ST. LOUIS — Two St. Louis attractions are now back open after being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The St. Louis Aquarium and St. Louis Wheel at Union Station both reopened on June 8.
Both attractions had been closed since March.
'The bait is almost over! You’ll be able to visit all of your favorite underwater animals in less than 24 hours!' The aquarium posted on Instagram on Sunday.
'Reopening tomorrow has got us in our wheels!' St. Louis Wheel posted on Instagram.
The St. Louis Aquarium resumed regular hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The wheel will be open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. every day.
At the aquarium, employees and guests over the age of 9 must wear masks. At the Ropes Course and Mirror Maze, guests will be offered gloves.
All aquarium guests will be required to reserve timed tickets in advance, including annual pass holders, the aquarium said. Reservations have been instated to keep within city guidelines for reduced capacity inside buildings. Guests will be guaranteed admission on the day of their reservation but will not be allowed entry before their ticket time. If a guest feels unwell on the day of their visit, they can call the aquarium and exchange their tickets for another day.
Cash will not be accepted at any attractions or restaurants at St. Louis Station, and all major credit cards will be accepted.
The aquarium's gift shop and the wheel's retail kiosk will be open, but a limited number of guests will be allowed inside at one time. The restaurants Trainshed and 1894 Cafe will also reopen with reduced capacity, enhanced sanitizing procedures and health checks.
New safety measures for the St. Louis Aquarium
All team members will wear masks and guests over the age of 9 are required to wear masks at the direction of the St. Louis City Department of Health. Guests with pre-existing health conditions unable to wear a mask for medical reasons are exempt. Guests may remove or lower their masks when they are able to stay six feet or more away from others or when eating or drinking.
A one-way flow has been established through the Aquarium to help with social distancing.
The Aquarium is maintaining its existing high standards of cleanliness and all high-touch surfaces such as windows, doors, railings, restrooms, and elevators will be cleaned continuously by the Aquarium’s Clean Team. Hard surfaces will be sanitized throughout the attraction, lobby and restrooms continuously.
Additional hand sanitizer stations will be found throughout the Aquarium including at the entry, exit and in the restrooms.
Employees will be screened daily to verify that they do not have fevers or other COVID-19 symptoms. Guests will walk through an infrared scanner at the entrance to verify their temperatures and will take a survey to confirm their health. Those with temperatures of more than 100 degrees will be asked to return on another day.
Guest services associates will refer guests to signs listing COVID-19 symptoms to verify that everyone in their party is symptom-free.
Floor decals have been added throughout the queue lines and inside the aquarium to help guests maintain 6 feet of separation from others.
The Fish ID touchscreens, Scavenger Hunt touchscreens, the Train Experience and the Virtual Reality Sandbox are not currently available due to their high touch nature and the difficulty in maintaining adequate social distancing during their use.
At the St. Louis Wheel, all employees will wear masks, while guests are encouraged but not required to wear them.
New safety measures at St. Louis Wheel
Here is a full list of new safety protocols that will be in place at the wheel:
Team members will wear masks and guests will be encouraged to do the same.
Employees will be screened daily for fevers or other COVID-19 symptoms.
Guests will take a survey to confirm their health.
Signs in the Wheel Park will list COVID-19 symptoms and guests also will be asked to confirm their health statuses in person.
Pavement markers will be placed to guide guests to stay at least 6 feet apart.
Gondola loading and unloading cycles will be spaced to allow physical distancing between guests and between cleaning cycles.
The Wheel’s gondolas will be sanitized between groups. Clean Team members will continuously sanitize surfaces on and around the Wheel, in the Wheel Park and at the other attractions.
All team members will be required to wash and sanitize their hands frequently. Hand sanitizing stations will be in place throughout the Wheel Park.
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