A new attraction in downtown St. Louis will open to the public in less than a week — the St. Louis Wheel.
The 200-foot-tall observation wheel at Union Station is part of a multimillion-dollar entertainment complex, which will include an aquarium, mini golf course and soda fountain.
Speaking at a preview event Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Lyda Krewson called the project a “major investment” in the city of St. Louis.
“I consider it really a very iconic wheel which overlooks our area and which really sets in place the momentum that we have in the city of St. Louis,” Krewson said.
The St. Louis Wheel has 42 climate-controlled gondolas that can hold up to eight riders each. The glass-enclosed gondolas offer a 360-degree view of the city.
The observation wheel will be open year-round beginning Monday.
The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station is currently under construction. The 120,000-square-foot aquarium — which is set to open in December — will be located in the station’s former mall area.
Maryland-based entertainment company ICON Attractions — which also runs the Capital Wheel at National Harbor outside Washington, D.C. — will operate the St. Louis Wheel.
Eli Stovall of ICON Attractions said the project is the “culmination of countless hours and planning and hard work.”
“We hope it will become part of the personal and citywide celebrations here in St. Louis,” Stovall said. “When the St. Louis Wheel opens, we get to share just how fabulous this city on the banks of the Mississippi River looks from 200 feet in the air.”
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