Union Station, Saint Louis

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The nicest thing to see when coming here is the hotel and the ornate decorative lobby and ceilings. It was very well preserved just like back in the 1920's era, and the features are simply elegant. Now operated by Marriott

I work across the street from Union Station and am forced to go there for lunch. 10 years ago, this place was bustling. Now, it's limping along barely making it on the lunch money of local workers. A previous tipper stated that the following businesses were located inside, and I wish to update this list:

Hard Rock Cafe
Hooters - GONE
Houlihan's
Key West Cafe
Route 66 Brewery/Restaurant - GONE
The Station Grill - GONE
A&W Hot Dogs & MOre - GONE
The Candy Station
The Fudgery
Mrs. Field's Bakery Cafe
Quizno's
St. Louis Coffee Roasters -GONE
St. Louis Daiquiri - GONE
Starbucks Coffee - GONE
Subway
TCBY - GONE

B. Dalton Bookseller - GONE
Beatles For Sale - GONE
Disney Store - GONE
Perfumania - GONE
Teddy Bear Factory - GONE
The Body Shop - GONE

get the picture? if you are in the area, it's really one of the few choices for a meal. The Hard Rock and Landry's are still there and so is Houlihan's, so it's not horrible. But, your best bet is to get on highway 40/64, and head west to the Galleria.

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There are so many things to see and do in St. Louis. We chose three main things, one of which was the restored Union Station. It was about a mile and a half walk from the arch.
We walk almost that much every day so we enjoyed the sights along the way. All you have to do is walk around the Old Courthouse and keep heading West.
We were really amazed at the beauty of the interior and the dazzling shops, hotels, and eating places inside.
We were there right about lunch time and had a bounty of choices for a quick meal.
I definitely would recommend a visit to Union Station.

Union Station was nice if you like shopping! It was an interesting conversion as they attempted to keep the old charm of the station while blending in the new. There were lots of interesting shoppes and eateries!

Downtown, St. Louis Union Station's magnificent Grand Hall is a barrel-vaulted wonder of gilt work, stained glass and statuary. Designed by architect Theodore Link in 1984 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, Union Station was once the largest and busiest passenger rail station in the world. Today, the massive building, which was created to resemble a French fortress, houses a Hyatt Hotel and a marketplace of shops, restaurants and clubs.

Formerly the most important train station west of the Mississippi, Union Station has since been converted into a beautiful hotel, fun-filled shopping mall, and amusement complex. Plus, it's just a quick train ride from the Kiel Center and downtown, so you can browse before going to a hockey or baseball game.

I enjoyed my visit here but was a lil upset that the pay to park here seemed to be rather expensive. We went to Hard Rock to eat lunch and then went to tour the hotel lobby that ran through Union Station. While some of the shops were enjoyable, a lot of them were very touristy, while I actually enjoy this sort of thing, some others may not. It was very busy and hectic the day that I was here.

This is a wonderful one-of-a-kind shopping experience. My in-laws live in St. Louis and we make it to Union Station every time we visit, 3-4 times a year. The best time to go is around the holidays.....lots of little kiosks with original t shirts, jewelry, toys for the kids.....it is a great place and lots of good food too. Casa Gallardos is the place to go for Mexican!

Most of the details are carved and painted plaster -- in this case there is gilt added also. The tiles are a richer green than they seem in the photo.

The stained glass window includes an image of the old courhouse dome. The three women represent the main U.S. train stations during the 1890s -- New York, St. Louis and San Francisco.