The Gateway Arch, designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1965, is the tallest monument in the United States. Small capsule trams climb the curving legs to a narrow observation room at the summit, with views over the city and the Mississippi.
A four-minute ride in egg-shaped capsules inside the leg to the observation deck 630 feet up, with small windows looking east over the river and west over downtown.
A free underground museum on westward expansion, the design competition and the building of the Arch, with a separate documentary film.
Part of the national park a few blocks west, where the Dred Scott case was first heard, reopened after renovation.
Entry to the grounds and the museum is free. The tram to the top is a timed ticket, a modest fixed price that is slightly higher in summer, and it sells out on busy days. The documentary and riverboat cruises are separate tickets. Security screening applies at the entrance. Confirm on gatewayarch.com.
Summer and holiday slots sell out. Reserve a time online, and note the capsules are small and enclosed if you are claustrophobic.
The museum and the grounds cost nothing, and the walk under and around the Arch gives the best sense of its scale.
The Old Courthouse, Kiener Plaza, Busch Stadium and the Laclede's Landing district are all within a short walk.
Is the Gateway Arch free?
The park and the Museum at the Gateway Arch are free. The tram ride to the top is a paid, timed ticket.
Should I book the tram ahead?
Yes on summer days, weekends and holidays, when tram times sell out. Book online for a specific slot.
What is the ride like?
You sit in a small five-seat capsule for about four minutes each way. The observation room at the top is narrow, with small angled windows.
How long should I plan?
Two to three hours covers the museum, the tram and a walk around the grounds. Add time for the film or a riverboat cruise.
The Gateway Arch was conceived as a memorial to the 19th-century westward expansion of the United States and to Thomas Jefferson. Eero Saarinen won the design competition in 1948, and the stainless-steel catenary arch was built between 1963 and 1965.
It stands 630 feet tall and 630 feet wide at the base, in what is now Gateway Arch National Park, renamed from the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in 2018. The park also includes the Old Courthouse and is run by the National Park Service.
This page is an independent guide for visitors. It is not affiliated with the National Park Service.
