Saint Louis Union Station is a stop on the MetroLink and a favorite stop for lunch and dinner of many sports fans coming into the downtown area to attend games. All three stadiums are located in downtown Saint Louis. Busch Stadium (Cardinals baseball), Edwards Jones Arena (Rams football) and Scott Trade Center (home of the Saint Louis Blues)and located off the MetroLink.
I had a bit of trouble photographing inside the Train Shed. The bright sky, the shadows, the glass, the water, the massive beams, all seemed to contribute to my problems with clarity. Including the koi! The water was merky or I would have shared a shot of the many koi. Here's a few of my better captures:
In August 1985, after a $150 million renovation, Union Station was reopened with a 539-room hotel, shopping mall, restaurants and food court. The hotel is housed in the headhouse and part of the train shed, which also houses a lake and shopping, entertainment and dining establishments. Omni was the original hotel operator, followed by Hyatt Regency Hotel chain and now Marriott Hotels as of December 2008.
The Midway, once serviced more than 100,000 rail passengers a day. The 610-foot-long and 70-foot-wide concourse was connected to the massive Train Shed, where passengers lined up to board trains through one of 32 boarding gates. The Midway was constructed with a light steel trussed roof of glass and iron. Today it serves as a passageway filled with an array of shops and restaurants.
The Train Shed, 11.5 acres of sweeping arches, was the largest single-span train shed ever constructed. It once covered the greatest number of train tracks (32) than any other station in the nation. Measuring 606 feet wide by 810 feet long, the Victorian-engineered shed soars to 140 feet with its massive space divided by five structural bays. The Shed currently houses retail and restaurant facilities, a portion of the Marriott Hotel, the lake, event and parking areas.
Please do stop by and take a peek at other participants My World submissions this week by clicking
My World . I so like seeing what everyone else is up to around the world. Enjoy.
A few more captures from the West Virginia State Fair. I so loved the skies the day we visited, the colors of the carnival rides popped against it. Do click to enlarge them.
.jpg)
