Your Guide to Visiting Gateway Arch National Park

nicole elizabeth
Jun 1
4 min read

Gateway Arch, a site to be seen for sure! While there isn't a ton to do at this national park, even if just for a quick visit, the sheer size of the arch alone is something to be amazed by! About 3 years ago, my boyfriend and I took a 10-day road trip, and this was one of our stops along the way. To be completely honest, I probably won't ever go out of my way to go back to this park, but I'm definitely glad that I got the chance to see it in person, and don't regret adding it to our road trip at all! I've seen plenty of photos of the arch before, but nothing could have prepared me for what is felt like to be standing underneath of it, and we did end up spending more time here than we originally planned.

History Behind the Arch:

The arch was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and was completed in 1965. Standing at 630 feet tall, it serves as a symbol of westward expansion and is the tallest man-made monument in the United States. Gateway Arch officially became a national park in 2018 and was previously known as Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

You can enjoy the arch in two main ways:

From the Ground- Take in the arch's massive size and shiny, stainless steel complexion from the grassy yard surrounding the arch.
From the Top- Inside of the arch, take the tram lift up to the top and enjoy the stunning views of the Mississippi River and the city of St Louis below.

Preparing For Your Trip:

During the summer season (Memorial Day-Labor Day) the arch is open every day from 9am-8pm. The remaining days of the year, it's open from 9am-6pm. While the park itself does not have visitor parking on site, there is preferred parking at Stadium East Parking Garage located at 200 S Broadway St. You can pre-purchase tickets online for a discounted rate. I highly recommend that you pre-purchase parking, especially if there is a sports game or another event happening in the city. The parking garage is about a 10-minute walk to the park. If planning to enter the arch, you must go through a security checkpoint. If you have a tram ticket, I recommend arriving about 45 minutes before your ticket time to allow time for parking, walking to the actual park, and going through the security checkpoint.

The Tram:

Going up into the actual arch was something that I didn't even know was an option before we visited, but I'm so glad we did it. Taking the tram was such a cool and unconventional way to get the full arch experience. The arch is 63 stories high and overlooks the city of St. Louis on one side, and the Mississippi River on the other. We chose to start our time at Gateway Arch National Park with the tram tour. I believe you can purchase tickets when you get there for the tram, however, especially during the busier season, I recommend purchasing a reserved time ahead of time. Tickets for the tram ride, as well as some other combo tickets, can be purchased ahead of time online here. Once you get there and check-in for your ticket time, you'll watch a quick interactive video and then wait in the tram line for a bit. The tram cars only fit 5 people at a time, so they can take a little while. Be prepared though, these tram cars are TINY. I am 5'8 and my boyfriend is 6'2, so needless to say it was a little snug haha, but luckily it's a short ride to the top. While the actual park is free to visit, the tram tickets to the top are about $15 per person. In my opinion, it was well worth the cost, getting to the top of the arch was such a cool experience, and offered a unique perspective on the views of the surrounding city.

Other Things To Do & See:

Once we finished our time at the top, we took the tram back down and explored the museum and gift shop at the base of the arch. The museum shares a little bit about St. Louis history, has six interactive galleries, and offers information on the westward expansion and America's pioneering. My boyfriend and I are both pretty into history, so this was definitely a cool addition for us. We ended our time at the inside of the arch by visiting the gift shop to pick up some souvenirs. Next, we headed outside to really take in the size and the beauty of the arch. This was a great spot to just hang out and we saw plenty of people just sitting on blankets, taking photos, picnicking, etc.

Near the park, you can also walk along the Mississippi River on the St. Louis Riverfront Trail, visit the reflection pond, walk through the nearby Forest Park, or take a stroll through Explorer's Garden: a paved trail where you can find plants used by Native Americans that were highlighted in Lewis & Clark's Expedition Journals.

Final Thoughts & Highlights:

While Gateway Arch doesn't offer as much to see and do as most of the other National Parks, I mean the arch pretty much is the main and only attraction, it's definitely worth a stop if you're in the St. Louis area. Between the architecture, the views from the top, and all of the history behind the arch, it makes for a unique place to visit. If you have any recommendations for visiting Gateway Arch, or St Louis in general, comment them below, I'd love to hear them! Thanks for reading, and as always, there's always more to be explored :)

-nicole elizabeth