. What was stunning before is breathtaking now; what formerly registered as grandeur now elicits an arm’s length of goose-bumps.
In a series of short clips that repeats every 20 minutes or so, visitors are transported to places they’ve never been: back in time, to the heyday of Union Station and the 1904 World’s Fair; on a magic carpet ride, Fantasia-style, through a garden of kaleidoscopic colors and to the Sistine Chapel (below); and then to a perch on a river bottom—surely one of our rivers.
The entire Grand Hall has been refurnished and refurbished: The original terrazzo floor was discovered under a layer of mundane floor tile; in the former ladies waiting area, a lavish, plaster drinking fountain (below) was found under a layer of drywall. It’s the focal point in the new Grand Hall Market, which features snacks, daily essentials, Starbuck’s coffee, and St. Louis-themed goodies.
It wouldn’t be fair to reveal any more. We will only urge the reader to revisit one of the city’s most cherished landmarks, to experience it in a whole new way, perhaps buoyed by a classic cocktail or a newly-crafted beer at the magnificent, white-marble-topped, 70-foot-long bar, noshing on 1940s-themed, small-plate creations like Oysters Rockefeller.
It’s also not fair to describe Union Station as merely a destination–it’s now a full-on experience. And remember, this is only the beginning–wait till you hear what’s planned for the Midway.
National Train Day festivities run from 10 am – 6 pm on Saturday, May 10. Activities include tours of train engines and sleeping cars, a model train exhibit, foods from the 1904 World’s Fair, and more. Click here for full details.
St. Louis Union Station Hotel
1820 Market
314-621-5262
The Grand Hall (special menu from the Station Grille) Daily 4 pm - 1 am The Grand Hall Market Mon-Sat 6 am - 10 pm
