Upcoming Events and Programs

Regularly Scheduled Summer Programs.

ACCOMMODATIONS REQUEST: If you would like to request ASL interpretation services or other reasonable accommodations for a disability, please contact [e-mail] at least two weeks in advance of the session you are interested in attending.

Ranger-led indoor museum tours. Daily at 11:15 and 3:15 at the arch museum, and at 2:15 at the Old Courthouse.

Learn about the Arch's construction, St. Louis’ role in the westward expansion of the U.S., our city's French origins, the legacy of the Dred Scott trials at the Old Courthouse, or many other topics on a ranger-guided tour. Tours typically last 20-30 minutes. Check today's topics on the magnet boards at the entrances.

NPS Ranger Led Riverboat Cruise. Daily at 3pm, and also at 1:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Takes place on the Mississippi River near the Gateway Arch.

A National Park Service Ranger assists the captain with riverboat narriation and will be available to meet visitors. Riverboat Junior Ranger booklets are also available. This event requires the purchase of a ticket. Tickets are for sale here.

Puppet Shows. Saturdays, 11:15am - noon. Held in the Education Classroom at Gateway Arch National Park's visitor center.

Park rangers use puppets to engage with and educate kids on the various themes of Gateway Arch National Park. This is a fun and silly child-friendly program.

Touch tables. As staffing allows. At various locations throughout the museum.

Touch Tables are displays that allow visitors to tangibly connect with the park’s living history collections in a safe and positive environment. Learn about the early fur trade, pioneer toys, sabots (a French wooden shoe), or many other topics.

Wellness challenge. Year round, self-guided throughout the park.

The NPS Wellness Challenge promotes the unique ways in which our national park sites promote healthy lifestyles, highlighting specific activities that further physical, learning and mental wellness. At Gateway Arch National Park, participants can earn Wellness Challenge badges by taking the Tram Ride to the Top, walking up the Arch Grand Staircase, or becoming a Junior Ranger, among many other activities. To get started, visit the Information Desk in the Arch Visitor Center or check out our NPS Wellness Challenge website.

 

Naturalization Ceremony. Friday, September 19, 11 a.m. In the rotunda of the historic Old Courthouse.

Thirty people are scheduled to get naturalized as U.S. citizens at this ceremony. The public is invited to witness the ceremony but there will be no chairs available for them to sit in as the chairs are reserved for the people getting naturalized and for their families and friends. There will be space available to stand on the south side of the rotunda behind all of the chairs and anywhere up on the second-floor balcony. RSVP's are not needed from anyone who wants to witness the ceremony.

 

At every riverfront cleanup, volunteers work alongside NPS staff to remove hundreds of pounds of trash and recyclables from the Mississippi River.

NPS Photo

National Public Lands Day. Saturday, September 27. Several activities throughout the day.

National Public Lands Day is traditionally the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits. Every year, Gateway Arch National Park and Gateway Arch Park Foundation commemorate this special day by hosting a Riverfront Cleanup.

National Public Lands Day activities are free and open to people of all ages. This year’s theme is “Our Home Outdoors”, which is a reminder that these lands are not just physical spaces—they are where we come together, feel rooted, and develop a sense of place.

Just Breathe Yoga Session Under the Arch: 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Join The Collective STL for Just Breathe Yoga, a free, all-levels yoga session under the Gateway Arch. Registration will be available soon.

Mississippi River Cleanup: 9 a.m. - noon.

Meet up and team up at the Gateway Arch to help clean up the St. Louis Riverfront! Nine billion tons of trash end up in the ocean every year. In fact, the Mighty Mississippi River is one of the largest sources of oceanic plastic debris. But with YOUR help, we can minimize our environmental footprint by collecting riverside trash to keep the riverfront clean. Gateway Arch National Park, Gateway Arch Park Foundation, Beyond Plastics, Republic Services, Missouri Stream Team, Great Rivers Greenway, Living Lands & Waters, and the City of St. Louis have partnered to organize a community trash pick-up event on National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 27 from 9 a.m. - noon. Recruit your friends and family members and join us in lending a helping hand and cleaning up the riverfront! Interested volunteers should register online at archpark.volunteerhub.com.

