The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station has been named a winner in the USA Today 10Best Readers'[ Choice Awards for 2025. Facing off against the country’s biggest marine attractions, the St. Louis Aquarium has come in at #4. Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium at Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri came in first.
“We are thrilled to be chosen by USA Today’s readers as one of the best aquariums in the nation,” said Tami Brown, the St. Louis Aquarium’s executive director. “Our hands-on features, animal encounters and friendly, knowledgeable team make all the difference. We’re the most interactive aquarium in the nation and that is most likely what led to us being placed so high in the first year we were nominated.”
The top 10 winners for Best Aquarium are ranked as follows:
Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
Texas State Aquarium
St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station
Mystic Aquarium
Tennessee Aquarium
Adventure Aquarium
The Florida Aquarium
OdySea Aquarium
The Maritime Aquarium
Fans of the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station voted for the popular attraction in USA TODAY’s 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Aquarium online starting April 12. Voting closed on May 12 and winners are being revealed today.
USA TODAY editors, along with a panel of subject matter experts, chose the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station as a nominee for Best Aquarium. The USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards highlight top-notch attractions and businesses, providing readers with trusted recommendations.
The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station is known for being the nation’s most interactive aquarium, with hands-on, hands-wet habitats and activities. Guests can touch Stingrays and Sharks, talk with underwater divers during a daily dive show in Shark Canyon, get a Doctor Fish manicure, touch Moon Jellies and get immersed in a habitat filled with invertebrates. Kids enjoy activities and story times in the KidZone, feeding turtles and watching playful Otters frolic through a two-story habitat. The Aquarium’s amazing ambassador animals, ranging from Sloths and Lizards to Armadillos and Parrots, greet visitors every day.
The St. Louis Aquarium is open daily at St. Louis Union Station a family entertainment destination owned by Lodging Hospitality Management (LHM) at 201 S. 18th St., St. Louis, MO 63103. The Aquarium is operated by zoOceanarium Group.
Follow along on social media @aquariumstl and at www.stlouisaquarium.com.
Videos about the Aquarium:
