A hundred years ago, Union Station was among the largest and busiest rail terminals in the world. The air was shrill with whistles, wheezy with the heave of locomotives, and at its height, 100,000 people passed through each day, boarding trains to cities all across America. The last passenger train departed in 1978 and for a time, the station lay dormant, reopening in 1985 as a mixed-use space for restaurants and retail.
In 2012, after decades of lackluster growth, Union Station was purchased by Lodging Hospitality Management (LHM), which lost no time returning the station and its hotel to grandeur. Todd Hotaling, vice president of marketing and revenue for LHM, says the most exciting innovation might be the Fire and Light Show, a free event that takes place on the lagoon every night from 5 to 9 p.m. “It’s incredible,” he says of the 30-foot plumes of flame, which—on the hour—shoot skyward out of 12 flower-shaped water sculptures in a flamboyant display.
Choreographed to different styles of music and synced with other lighting, this sight-and-sound spectacular is dazzling—“Vegas-y,” Hotaling says. Add to those effects the 100-foot-long, 40-foot-high ‘mist wall’ that changes color depending on the play of light, and a simple happy-hour cocktail becomes sublime. “It’s electrifying,” Hotaling says. Currently, those cocktails can be had at Landry’s Seafood and Hard Rock Cafe, both of which have bird’s eye views of the station’s lagoon, and there are plans in the works for an expanded concessions area where food and beverages will be served from train cars and shipping containers.
“We are very excited to have one of the top design firms in the country working with us on this project,” says Bob O’Loughlin, LHM chairman and CEO. “And the fact that PGAV Destinations is a St. Louis company means it can appreciate the value of Union Station, and its history and importance to the community.” The project is currently in the design phase, but construction is expected to begin in the fall, with completion anticipated for summer 2019. PGAV also has designed environments at the Saint Louis Zoo, including Polar Bear Pointe, Sea Lion Sound, Penguin & Puffin Coast, and the new Grizzly Ridge set to open this fall.
A 200-foot-high Ferris wheel is another component included in Union Station’s $100 million revitalization. “All these developments will help make our historic Union Station a premier destination for those in St. Louis—and travelers from across the country,” Hotaling concludes.
The Fire and Light Show is a free event that takes place on the lagoon every day from 5 to 9 p.m. For more information, visit stlouisunionstation.com.
Cover design by Julie Streiler | Photos: Tom Paule Photography
