News Release

National Park Service to Turn Off Gateway Arch Exterior Lights for Bird Migration Season

Date: April 21, 2021
Contact: Pam  Sanfilippo, 314-655-1634
Contact: Jenna Todoroff, 618-580-8187

“Our feathered friends are flying home after spending the winter months in the south,” said Tarona Armstrong, Deputy Superintendent, Gateway Arch National Park. “Every bird migration season in the spring and fall, we turn off the upward lighting on the Gateway Arch’s exterior to avoid the possible disorienting effect on birds that migrate at night.”

The exterior lights will be turned back on beginning Saturday, May 15, and the monument will be lit nightly thereafter.


ABOUT GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK: The Gateway Arch and the Old Courthouse are part of Gateway Arch National Park, located on the riverfront in downtown St. Louis. The Gateway Arch features the Tram Ride to the Top, the Museum at the Gateway Arch, the documentary film Monument to the Dream, The Arch Store and The Arch Café. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Labor Day to Memorial Day weekend, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. Due to the global pandemic, the Old Courthouse is currently closed. The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Most programs are FREE of charge and open to the public. Programs and events at the park are made possible by the generous support from park partners Gateway Arch Park Foundation, Jefferson National Parks Association, and Bi-State Development. For Tram Ride to the Top and Documentary Movie tickets, go online to gatewayarch.com, call 877-982-1410 or visit the ticket counter in the Arch Visitor Center.