Gateway Arch National Park: Small, Different, But Worth It

The Gateway Arch is somewhat synonymous with St. Louis, located at the eastern boundary of Missouri near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. And while Americans from all over may recognize it as an icon, many don’t know that it’s actually a national park as of 2018. Although it is (by far) the smallest one in the system and quite different from the others, it is most definitely worth a visit for anyone who finds themself in this part of Middle America.

The arch is more than just a big, towering symbol over the city. It has a whole museum at the base commemorating its construction and purpose. It was commissioned as an icon representing St. Louis’ role in westward expansion, as the city was a major stopping point before pioneers continued towards the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and West Coast.

Furthermore, the arch has elevators inside that shuttle visitors all the way to the top, where they can see panoramic views of St. Louis and beyond. Finally, the park also includes outdoor space along the river as well as the Old Courthouse across the street, where the Dred Scott Case took place.

Thus, Gateway Arch National Park is much more than a quick photo op. While it is not the vast, open nature that most national parks are made up of, Gateway Arch is a fascinating stop in St. Louis. Our visit was fun, but we definitely have some tips on what we loved and what we would have done differently.

Quick Summary: Visiting Gateway Arch National Park

• Make a reservation: The ride to the top of the arch, which is one of the most popular things to do there, requires advance tickets from its website
  • However, we found that you will wait much longer than your ticket time to actually get to the top: there will be a big line, a short presentation, and a lot of waiting
  • The elevator ride does indeed take place in a cramped, tiny pod, but it only lasts a few minutes and isn’t very scary
• Still, make sure you time your ride carefully, as you can visit the museum before getting in line for the elevator, and the museum is big (and interesting)
  • You could visit the museum after your ride as well, as it ends there, and your time at the top is limited to a few minutes
• Save time for a walk around the park underneath the arch and to the Old Courthouse where the Dred Scott Case took place
• There are also scenic riverboat cruises on the Mississippi; it was alright, but we wouldn’t consider the boat ride a must-do
  • Especially in the summer – it was awfully hot and we could barely stay outside for the views!

Things to Do at Gateway Arch National Park

You only need about half-day to do everything at the park – at just under 193 acres, it is the smallest national park in the system, and only 2% of the size of the next biggest park! And if you are really tight on time, you could speed through some of the big stuff in just an hour or two.

Most visitors want to visit the museum at the base, take the ride to the top, and see the Old Courthouse across the street. Of course, you will also want to see the arch from the outside, whether from the large park that it sits in, along the banks of the Mississippi River, or on a scenic river cruise that can be bought with tickets to the top.

We started off with a river cruise, then walked around the park, then visited the museum before our ride to the top. However, we would do things differently if we did it again. 

Start With Enjoying the Arch from the Outside

It will be hard to miss the Gateway Arch when arriving in St. Louis. Our first impression was that it was a lot bigger than we were expecting! Fun fact: the arch is exactly as wide at its base as it is tall, at 630 feet by 630 feet. The structure is about 54 feet wide at the bottom but only 17 feet wide at the top.

We would definitely start the day again by seeing it from below, but rather than starting with the river cruise like we did, we recommend strolling through the park. As huge as the arch is, it has a much larger green space sitting below it, with a network of paved trails and places to stop and enjoy the views.

There’s no specific route to take, and every view is different, ranging from standing directly under the arch to seeing the whole thing from the sides. You can also take the steps down to the banks of the Mississippi River, where there are some more nice views of the water, the arch, and the city.

We booked our Mississippi River cruise as a package with our tram tickets to the top of the arch. The ride was nice and we got some cool views of the arch from down the river, but we probably wouldn’t do the cruise again. 

For one, it was terribly hot – to be expected in the summer, so be careful if that’s when you are going. We could barely stay outside (where the nice views are) for more than a few minutes. For two, we couldn’t really hear the commentary very well, so we weren’t sure what it was we were looking at along the way. And for three, the views weren’t exceptionally better than you can find on the shore.

So, don’t feel like you are missing out if you don’t want to spend the money or time on the cruise. If it sounds like something you still want to do, just plan carefully for the weather, and maybe do it early in the day.

Visit the Museum at the Gateway Arch

The museum leads directly to the tram ride to the top of the arch, so it is logical to see that first while you wait for your ticket time. It is also directly underneath the park, so it will be easy to time everything right if you walk around outside first. Plus, the air conditioning was a wonderful relief after being out in the 90+ degree weather!

While you need an advance ticket to take the tram ride to the top, the museum portion is free and open to the public. You will, however, have to pass through airport-style security, but you don’t need a ticket. So, this is a great option for last-minute visitors who didn’t manage to make any reservations.

The museum is about much more than the arch’s construction. It starts with the history of Native American people who inhabited Missouri and the region long before any arches or immigrants were present. The exhibits then proceed through history, focusing especially on St. Louis’ founding in 1764 and its strategic importance thereafter.

St. Louis became a major waypoint for Americans headed west. In fact, the whole national park was once the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. The Lewis and Clark Expedition started there, the railroad that connected east to west was built from there, and the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers converged there. 

