5 Things to do in Gateway Arch National Park

Jacob

Gateway Arch National Park is located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri on the banks of the Mississippi River just across from Illinois. It is one of America’s newest national parks being redesigned in 2017 from the Jefferson Expansion Memorial. It is home to the world-famous Gateway Arch, one of the greatest standing engineering achievements of mankind.

1. Visitor Center

The first thing you want to do while visiting this small park is heading to just below the arch in the underground circular ramps to take you down into the park visitor center. Park rangers are on standby to answer questions about getting to the top, history, architecture of the arch and so much more. A ticket booth is also available here for last-minute tickets for the tram. Be sure to look at the model of the small capsules that take you to the top. Across the room from the ticket, the area is security to go down to the museum and the station.

2. Museum at the Gateway Arch

After security, you take the elevator or escalator down further to the Museum of the Gateway Arch. The Arch was built to memorialize the United States and its expansion west of the Mississippi River. The recently constructed museum, located underground below the arch, goes along that same theme. Learn about the history of St. Louis from when it was first founded. The museum has many physical sets that show what life in the small city was like. Another area shows Thomas Jefferson’s vision for America as a vast wilderness. Two more areas depict Manifest Destiny as well as the cultural legacy of this expansion. The Riverfront Era section shows how St. Louis became one of the busiest ports in America. The last section shows off the construction and engineering of the Gateway Arch. After the museum, there is a large room with a small restaurant. This is where the exits for the museum are as well as a station to ride to the top of the arch which I will get to later. In the middle of the room is a life-size replica of a section of the top with live shots of the top of the arch inside. This gives one an idea about the area at the top.

3. Old Courthouse

The other attraction at Gateway Arch National Park is the Old Courthouse. This is where the Dred Scott case was heard, which makes the building a more somber place as a big part in the dark history in America. The courthouse is currently under renovation to restore the building. It is still worth a visit to the outside of the courthouse to see the statue of Dredd Scot as well as to get a beautiful view of the arch and courthouse from the western end of the park.

4. Walk Around the Grounds

Gateway Arch may not provide the usual trails and natural sites that other national parks provide, however you should still take some time to walk around the arch. Due to the recent renovations of the entire park, this is now easier than ever. You can walk down by the riverfront of the Big Muddy to get a unique view of the Arch. The paths leading north to south are easy to navigate and walk to get more views of the arch. I would encourage you to walk everywhere as no angle looks bad. No matter the weather you are sure to get some pictures.

5. Visit the Top of the Arch

The main attraction of the Gateway Arch is traveling 630’ feet up to the top. Ticket prices are yielded based on whether it is peak time or not. Loading to the top is very efficient with each rider getting their designated car to the top. The tram has windows to make it less claustrophobic inside. The tram starts with the track on top but then goes below as the train rises higher while the capsules are kept level. Reaching the top you have to climb a few stairs to reach the top of the arch where the small windows are. Looking to the east you can see the Mississippi River and state of Illinois. The west is the real attraction with the Old Courthouse, Downtown St. Louis and Busch Stadium. You can stay at the top of the arch for as little or as long as you want. There is space in the middle to not look out the windows if you are afraid of heights. Exhibits up there give more detail about the sites you can see from the top. Be sure to not miss the ride to the top.