Gateway Arch National Park is a unit of the National Park Service on the St. Louis riverfront in Missouri. It encompasses the 630-foot Gateway Arch, the free Museum of Westward Expansion beneath it, 90 acres of parkland, and the separately located Old Courthouse. This guide covers hours, tram ticket prices, the free museum, parking, security, and practical tips for planning your visit.
Last updated: June 2026. Key things many visitors miss: the museum and grounds are free; the tram ride costs money and must be booked in advance as it sells out regularly. A new Flag Day/President Trump’s Birthday free entrance day on 14 June 2026 was added to the 2026 NPS free entrance calendar — not reflected in pre-2026 guides.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 11 North 4th Street, St. Louis, MO 63102 (mailing); Visitor Center entrance faces 4th Street and the Old Courthouse |
| Standard hours | Daily 9am–6pm |
| Extended summer hours | From Friday 22 May through 7 September 2026: Sun–Thu 9am–6pm; Fri–Sat 9am–8pm |
| Closed | Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day |
| Grounds hours | Daily 5am–11pm year-round |
| Museum admission | Free |
| Tram Ride to the Top | Adults (16+) from $15; Children (3–15) from $11; Children 2 and under free; NPS pass holders from $12 |
| Nearest transit | MetroLink: Arch–Laclede’s Landing station; MetroBus routes serve the riverfront |
| Typical visit length | 2–4 hours |
Gateway Arch National Park opening hours
The Visitor Center (including the museum, tram lobby, café, and Arch Store) is open daily from 9am to 6pm.
Extended summer hours run from Friday 22 May through Labor Day (7 September 2026):
- Sunday–Thursday: 9am–6pm
- Friday–Saturday: 9am–8pm
The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The national park grounds are open daily from 5am to 11pm year-round.
The last Tram Ride to the Top departs one hour before closing.
Hours and fees were checked on the official NPS fees page and gatewayarch.com and last updated in June 2026.
5 great St Louis experiences to book
- 🌆 Take a small group tour of the Gateway Arch – including tickets to the top.
- 🚢 Combine a visit to the Gateway Arch with a river cruise.
- 📸 At the Museum of Illusions, get reels of cool social media photos.
- 👻 Discover the dark side of St Louis on an evening ghost tour.
- 🍽️ On a food and history walking tour, learn about the flavours and stories of St Louis.
Gateway Arch National Park ticket prices
The museum, grounds, and Old Courthouse are all free. There is no general entrance fee for Gateway Arch National Park.
Tram Ride to the Top (required for the view from inside the arch):
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (16 and up) | From $15 (peak days $19) |
| Child (3–15) | From $11 |
| Infant (2 and under) | Free |
| NPS pass holder | From $12 |
Prices vary by date — peak visitation days cost more. Tickets are available at gatewayarch.com/buy-tickets, by phone at (877) 982-1410, or in person at the Visitor Center.
Book tram tickets in advance. The NPS states that trams sell out “early and often,” particularly on weekends and in summer. Arriving without a ticket and expecting to buy one on the day is a common and costly mistake.
America the Beautiful Pass holders: The $3 entrance fee component of tram and movie tickets is waived with a valid pass, giving a $3 discount per ticket. Each pass covers up to four discounted tickets. Select “National Park Pass Holder” when booking online.
The documentary film Monument to the Dream screens regularly in the Tucker Theater. Tickets required; check gatewayarch.com for current pricing.
2026 free entrance days (tram and movie ticket fees still apply): Presidents Day (16 Feb), Memorial Day (25 May), Flag Day/President Trump’s Birthday (14 June), Independence Day weekend (3–5 July), NPS Birthday (25 Aug), Constitution Day (17 Sep), Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthday (27 Oct), Veterans Day (11 Nov).
How to get to Gateway Arch National Park
By MetroLink: The Arch–Laclede’s Landing station on the Red and Blue Lines is the most direct transit option. MetroBus routes also serve the downtown riverfront — check metrostlouis.org for current timetables.
By car: The park is on the St. Louis riverfront, east of downtown. Use the address 200 S Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102 (Stadium East Garage) for navigation. The Visitor Center entrance faces 4th Street and the Old Courthouse.
On foot: The park is walkable from downtown hotels and the convention district. The Old Courthouse is at 11 N 4th Street, approximately 3 minutes’ walk from the Arch Visitor Center entrance.
Parking at Gateway Arch National Park
The NPS does not operate parking facilities within the park boundary. The preferred option is the Stadium East Parking Garage (200 S Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102), with a Preferred Parking Program rate of $10 for 5 hours.
Pre-purchase parking at iparkit.com/TheArch is strongly recommended, particularly on Cardinals home game days. If parking is not pre-purchased on event days, the $10 discounted rate does not apply and standard event rates — which can be significantly higher — will be charged. Tickets cannot be validated after the fact on game days. Check the Cardinals schedule before booking.
If arriving without a pre-purchased ticket, validate your parking ticket at one of two kiosks inside the Visitor Center: in the West Entrance lobby (near the restrooms) or on Level 1 next to the information desk.
The garage has a 6’8″ height clearance. Vehicles over 24 feet or oversize vehicles cannot park here.
Free and paid street and garage parking options throughout downtown St. Louis are available — see Explore St. Louis’s downtown parking map for alternatives.
How long to spend at Gateway Arch National Park
Allow 2 to 4 hours for a visit combining the free museum, the Tram Ride to the Top, and time on the grounds. Add time if you plan to see the documentary film or walk to the Old Courthouse.
The tram experience itself takes approximately 45–60 minutes including the pre-boarding experience and time at the top. The museum alone can take 1 to 1.5 hours.
