urbanSTL

dweebe wrote: ↑

Jul 11, 2025

addxb2 wrote: ↑

Jul 10, 2025

I assume this is the attraction that Denis has been hinting at for the past few months. 

"Also on Thursday, O’Loughlin announced a new Harry Potter attraction slated for Union Station. He said details are to be worked out, but that Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., which holds the rights to the franchise, was enticed by the success of Polar Express experience at Union Station. "

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gov ... 893cd.html

Nice get, I guess.

All they're probably doing is bringing the stuff down from Chicago that was in Water Tower Place.

https://harrypottermagicatplay.com/#city_selector

That ain’t it. This will be the first of its kind in the US

https://m.facebook.com/61574026315640/

https://harrypottertrainadventure.com/e ... adventure/

Found these. Definitely Hogwarts Express themed.

dbInSouthCity wrote:

dweebe wrote: ↑

Jul 11, 2025

addxb2 wrote: ↑

Jul 10, 2025

I assume this is the attraction that Denis has been hinting at for the past few months. 

"Also on Thursday, O’Loughlin announced a new Harry Potter attraction slated for Union Station. He said details are to be worked out, but that Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., which holds the rights to the franchise, was enticed by the success of Polar Express experience at Union Station. "

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gov ... 893cd.html

Nice get, I guess.

All they're probably doing is bringing the stuff down from Chicago that was in Water Tower Place.

https://harrypottermagicatplay.com/#city_selector

That ain’t it. This will be the first of its kind in the US

As in the Chicago retail concept ain’t it or the Harry Potter concept in general ain’t what you know of?

It’s not the retail. It’s the train experience

• An Instagram post teasing this project had 44K likes and was posted in September 2024. 
• Also just found this job posting which gives lots of detail. Durango is where Rail Events is HQ. "With a total cast and crew of 40-50 people onsite every day and the possibility of over 2,000 guests, our days can be chaotic."
• According to this guy on Youtube, full broadway production.

2,000 guest per day is 730,000 annually. Even if they fall short and land at 500,000. BIG for downtown.

addxb2 wrote: ↑

Jul 11, 2025

• An Instagram post teasing this project had 44K likes and was posted in September 2024. 
• Also just found this job posting which gives lots of detail. Durango is where Rail Events is HQ. "With a total cast and crew of 40-50 people onsite every day and the possibility of over 2,000 guests, our days can be chaotic."
• According to this guy on Youtube, full broadway production.

2,000 guest per day is 730,000 annually. Even if they fall short and land at 500,000. BIG for downtown.

The biggest question is going to be if it's a one time deal, short term attraction, or something that might be here for a long time.

^ Yeah. I doubt it'll stay put if successful. 

It will be an annual thing, 3-4 months at a time

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... ntown.html

Three new rides to open August 28.

I’ve always been a little bit skeptical about Union Station direction but I think if they can create a full on amusement park downtown and pull lots of events, this will be long term successful and a great use of land. There’s plenty of room to make Union Station a pretty unique experience with the right choices. Go all in on St. Louis, train, 19th century themes and max out the land use for activity

With Brickline and the right activation of the gateway mall, the draw for locals and tourists could be very real from Union Station to the arch

The one “touristy” thing I suggest people to do is go catch one of the light displays at the old train lobby and have a drink. That ceiling is gorgeous

And it's all transit accessible

^ & ^^ Have to agree and all good if they can keep it going, adding, bringing people downtown..  Just wish LHM would put together some density for their surface lots between Union Station and pitches (if I got the lingo right).   At least some Mid rise residential and structured parking.  Maybe take over the Drury hotel and find a creative way to add rooms/complimentary structure.   Real wishful thinking is maybe some new Class A space if they could get a tenant who would go downtown over Westport.   Seems like a golden opportunity and another boost from downtown.  

If the new attractions blow up, I would like to see a national restaurant(s) (Rain Forest Cafe) or other unique options for tourists. I would also like to see street performers & some light retail. Some warm weather kiosks would be cool, selling things unique to STL. A Ted Drewes annex might work there. LHM needs to take Union Station to the max, utilize all space & add as many attractions as possible. 

I know this topic has been beat into oblivion, but would a walkway, tunnel or some better connectivity to Union Station work with the transit center? It would be cool to give people coming to town the impression that Union Station is truly connected to the train station. The current transit center is rather embarrassing (much better than the Amshack) but still inept. Connecting to Union Station at least makes it seem like we have a real train station. I understand the dream of making Union Station our main train station is dead, but some connectivity besides a dark & barren walk down Clark would be great. 

DogtownBnR wrote: ↑

Jul 31, 2025

I understand the dream of making Union Station our main train station is dead, but some connectivity besides a dark & barren walk down Clark would be great. 

This is where I reiterate my financially irresponsible dream of capping the Metrolink line along Clark between 18th & 14th and building street-facing buildings over the top...

-RBB

Mixed use hotel is the best use for this complex IMO. The area could absolutely use some additional retail space too. Nothing crazy, just room for a couple gift shops and maybe a fudge store.

I am hoping long term that the parking can be mostly replaced by a little walkable tourist village. Throw in a town square (that can have ice skating in the winter) maybe a Disneyland-esque main street. More fun rides and dumb experiences like blacksmith shops and glass blowing

rbb wrote:

DogtownBnR wrote: ↑

Jul 31, 2025

I understand the dream of making Union Station our main train station is dead, but some connectivity besides a dark & barren walk down Clark would be great. 

This is where I reiterate my financially irresponsible dream of capping the Metrolink line along Clark between 18th & 14th and building street-facing buildings over the top...

-RBB

Yep. This would be a smart investment for all. I’ve thought to build a greenway along the southern bank of the MetroLink ditch from 18th to Civic Center. Have it duck under the 16th street bridge.

Then build a mid-track elevator or station tower on the eastern edge of Union Station MetroLink with stairs going down to the platform. Use awnings similar to cortex to cover the area.

Union Station ownership have always seemed agnostic to MetroLink but is such a huge opportunity for them to extend the whimsy of their concept.

Would be even better if they found a way to extend the greenway through to connect to the cycletrack on 21st Street. I find myself cutting through there often but the current state of things for bikers is not great

Mayor approved fun. 

Extreme cringe

Just a small marketing note. I wish Union Station would do more on socials to highlight its role in the skyline. I know it’s not necessarily a centerpiece of STLs best views but it could be.

More vids like this!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSk7EuaD ... YzZHgzOHFt

I took this photo off my TV a few years ago. It is from one of the local channels weather copter. I was hoping a drone guy would duplicate at higher solution, but one said it takes clearances they don’t have. Or something like that. And I suppose it would take a long lens drones don’t have.


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He may not have a commercial drone pilot's license to fly that close to a monument.  All kinds of airspace restrictions near airports and national monuments.

Otthouse wrote:He may not have a commercial drone pilot's license to fly that close to a monument.  All kinds of airspace restrictions near airports and national monuments.

I think to get this photo you’d have to be pretty far east with a very long lens. Maybe too close to Downtown Airport?


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