Interactive Exhibits & Hands-On Experiences

Touch, Meet, and Discover: Interactive Experiences Await

Would you like to explore more of the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station? Our animal encounters and interactive programs are designed to provide an engaging and immersive experience to take your visit to another level. Whether you want to learn more about a specific animal or are curious about the source of the saltwater, we have something to keep your interests piqued. If you want more private time, Click here for our private animal encounter opportunities.

Meet Our Animals

Explore all that awaits you at the St. Louis Aquarium and get up close with our fantastic ambassador animals during your visit.

Touch Pools

Swan-dive a hand into the shallow waters of any (or all!) of our four Touch Pools to pet a shark, feel a stingray and touch other marine animals. These hands-on animal encounters should be experienced by all our guests—and it's free with every General Admission ticket or Annual Pass visit.

Program Animal Ambassadors

Learn more about some of the exciting animals that rely on rivers and oceans, but don’t live directly within them. From amphibians and reptiles to small mammals and birds, meet our charismatic animals and allow our team members to teach you more about them.

Dive Chats

Curious about what it takes to feed our sharks or how we keep Shark Canyon clean? Ask our divers! During our interactive Dive Chat, you can speak directly to one of our trained divers while they are underwater and have all your questions answered. Dive Chats take place at Shark Canyon each day at 1:15pm subject to change based on the availability of our divers. Dive Chats are included with every General Admission ticket or Annual Pass visit.