There is a ton of history to take in at the museum, and it leads up to the arch’s completion in 1965. By the end, you can really appreciate what the arch was built to symbolize. The museum is definitely a do-not-miss, and while you could go through it as fast as you want, we recommend starting about an hour before your tram ticket time.

Taking the Tram Ride to the Top of Gateway Arch

Perhaps the most popular thing to do at Gateway Arch is to go to the top. There are tramway elevators on either leg of the structure, starting and ending in the museum, to shuttle people along its interior 630 feet to its peak. We are glad that we did it and we do recommend it, but to be honest, most of the experience was underwhelming and even annoying.

Make sure you buy tram tickets to the top in advance! You will select a specific ticket time, so try to plan accurately for the other things you want to do there. Tickets will sell out eventually for weekends, holidays, and other popular travel times, but we got ours pretty close to the actual day.

Now, for the part that we found underwhelming and annoying: your ticket time is the time that you are allowed to get in line for the tram. The attendant will not let you pass a certain point until your ticket time. The problem is, that is not what time you are going to get on the tram… there is a much longer wait ahead of you, which we didn’t realize.

We waited at least 30 minutes in a line in a hallway, with nothing to do. We really wished they had put some more museum exhibits or something along the way, or integrated this wait into the museum itself. Then, when you get to the front of the line, it’s not done yet – you have to watch a little video and presentation from the staff. But we found it to be unnecessary, and the staff didn’t even seem to enjoy it.

Then, you wait some more to get on the tram. When it finally arrives, you will get into your little pod, which can accommodate about five people each. It will be very cramped, but the ride only lasts a few minutes. Brittney isn’t very good with those types of situations, and she was alright, so most people shouldn’t worry.

By the time you get to the top, it may be 45 minutes to an hour after your ticket time. Just be aware of that, because our day was longer than expected due to this.

The top of the arch is cool, though, and that’s why we still recommend doing it. It is a very tiny space, and you actually can’t cross the midpoint so that they keep everything balanced. You can look out the small windows for amazing views of St. Louis, Illinois, the river, and beyond. There are some more informational signs on the wall to tell you what you are looking at, plus other facts.

You only get a few minutes at the top before the staff will ask you to go back to your pod for the ride down. That was fine, because you only need a few minutes up there at the most. The ride down was quick and easy with much less waiting, and you’re back in the museum within five or ten minutes.

Visit the Old Courthouse

Due to not foreseeing the amount of time we’d spend waiting for our tram ride, we didn’t manage to go inside the Old Courthouse. We saw it from the outside, but we were in a rush to get to other plans. However, we would have loved to have a bit more time to see it, so we recommend building it into your itinerary.

Besides being a beautiful piece of colonial-era architecture, the Old Courthouse was the site of some significant moments of history for both St. Louis and all of America. Its rotunda dome was modeled on that of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, as was the US Capitol, which was built at the same time. The famous Dred Scott Case was tried at the Old Courthouse in 1846.

You don’t need tickets or to pay anything extra to visit the Old Courthouse, and there are free ranger-guided tours every afternoon. This is a great way to finish your visit to Gateway Arch National Park, or alternatively, start it off.

Where to Stay for Gateway Arch National Park

Gateway Arch National Park is right in the middle of downtown St. Louis, so it’s very easy to find somewhere to stay. All of the major hotel chains, from budget to luxury, are present in the city, as are boutique hotels and Airbnb’s. You can also stay out in the suburbs.

We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis because we found an amazing deal to use one of our Marriott Free Night Certificates that come with the chain’s credit cards. It was lovely with luxurious rooms and great restaurants. It was nowhere near walking distance to downtown, but we had a car and found parking to be easy.

If the Ritz is out of your budget, the Hampton Inn St. Louis Downtown is more affordable and just across the street from the park. There are plenty of others within a block or two away.

Other Things to Do Near Gateway Arch National Park

Our trip to St. Louis was actually just a convenient stop along a bigger road trip. That is a great way to spend a day there, but you could definitely make a longer trip out of the city. Here are some ideas:

• Forest Park: A giant green space in the middle of town that we were told (by a local) was one of the best city parks in the country, hosting several other attractions:
  • The Saint Louis Zoo
  • The Saint Louis Art Museum
  • Golf and tennis
  • Forests, lakes, gardens, and plenty of trails
• The Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Brewery: You can take tours, visit the beer museum, stop for a drink at the biergarten, take classes, and shop for gifts at this famous brewery.
• St. Louis Sports: Catch a game at one of the pro-league fields right in the middle of downtown:
  • Busch Stadium for a St. Louis Cardinals game 
  • The Dome at America’s Center for a St. Louis Rams game

Conclusion: Visiting Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis

While Gateway Arch is a very different national park from places like Mesa Verde or the Great Sand Dunes, it is a very interesting one that is worth the trip. St. Louis was also a very nice city to visit, whether you’re just passing through or need a weekend getaway.

Yes, the wait to ride to the top of the arch is very annoying, but we think that knowing about it in advance would have managed our expectations and allowed for better planning. The same goes for the rather underwhelming riverboat ride. However, altogether, it was a very cool visit where we learned a lot about American history.