ST. LOUIS — Christmas Day is often filled with lots of traditions with our loved ones, but for those looking to do something a little different, there are several options in the St. Louis area.
5 On Your Side looked up some of the places that are open on Christmas.
The long-anticipated St. Louis Aquarium will open its doors to the public for the very first time on Christmas morning. Talk about a special gift for St. Louis! However, if you haven’t already bought your tickets for opening day, you’ll have to wait. Tickets for the first day quickly sold out online a couple weeks ago when the St. Louis Aquarium first announced when it would officially open.
However, you can still spend your day at some of the other new attractions at Union Station. The St. Louis Wheel will be open with normal business hours of 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. The other new attractions—the carousel, mini golf course, mirror maze and ropes courses—also are all open on Christmas. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online in advance.
We’re looking at near-record high temperatures for Christmas Day in St. Louis, but there are a couple options that can give you cold winter vibes.
Steinberg Skating Rink in Forest Park isn’t just open on Christmas, it’s inviting guests to strap on their skates and do a couple extra laps. The rink has extended holiday hours of 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. through Jan. 4. Just remember, Steinberg is a cash-only business. An ATM is available on site.
You can also go skating in downtown St. Louis at the rink in Kiener Plaza. Winterfest will be open for visitors from noon – 4 p.m.
If you’d rather hit the slopes, Hidden Valley will welcome snow bunnies Christmas evening. You’ll be able to ski, snowboard or tube down the snow—all in nearly 70-degree weather—from 4 – 9 p.m.
If you’re looking to go somewhere that some people might see as unconventional, you can push your luck at any one of the five casinos in the St. Louis area. River City Casino, Lumiere Place, Hollywood Casino, Ameristar Casino Resort Space in St. Charles, Argosy Casino in Alton and Casino Queen all will be open on Christmas. There’s also a free buffet for veterans and active military members at Lumiere.
If you have loved ones in town who want to visit some of the more traditional go-to spots in St. Louis, just know that many of them are closed on Christmas Day.
Here is the list of popular places closed on Christmas:
- Saint Louis Zoo
- Saint Louis Art Museum
- Gateway Arch
- City Museum
- Six Flags St. Louis
- The Magic House
- Anheuser-Busch Brewery tours and lights
- Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
- Saint Louis Science Center
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Miracle STL holiday pop-up bar
- Top Golf
More holiday stories:
- 'It cheers up the place' | Hundreds shine lights to show support for children at Cardinal Glennon
- Missouri’s favorite holiday movie of 2019
- ‘A Christmas Story’ 24-hour marathon begins tonight
- 'Holidays are a really hard time' | Group brings Christmas cheer to families at St. Mary's NICU
- Holiday hazards every pet owner should know
- Florissant Marine dresses up as Santa to surprise little sisters for Christmas
