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Battle of St. Louis. Saturday, May 23. 10am to 4pm. Outside, near the South Reflection Pond.
Rangers and living history volunteers will tell the story of the British led attack on
St. Louis on May 26, 1780. This year, blank firings of musket and cannon demonstrations will be at the top of the hour at 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm.
2026 Gateway to the Stars programs
Programs are hosted by the National Park Service and its partners, the St. Louis Astronomical Society and Dark Sky Missouri. Weather permitting, these programs will be followed by free telescope viewing of the Moon & other objects out on the Entrance Plaza, provided by the Park & volunteers from the St. Louis Astronomical Society.
Saturday, May 23, 7 pm: “Birds, Migration, & Buildings: Exploring the Connection Between Nature and our Built Environments.” Join St. Louis Audubon Society Urban Conservation Specialist Matt Barton and learn about how buildings and their attendant light effect bird migration. Meet at the Education Classroom inside the Arch Visitor Center.
Saturday, June 20, 7 pm: “Planets around other Suns.” Do planets around other stars actually exist? How do we know they are there? Could any of them be like the Earth and possibly harbor life? Dr. Pamela Gay, Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, will try to answer these fascinating questions. Meet at the Education Classroom inside the Arch Visitor Center.
Saturday, July 18, 7 pm: “Telescopes for Beginners.” Interested in exploring the night sky on your own? Getting your own telescope is one of the best ways to do this. Don Ficken, President of the St. Louis chapter of Dark Sky Missouri, will bring in various telescopes and show how to use them. Meet at the Education Classroom inside the Arch Visitor Center.
Saturday, August 22, 6:30 pm: “Kids Explorer Night.” Renowned storyteller Bobby Norfolk will discuss the star stories of cultures around the world. This will be followed by the annual Junior Ranger Night Explorer Workshop, in which children ages 4-12 can earn a special patch customized to our Park. Meet at Tucker Theater inside the Arch Visitor Center.
Saturday, September 26, 6:30 pm: “Ranger Night Walk.” Enjoy a walk around the Park and learn about area history. Meet at the Entrance Plaza outside the Arch Visitor Center.
Saturday, October 24, 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 outside the Arch Visitor Center.
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, 2025: Jim Merkel, 60 Years of the Gateway Arch
October 12, 2025: John Guenther, The Gateway Arch: An Illustrated Timeline
November 9, 2025: Flannery Burke, Gateway to the East: Broadening Native Perspectives on St. Louis
December 14, 2025: Amanda Burke, Gateway Arch National Park: 90 Years as an Icon for Historic Preservation
January 11, 2026: Amanda Doyle, 100 Things to Do in St. Louis Before You Die
Feburary 8, 2026: Jan Jacobi, Lincoln and Douglas
March 8, 2026: Andy Hahn, Mapping St. Louis
April 12, 2026: Ed Wheatley, Baseball in St. Louis
May 10, 2026: Calvin Riley and NiNi Harris, Black St. Louis
June 14, 2026: Cheryl Eichar Jett, Aprons Away: Women's Work on Route 66
July 12, 2026: Vivian Gibson, Memories of the Mill Creek Neighborhood
August 9, 2026: Peter Kastor, St. Louis' American Revolution
Visit our calendar for more information about each specific event in this series.
Keep checking this page for more information about future events
