NPS Photo
It’s hard to miss the main attraction at Gateway Arch National Park—the Gateway Arch. Whether or not you ride the tram to the top, the tallest monument in the nation is an impressive sight. But you might not realize how many other things there are to see and do at the park. Stroll the Grounds The grounds are just as historic as the Arch. Renowned landscape architect Dan Kiley completed their design in 1964. He collaborated with the Arch’s designer, Eero Saarinen, to create a setting that echoes the Arch’s modernist qualities. Curving, tree-lined paths allow you glimpses of the monument from different viewpoints. Grass lawns slope down to ponds or open into green meadows. From many places in the park, you can watch the traffic on the mighty Mississippi River, which is the reason St. Louis was founded and flourished here. In all seasons, the grounds make a stunning backdrop for photographs of the Arch. Journey to the Top The tram—a unique combination of elevator, train, and ferris wheel—lifts visitors to the observation deck inside the top of the Arch. If the weather is clear, you can see up to 30 miles east or west, but the fog on cool, damp mornings might obscure even your view of the river below. The tram ride lasts only 3 to 4 minutes each way, but the complete trip includes a video, interactive exhibits and the stunning view from the top, so it usually takes about 45 minutes. You’ll always find a park ranger at the top to answer your questions. Museum Through their images and belongings, you’ll meet the explorers, soldiers, hunters, American Indians and farmers who inhabited the West. The Museum’s artifacts chronicle the hardships encountered by overland travelers and settlers in the nineteenth century. Encounter the bison that they hunted. Marvel at the overland wagon and the stagecoach like those that carried immigrants into the west from St. Louis. Explore the world of the American Indians and pioneers who shaped the history of the American West. Museum Store and Old Courthouse Museum Shop Two stores at the park offer you the chance to extend your fun by taking home an interpretive item, book, video, gift or memento of your visit. The Museum Store features unique items related to the nation’s westward expansion, St. Louis history, and the design and construction of the Arch. Learn about other national parks, too! The Old Courthouse Museum Shop sells gifts and books related to St. Louis history, including one of the most important events in America’s civil rights history, the Dred Scott case. Your purchase at either of these stores provides support for preserving and sharing the legacies of this national park. Theaters Choose a film to watch in one of the two theaters in the park. In Monument To The Dream, get a construction worker’s view of how the Arch was built. Or at the Old Courthouse, see how 19th-century St. Louis fostered three Constitutional amendments in the film Slavery on Trial: The Dred Scott Decision. Riverboat Cruises Take a ride down the Mississippi River on a 19th-century replica steamboat. The Tom Sawyer and the Becky Thatcher combine modern conveniences with the charm of the 1800s. Old Courthouse Museum The massive iron and copper dome of the Old Courthouse has been a St. Louis landmark and gathering place for 150 years. Wagon trains gathered there before heading out to Oregon. The worn flagstones hosted the first two trials of the pivotal Dred Scott case in 1847 and 1850. In its courtrooms, Virginia Minor attempted to win the right to vote for women in the 1870s. |
Last updated: March 25, 2022