Upcoming Events and Programs

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Check signage at the visitor center for today's program times and topics.

Ranger-led indoor museum tours. As staffing allows. Meet at the entrance to the museum (inside the visitor center).

Learn about the Arch's construction, St. Louis’ role in the westward expansion of the U.S., our city's fascinating French origins, or many other topics on a ranger-guided tour of the Museum at the Gateway Arch. Explore six exhibit galleries that focus on over 200 years of shared history. Check the magnet board at the entrance to the museum for each day's topics. Every day at 2:15 during March 2024, there will be a Women's History Month ranger-led museum tour.

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.

 

Upcoming Special Events

 
Starry night sky with the moon in upper right and the Gateway Arch in the middle
See bottom of page for more 2024 Gateway to the Stars events

NPS

The Great American Eclipse of 2024. Saturday, March 23, 2 PM.

Recommended for the general public

Missouri Eclipse Task Force Leader Don Ficken will discuss the April 8th eclipse, the last total event visible from any part of the United States until 2044. Children 4-13 can pick up & fill out Junior Ranger Eclipse Explorer booklets and earn a special badge before or after this program. Free eclipse glasses will be available.

 


Women's History Month Program: Virginia Minor and Women's Right to Vote. Sunday, March 24, 2:15 PM, inside the visitor center at Gateway Arch National Park.

In 1874, the courageous St. Louis suffragist Virginia Minor took the Minor v. Happersett case from St. Louis's Old Courthouse all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. She made the case that the 14th Amendment gave women the right to vote; all they needed to do was exercise that right. Join a park ranger to learn about Ms. Minor’s role in American history.

 
A young woman lifts a garbage bag into a small utility vehicle as a male park ranger carries another garbage bag
Help the Mississippi River stay healthy and vibrant for the humans and wildlife who depend on it.

NPS

Riverfront Cleanup. Saturday, April 20, 9am to noon.

Celebrate National Park Week by cleaning up the western shore of the iconic Mississippi River below the Gateway Arch. Volunteers typically remove hundreds of pounds of litter during these biannual cleanup events, with the majority of that trash being non-biodegradable plastic. This has a huge impact on our waterways, community, and region.

All trash pickup volunteers must register in advance through VolunteerHub. When you register for the event, you will get an automated email the day before telling you where to park to receive free parking. All volunteers will also receive gloves and training to ensure they stay safe during the event, as well as a special appreciation item. There is no required uniform. Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear closed-toe shoes.

Thanks to all the following area organizations helping to make this event a success: Gateway Arch Park Foundation, Beyond Plastics, Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, Missouri Stream Team, Republic Services, and Living Lands and Waters.

For more information, contact the volunteer program coordinators.

 
Embroidered Volunteer badge
Gateway Arch National Park's volunteer program is co-managed between the National Park Service and the Gateway Arch Park Foundation.

BioBlitz. Sunday, April 28, 10am to noon.

What creatures are thriving at Gateway Arch National Park? Citizen scientists like you can help us figure it out!

Join us on the final day of National Park Week, Sunday, April 28, 2024, from 10 to noon for our first-ever BioBlitz. Use your cell phone and the free app iNaturalist to take pictures of birds, insects, arachnids, and other creatures you see throughout the park. Your data will help the park, St. Louisans, and others know what creatures are where.

Meet at the registration table outside the entrance to the park to check in and learn how to get started.

For more information, contact the volunteer program coordinators.

 
BARK Ranger logo Gateway Arch 2023

First B.A.R.K. Ranger Event of 2024. Sunday, May 19, 1pm.

Meet & Greet with Jenny Dove, the Education Coordinator of Kennelwood Pet Resorts. Get to know your fellow B.A.R.K. rangers and their humans, and chat with Jenny about your pet's behavior as you walk the grounds. 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.

 
Three men in 18th century clothing fire muskets next to a cannon
The event will feature live firing of historic weapons.

NPS Photo

Battle of St. Louis. Saturday, May 25, 10am to 4pm

National Park Service staff and Living History volunteers in 1700s clothing will share the history of the British/Indian attack on St. Louis on 26 May 1780. This battle took place on the present-day Gateway Arch grounds.