Accessibility at Gateway Arch National Park
The museum, documentary film, and Old Courthouse are all accessible. The Tram Ride to the Top is not ADA accessible — the tram pods are small, enclosed capsules that cannot accommodate wheelchairs or many mobility aids. There is no alternative way to reach the viewing area at the top of the arch.
Audio describer and audio enhancer tours are available for visitors with low vision or limited hearing. Tactile models are in all museum galleries. For full accessibility details, visit the NPS accessibility page for the park.
Security note: All visitors must pass through an airport-style security checkpoint before entering the Visitor Center and museum. No weapons — including firearms, fixed-blade knives (except folding pocket knives with blades under 4 inches), pepper spray, and mace — are permitted. Allow at least 30 minutes before your tram time to clear security, more during peak times.
What to see at Gateway Arch National Park
The Gateway Arch
The arch itself — 630 feet tall, 630 feet wide at the base — was completed in 1965 and designed by Eero Saarinen. It is the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. It can be observed from the grounds, from the riverfront, or from the top via the tram.
The Tram Ride to the Top
Small, pod-shaped trams carry five people at a time through the hollow legs of the arch to a viewing room at the top, with narrow windows facing east (towards the Mississippi River and Illinois) and west (towards downtown St. Louis and Forest Park). Each visit at the top lasts approximately 10 minutes. The experience includes a pre-boarding interactive exhibition with 1960s-inspired animation and Arch history.
The Museum of Westward Expansion (free)
Located on the lower level of the Visitor Center directly under the arch, the museum covers more than 200 years of American and St. Louis history — from Indigenous peoples of the region through the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, the Civil War, and westward migration. No ticket or reservation is required. The museum is fully accessible.
Monument to the Dream documentary film
A film chronicling the construction of the Gateway Arch screens on a regular schedule in the Tucker Theater inside the Visitor Center. Tickets required; check gatewayarch.com for schedule and pricing.
The park grounds
The park covers 90 acres of landscaped grounds between the arch and the Mississippi River, with five miles of paved paths, reflecting ponds, an Explorer’s Garden, and riverfront views. The grounds are free to access daily from 5am to 11pm. Riverboat cruises on replica paddlewheel boats operate seasonally from the riverfront (separate booking through gatewayarch.com).
Ranger-led programmes
Free ranger-led tours run on a regular schedule both on the grounds and inside the museum. No reservation is needed for individuals. Groups of more than 10 should call (877) 982-1410 to arrange in advance. Check the NPS events calendar for current programme times.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book tram tickets before you arrive | Trams sell out, especially on weekends and in summer. Arriving without a ticket and hoping to buy one on the day is the most common planning mistake at this park. Book at gatewayarch.com. |
| Arrive 30 minutes before your tram time | Security screening is airport-style and can take 15 minutes or more during busy periods. Missing your tram time means losing your ticket. |
| Pre-book Stadium East parking on Cardinals game days | On game days, the $10 Preferred Parking rate is only available if pre-purchased by 11:59pm the night before. Event rates apply otherwise. |
| The museum is free — no ticket needed | You can visit the museum, grounds, café, and Arch Store without any ticket at all. Only the tram and film require paid tickets. |
| The tram is not accessible | The Tram Ride to the Top cannot accommodate wheelchairs or many mobility aids. The museum, film, and grounds are all accessible. |
Frequently asked questions about Gateway Arch National Park
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Gateway Arch National Park free? | The museum, grounds, and Old Courthouse are always free. The Tram Ride to the Top costs from $15 for adults (from $11 for children 3–15; free for children 2 and under). NPS pass holders get a $3 discount. |
| Do I need to book in advance? | For the tram, yes — it sells out regularly. For the museum and grounds, no booking is needed. |
| Is the park open on Sundays? | Yes, daily. Standard hours are 9am–6pm; extended to 8pm Friday–Saturday during summer (22 May–7 September 2026). |
| Is the Tram Ride to the Top wheelchair accessible? | No. The tram pods are small and enclosed. The museum, film, and grounds are all accessible. |
| Where should I park? | Stadium East Parking Garage ($10 for 5 hours via iparkit.com/TheArch). Pre-purchase is essential on Cardinals game days. |
Things to do near Gateway Arch National Park
- Old Courthouse (~3 minutes’ walk, 11 N 4th Street) — Part of Gateway Arch National Park; free museum with four renovated galleries and restored courtrooms. Site of the Dred Scott trials.
- Missouri History Museum (Forest Park, ~4 miles west) — Free history museum covering St. Louis from the Mississippian era to the present.
- City Museum (~1 mile northwest) — A large-scale, interactive art and architecture environment in a converted 10-storey warehouse.
- Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour (~2 miles south) — Tours of the historic Budweiser brewery in Soulard, one of the largest in the world. Booking recommended.
- St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station (~1 mile west) — A privately operated aquarium in the historic Union Station building.
What to visit tomorrow: similar national monuments and landmarks
- Jefferson National Expansion Memorial / Old Courthouse (~3 minutes’ walk) — Part of the same national park; covered in the separate Old Courthouse guide.
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Collinsville, IL (~15 minutes east) — A UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico, with a reconstructed wooden sun calendar and museum.
- Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, IL (~1 hour 45 minutes north) — The definitive Lincoln museum, with immersive exhibitions.
- Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, MO (~3 hours southwest) — The site of the first major Civil War battle west of the Mississippi. NPS site; America the Beautiful pass accepted.
- Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, St. Louis (~15 minutes southwest) — White Haven, Grant’s home before the Civil War, with free tours of the house and grounds.
