The highly-anticipated St. Louis Aquarium opened its doors at Union Station, St. Louis, Missouri on Christmas Day (25 December 2019).

The two-storey aquarium is housed in the 500,000 sq ft (46,451 sq m) train shed, a National Historic Landmark, at Union Station, and forms the cornerstone of a family entertainment complex, worth a reported US$187m (£144m, €168m).

It spans 120,000 sq ft (11,148 sq m) and is home to more than 13,000 aquatic animals from fresh and saltwater environments around the world.

Aiming to combine conservation with state-of-the-art technology, animal care and education, the aquarium will offer a number of one-of-a-kind experiences, including a 3D VR reality train that will serve as an entry point for visitors and celebrates the history of Union Station. The train drops guests at an area dedicated to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, where guests will learn about the fish that inhabit these rivers, as well as the other American rivers. In the Global Rivers area guests will get to see freshwater species from around the world, as well as a trio of playful otters, named Sawyer, Finn and Thatcher.

In the Shark Canyon exhibit, visitors will come face-to-face with more than 60 sharks and sting ray, housed in a 250,000 gallon acrylic tank with J walls that tower over guests heads. Guests will also be able to interact with divers in the tanks. In the Deep area, guests can explore the depths of the ocean and the creatures that live there, such as the Giant Pacific Octopus.

A host of interactive exhibits and touch tanks offering hands-on and 'hands-wet' experiences will also be on offer.

Tami Brown, executive director of the St. Louis Aquarium, said: "We are thrilled to be able to invite the public into our new home for the holidays. This is a great way to start a new family tradition by experiencing the wonders of aquatic life at the aquarium."

"Visitors will leave the St. Louis Aquarium with wet hands and a greater understanding of the planet's rivers, oceans and aquatic life. They will be able to feed turtles and stingrays and interact with invertebrate animals in our touch tanks. Our staff will also have a variety of other animals such as sloths and birds to explore with the guests," Brown added.

Opening alongside the aquarium is the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation's Conservation and Education Center (CEC), a non-profit that aims to provide access to the Aquarium to disadvantaged students and communities, as well as offer educational programming and field-trip opportunities to schools. It will also offer a number of hands-on, interactive exhibits, as well as an art installation made from recycled plastic bottles.