![]() ![]() You’ll ride in a small elevator pod to reach the top of the arch. I visited during spring break and by noon it was totally sold out but during slower times of the year it is possible to walk up and buy a ticket. Tickets are $15/adult (16+) and $11/child (3-15) and should be purchased in advance to guarantee you get a spot for the day. But it’s at the top of my list for things to do next time I’m in St Louis. ![]() Partly because you have to plan in advance and partly because the thought of it makes me a teeny bit anxious. Now I’ll be totally honest…I haven’t done it…YET. Ride to the Top of the Arch: I’m always surprised by how many people don’t know that you can actually go to the top of the arch. Pretty much everything “to do” at the park is actually underground so the views up top are unobstructed. Gateway Arch National Park has a lot more to do than just stand around and look at the arch.Īrch Gazing: But I mean, you’ve got to just stand there and look at it for a bit, right? The area around the arch is a lovely park setting with great views along the Mississippi River and in the spring when the trees are blooming it’s especially lovely. Today it’s the #1 attraction in St Louis and even if you’re adverse to “tourist spots,” it’s one you’re not going to want to miss.ħ Things to do at Gateway Arch National Park In 1948, a national design competition chose architect Eero Saarinen’s sleek design and in 1965 construction was completed and the memorial officially became the Gateway Arch National Park and included the nearby Old Courthouse where former slave Dred Scott famously sued for his freedom and suffragette Virginia Minor sued for women’s right to vote. On the edge of the American frontier at the time, St Louis was seen as the gateway to the west. The memorial was to celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase in 1804 and Lewis & Clark’s subsequent exploration of the new lands with Sacagawea. President Franklin D Roosevelt had designated the area as part of the National Park Service in 1935 to build the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. The Gateway Arch was built in 1963 as an extended project to revitalize St Louis’ riverfront area. I feel like other American structures (the Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, etc.) get more attention, but MAN…the arch is really something. The iconic part of St Louis’ skyline has been dazzling visitors and locals for almost 60 years and every time I see it I’m even more impressed. Nothing is more “St Louis” than the arch. ![]()
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