The event will include cannon and rifle detonation, as well as periodic ranger talks explaining the significance of the battle. All visitors are invited to attend.

 

Save the Date! Other 2024 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, June 16th at 10am. Landscape Walk. Join NPS staff to learn the history of Dan Kiley's iconic design, which has been widely celebrated as a triumph of mid-century modern landscape architecture and has been deemed a National Historic Landmark. We will also learn about changes to the landscape since its installation, especially in the North Gateway area.

Sunday, July 21st at 10am. Puppuccino Crawl. Dogs get to enjoy a pup cup while we stroll the grounds.

Sunday, August 18th at 10am. Dog Art. Create a special piece of art with your pet. All materials will be provided.

Sunday, September 15th at 10am. Dog First Aid and Health chat with Jenny Dove. Jenny is a PetTech Certified Pet First Aid and CPR Instructor and currently works as the Education Coordinator at Kennelwood Pet Resorts. Attend with or without your pet.

Saturday, September 28th at 10am. Picnic in the Park. Celebrate National Public Lands Day by bringing some snacks and enjoying a picnic in the park. Remember dogs must remain leashed.

Sunday, October 20th at 1pm. Pet Costume Parade. Dress up your pets and show them off in a parade around the Arch.

 

Save the date! More Gateway to the Stars programs.

Gateway to the Stars programs all feature an astronomy or national park related talk that is followed by free telescope viewing on our entrance plaza. The telescope viewing is led by the park and volunteers from the St. Louis Astronomical Society, weather permitting. The June 14, July 12, and August 10 programs will be held inside the Gateway Arch Visitor Center, either in the Education Center or Tucker Theater.

Saturday, May 11, 7 pm. Lights Out Heartland.

Dark Sky Missouri Coordinator Don Ficken will discuss the impact of light pollution and a way you can measure it using nothing more than a cell phone. This program will be presented outdoors on the Entrance Plaza, but could be moved just inside the Arch Main Entrance in the event of inclement weather.

Friday, June 14, 7 pm. Skywatchers of Ancient Cahokia.

Historian and author Bill Iseminger reveals the astronomy of the so-called "lost civilization." Mr. Iseminger will sign copies of his book "Cahokia Mounds: America's First City" in front of the Arch Store from 6:15-6:45 pm.

Friday, July 12, 7 pm. Summer Stargazing.

Learn about the lore behind some of the major stars and constellations visible this summer, along with tips on how to find them and the currently visible planets.

Saturday, August 10, 6-8 pm. Kids Explorer Night.

At 6 pm, families with children between 5-12 will have a chance to build and bring home their very own Galileoscope. Supplies are very limited, so please e-mail richard_fefferman@nps.gov or call 314-655-1704 to reserve your place. This will be followed by the annual Junior Ranger Night Explorer workshop, where children of these ages can fill out a special booklet and earn a special patch customized to our Park.

Friday, September 13, 6:30 pm. Legends of the Fall Sky.

The skies of autumn 2024 will be filled with bright planets and interesting sky events. Learn when and how to see them in this ranger-led presentation. This presentation will be presented outdoors in the entrance plaza, but could be moved just inside the arch main entrance in the event of inclement weather.

Friday, October 18, 6:30 pm. Ghosts of the Arch Grounds.

The annual favorite returns as a park ranger discusses the various "incarnations" of the area as it evolved from a French fur trading post to the present Gateway Arch National Park. The stories behind people such as Thomas Targee, James Eads, Percy Green, and Kenneth Swyers will be discussed. This program will be presented outdoors on the Entrance Plaza but could be moved just inside the Arch Main Entrance in the event of inclement weather.

 

Keep checking this page for more information about future events

Fee Free Days in 2024
Martin Luther King Day Monday, January 15
1st Day of National Park Week Saturday, April 20
Juneteenth National Independence Day Wednesday, June 19
Great American Outdoors Act Sunday, August 4
National Public Lands Day Saturday, September 28
Veterans Day Monday, November 11

Last updated: March 14, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

11 North 4th Street
St. Louis, MO 63102

Phone:

314 655-1600

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