Explore the new exhibits at the Old Courthouse: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Through the generous support of Gateway Arch Park Foundation's philanthropic donors, the Old Courthouse has undergone extensive renovations to introduce brand-new exhibits, update critical structural elements, and enhance overall accessibility, ensuring this historic building will remain vibrant for future generations. The Old Courthouse is free and open to the public. You’re invited to explore and learn more about important parts of our nation’s history that occurred within the Old Courthouse, including where Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom, Virginia Minor fought for her right as a woman to vote, and more than 300 enslaved African Americans filed suits for their freedom.

NPS Fee-Free Day: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The National Park Service has designated National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 27 a fee-free day, in which the entrance fee at all NPS sites is waived. At Gateway Arch National Park, the $3 entrance fee included in each adult Tram Ride to the Top ticket and adult Documentary Movie ticket is waived. This means that Tram and Movie tickets will be $3 cheaper than they normally are.

 

2025 Gateway to the Stars Events:

An astronomy or National Park related educational program will precede free telescope viewing of the Moon and other celestial objects.

Saturday, August 30, 7:00pm. "Junior Ranger Night Explorer Workshop." Children aged 4-13 can work together with our park's Sky Ranger to earn a customized Junior Ranger Night Explorer patch. Meet in Tucker Theater inside the arch visitor center.

Saturday, September 27, 7:00 pm. "Ranger Night Walk." Enjoy a walk around the Park and learn about area history. Meet at the entrance plaza.

Sunday, October 26, 6:30 pm. "Ghosts of the Arch Grounds." The area where the Gateway Arch stands today has always been central to local history. Learn about the various incarnations of the park grounds and the fortunes and misfortunes of historical figures such as Eero Saarinen, James Eads, Thomas Targee, Percy Green, and Kenneth Swyers. Meet at the entrance plaza.

 

Don't be feline left out! Adventurous kitties are also welcome outdoors at the park and at our summer B.A.R.K. Ranger events. Cats must be restrained on leashes or in strollers.

NPS Photo

2025 B.A.R.K. Ranger Events

All B.A.R.K. events will be held outdoors and all will meet at the entrance plaza. Events will be cancelled or rescheduled in case of inclement weather. All dogs must be leashed and friendly. See our Pets page for more information about B.A.R.K. Ranger.

Sunday, September 21 at 10am. Dog Art. Create a special piece of art with your pet. All materials will be provided.

Sunday, October 19 at 10am. Pet Costume Parade. Dress up your pets and show them off in a parade around the Arch. **Note: there will be no prizes for the parade. All dogs are good boys and girls.

 

Iconic Conversations Speaker Series, 2025-2026

Join us each month for a thought-provoking speaker series that brings St. Louis history to life. Gateway Arch National Park and Jefferson National Parks Association are proud to host compelling talks by local authors and other knowledgeable guests who will explore a variety of topics relevant to the St. Louis region. You might learn about our city's early beginnings, its architecture, our prominent leaders, the rise of the Gateway Arch, our civil rights struggles, and the best things to do around town. Book discussions will be followed by an author signing opportunity.

All programs are free and no reservations are needed. They will be held at 2:00 p.m. on the second Sunday of the month in the rotunda of the historic Old Courthouse (11 N. 4th Street, St. Louis, MO 63102). The building is fully accessible, and a sign language interpreter will be on hand for each presentation.

September 14: Jim Merkel, author of The Making of an Icon
October 12: John Guenther, author of The Gateway Arch: An Illustrated Timeline
November 9: Flannery Burke. Gateway to the East: Broadening Native Perspectives on St. Louis
December 14: Amanda Burke, Cultural Resource Manager at Gateway Arch National Park
January 11: Amanda Doyle, Author of 100 Things to Do in St. Louis Before You Die and Guidebook to St. Louis
Feburary 8: Jan Jacobi, author of Lincoln and Douglas
March 8: Andy Hahn, author of Mapping St. Louis
April 12: Ed Wheatley, author of Baseball in St. Louis
May 10: NiNi Harris, author of Black St. Louis and St. Louis Parks
June 14: Cheryl Eichar Jett

 

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Keep checking this page for more information about future events

Fee Free Days in 2025	Date
Martin Luther King Day	Monday, January 20
1st Day of National Park Week	Saturday, April 19
Juneteenth National Independence Day	Thursday, June 19
Great American Outdoors Act	Monday, August 4
National Public Lands Day	Saturday, September 27
Veterans Day	Tuesday, November 11