Gateway Arch National Park
Gateway Arch National Park commemorates President Jefferson’s vision of a continental nation, the individuals and cultural groups who helped shape its history, St. Louis’ role in westward expansion, and Dred and Harriet Scott, who sued for their freedom in the Old Courthouse.
About under an hour from St. Louis by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here. The tours below are the exception.
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Tours & reservations | ||
| Tram Ride to the TopJan–DecPre-boarding tour and top of the arch ticket | $19 | |
If you wish to browse in the Museum and Visitor Center, there is no entrance fee. When park visitors 16 and up buy tram or movie tickets, $3.00 of their ticket price goes to the National Park Service (entrance fee).
Hours
| Gateway Arch Visitor Center, Museum, and Ride to the Top | Daily · 9:00AM - 6:00PM |
| Gateway Arch Grounds | Daily · 5:00AM - 11:00PM |
| Old Courthouse | Daily · 9:00AM - 5:00PM |
Gateway Arch Visitor Center, Museum, and Ride to the Top: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 6:00PM |
| Nov 28, 2026Closed Nov. 28, Thanksgiving Day | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026Closed Dec. 25, Christmas Day | Hours not published |
| Jan 1, 2027Closed Jan. 1, New Years Day | Hours not published |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Gateway Arch Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Gateway Arch Visitor Center, located directly under the Gateway Arch, is the central location for the journey to the top, the Arch Museum, the film Monument to the Dream, the Arch Store and the Arch cafe.
- Old Courthouse ↗Passport stamp
This historic building features modern exhibits on the United States court system and on Dred and Harriet Scott, who sued for their freedom from slavery in a courtroom there nearly 200 years ago.
Explore
Things to do
- Visit the Old Courthouse
One of Gateway Arch National Park's visitor centers
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit the Brick Mural
The Tucker Theater mural at Gateway Arch National Park honors those who made the Arch possible. Created by artist Jay Tschetter, it features a 13-foot steel Arch model, construction scenes, and national landmarks.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore the Museum under the Gateway Arch
The Museum at the Gateway Arch covers 200 years of history about the westward expansion of the United States with an emphasis on St. Louis’ important role during that era.
Opens on the Park Service site - Report for Duty30-90 Minutes
Designed for visitors 5-12 (but open to all!) the Junior Ranger program is designed to help young visitors learn more about the people, places and events related to St. Louis history and westward expansion in the 1800s.
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Trails & Rails Guide
Have fun riding the train and sharing St. Louis area history!
Opens on the Park Service site - A View From the Top45-60 Minutes
Tram Ride to the Top: Getting there is part of the adventure. Enjoy stunning views from the top of America's tallest monument.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Rise to the West5-20 Minutes
Ascend the Grand Staircase or gently sloping ramps to the top for a fantastic view of the mighty Mississippi River.
Opens on the Park Service site - Gateway Arch Wellness Challenge
Gateway Arch National Park offers you multiple opportunities to improve your health through physical, mental and learning challenges. Will you rest below an architectural wonder and take a moment to breathe? Will you stroll through the paved paths…
Opens on the Park Service site - Move Along the Mississippi River
Move along the historic St. Louis Riverfront Trail
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore with Lewis and Clark1-99 Minutes
Stroll through the paved paths of the Explorer’s Garden located in the North Gateway area of the park. In the Garden, you can find plants that were used by Native Americans and detailed by Lewis and Clark in their expedition journals as they…
Opens on the Park Service site - A Moment of Reflection1-99 Minutes
Visit the reflection ponds to the north and south of the Arch. Relax and soak in the environment by using all five senses.
Opens on the Park Service site - Carve Your Own Path15-120 Minutes
Explore the five miles of paved trails on the Gateway Arch grounds
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- B.A.R.K. Ranger: B.A.R.K. Costume Parade10/1710:00 AM · freeMeet outside the Gateway Arch visitor center entrance
- Ghosts of the Arch Grounds10/2406:30 PM · free
News
- Gateway Arch National Park Invites Visitors to “Celebrate America’s Story” During National Park Week, August 22–30 ↗2026-08-12
Join Gateway Arch National Park in celebrating National Park Week from Aug. 22–30 with a series of fun and informative park activities and events at the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse.
- Know Before You Go: Fourth of July at the Gateway Arch ↗2026-07-01
Gateway Arch National Park is gearing up for a busy Fourth of July holiday weekend capped by Celebrate Saint Louis’s “Celebrate 250” event on the Arch grounds on July 3 and 4.
Historic landmarks nearby
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Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Missouri guidebooks
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Activities
Activity guides for this park Stargazing in the national parks
Weather & climate
Normal Daily Mean Temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit)* January - 29.3 February - 33.9 March - 45.1 April - 56.7 May - 66.1 June - 75.4 July - 79.8 August - 77.6 September - 70.2 October - 58.4 November - 46.2 December - 33.9 Average Percent of Days with Sunshine* January - 50% February - 52% March - 54% April - 56% May - 59% June - 66% July - 68% August - 65% September - 63% October - 60% November - 46% December - 53% *Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Questions people ask
Does Gateway Arch charge an entrance fee?
No. Gateway Arch is free to enter, though some tours and ticketed sites inside charge separately.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Gateway Arch?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 6:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Gateway Arch?
2,209,028 recreation visits in 2025, number 43 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Gateway Arch?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Gateway Arch established?
1935. It covers about 0.2 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Gateway Arch?
Normal Daily Mean Temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit)* January - 29.3 February - 33.9 March - 45.1 April - 56.7 May - 66.1 June - 75.4 July - 79.8 August - 77.6 September - 70.2 October - 58.4 November - 46.2 December - 33.9 Average Percent of Days with Sunshine* January - 50% February - 52% March - 54% April - 56% May
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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