St. Louis Union Station is the place for romance and fun this Valentine's and Presidents' Day weekend.

RIDE THE WHEEL

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Take love to new heights with a ride on the St. Louis Wheel at Union Station this Valentine's Day weekend. The day of love is also National Ferris Wheel Day, Sunday, February 14.

The 200-foot-tall observation wheel at St. Louis Union Station will be lighted in red and pink themes for Valentine's celebrations. Riders can cozy up to their loved ones in the Wheel's gondolas, which are enclosed and kept at a comfortable 72 degrees no matter what the frosty weather outside.

A special Love Is In The Air package, valid all month, includes two Wheel tickets, two drinks from the Anheuser-Busch beverage container, and a photo package for two for $40. Guests can extend the fun by adding a round of mini-golf and a romantic ride on the St. Louis Carousel. Champagne is also available for purchase to add some sparkle to the Wheel ride.

Love-themed music will enhance the evenings in the Wheel Park and fiery light and music shows will run on the Union Station lake every night.

NATIONAL FERRIS WHEEL DAY

In addition to being Valentine's Day, Sunday, February 14 is also National Ferris Wheel Day. The day honors the birth of inventor George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. Ferris' lofty creation was a centerpiece of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis' Forest Park. Today's observation wheels, including the St. Louis Wheel, are a modern take on Ferris' high-flying creation.

Valentine’s day Freak Shake ‘Crazy4You’FREAK SHAKE FUN

At Soda Fountain, the retro diner-style restaurant on the Union Station plaza, a specialty Freak Shake is on the menu until the end of the month. The over-the-top sweet treat -- named Crazy4You -- is created using Clementine's Naughty & Nice Creamery Chocolate Covered Strawberry ice cream and is topped with a La Bonne Bouche candy-coated brownie and a glitter pretzel rod, cotton candy, white chocolate chips, whipped cream and a cherry. The creation is finished with a pair of sassy red wax lips.

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WE HEART ANIMALS

At the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station, the animals will enjoy heart-shaped treats and enrichment activities in their habitats all weekend.

Guests can see the Aquarium's newest resident, a young Giant Pacific Octopus, known as the world's most loving animal because its species has three hearts. The octopus is being named in a Facebook contest at https://www.facebook.com/aquariumstl.

The Aquarium's otters and other adorable animals -- including a Blacktip Reef Shark, Giant Pacific Octopus, Green Sea Turtle and Linnaeus’ Two-Toed Sloth -- are available for adoption in February and beyond. Symbolically adopt a North American River Otter from the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation and get a personalized adoption kit with four different themes to choose from. An adoption donation supports conservation efforts to protect the otters' native river habitat, as well as the Aquarium Foundation's mission of engaging the community by providing access and education programs. More information is available at https://www.stlaquariumfoundation.org/support/adopt-an-animal/

MAKE IT A STAYCATION

Guests can turn their February celebration into a staycation getaway at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel with two special packages:

Romance/Celebration package: click here

Sweeten Your Stay Package: click here

Grownups can get the speakeasy password for Opulence in the Grand Hall at Union Station to enjoy the Roaring 20's pop up cocktail experience running daily from now through March 6. The event includes an elegant selection of 1920s-inspired cocktails as well as food on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Instagram-worthy photo op scenes decorate the Grand Hall for modern flappers and bootleggers.

HOURS AND INFORMATION

The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station will be open for extended hours for the long holiday weekend from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 12, 13, and 14. The Wheel, Carousel and Mini-Golf operate from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.; and the St. Louis Ropes Course and Mirror Maze are open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Timed tickets are issued for the Aquarium to allow for social distancing at www.stlouisaquarium.com.

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