Gateway Arch National Park – Review

The artist formerly known as Jefferson Expansion National Memorial became a full-fledged national park under controversial circumstances in 2018. Incredible views of Mississippi from on high and a nice river walk aside, this is the least natural of the 63 national parks. Let’s dive in to the good, bad, and ugly surrounding this most interesting tale and the park that now exists.

What is it?

A massive, 630 foot stainless steel and concrete arch serving as a metaphoric “gateway” to the western United States.

Fast Facts:

Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Founded: 2018 (prior, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial since 1935)

Size: 193 acres

Cost: Free, unless one wishes to take the tram ride to top. Tram tickets are $19.00, with a discount of $3.00 given to any America the Beautiful pass holders.

Visited: 2025

The Ridley Review:

This is not a political blog. But in the current climate, some people may take the following as such. But it is essential to understand who we are and where we have come from, and it also is the story of the Gateway Arch.

History is complicated. History is messy. History is nuanced. People on each side of a conflict will have very different recollections and feelings; people are tribal and strive to belong to a group. The story of the United States is no different to the story of every country and society that has ever existed; there are moments of triumph, horrific moments, groups granted power and status, and groups marginalized. What makes a current movement in this country that so-claims to want to make the country big and strong “Again” so inherently wacky is that the USA has, at no point in its history, been Great for every person or citizen living inside its boundaries to begin with. For some people, brought up on American Exceptionalism, have and will continue to refuse to see this. But when you dive deep and look at the facts as they are, plenty have suffered and do continue to suffer at the hands of those with much. It is a story that has played out worldwide for millennia, and the States are no exception.

That make you uncomfortable? True history cannot be wrapped up in a tidy little bow, full of heroic good guys who conquer the bad guys. It is messy and uncomfortable; it requires a certain level of introspection and willingness to look at ourselves to learn lessons and grow. Times that are great for one grouping of people are brutal for another.

The settlement of the 13 colonies? Great for Europeans seeking religious and political freedom. Horrible for Native Americans without immunity to European diseases.

The Triangular Trade that allowed the economy to flourish in the colonies? Great for landowners who could use free labor to increase their profit per crop. Terrible if you were taken from your African home and spent the rest of your enslaved, working long hours to make someone else wealthy.

The founding of the United States? A triumphant victory for enlightened thinkers who boldly strove to bring democracy, and increased representation for men, into an era where where monarchies ruled. Status quo for the wives whose lives remained centered inside the home with few rights, and for the slaves of many of those same enlightened thinkers who were determined to be 3/5 of a person.

And then we arrive here: the Frontier, the Wild Wild West, Westward Expansion. The age of Manifest Destiny – that God had granted Americans the right to rule the continent. Great for so many homesteaders, not just of European descent, who could build new lives freed from restraint in old towns. Amazing for gold and silver prospectors, a few of whom struck it rich but also many more who started new businesses and families and had memories to last a lifetime. Not a bad time for women, who played vital roles and could even vote in new towns popping up all over the West. A triumph of shrinking the world, as engineers successfully connected the coasts by rail. It is a romantic time in history; cowboys and gold and scenic wonders and boundless opportunity and freedom. For some.

There is always a flip side. Explorers Lewis and Clark use help from Lemhi Shoshone native Sacagawea to map the West safely; for Native Americans, treaties are signed and then disposed of when the government no longer finds it convenient; a Trail of Tears becomes outright cultural and population genocide by the turn of the 20th century. William Clark himself enlists the help of his slave York on the journey, then doesn’t let him see his wife for 20 years. The Irish and Chinese immigrants that build the Transcontinental Railroad suffer a staggering death toll on a job with no protections. The land becomes trampled and overused; buffalo are hunted to near-extinction, and bad farming habits almost starves the country down the road.

The Gateway Arch museum to me is the finest part of the park, as it tells the story of Frontier America boldly, honestly, and from many different perspectives. It is well worth the time of anyone who truly wants to reflect on the past and ponder how we can build a better future. That is one of many reasons the National Park Service (itself with great and bad moments in its history) is important, needed, and worth preserving. It is a shame certain figures in power now only see dollar signs and cost cutting when they see the land and stories that so many have fought to preserve and to learn from.

The Layout

This is an urban park shaped largely like a rectangle, bounded by the Mississippi River on the East, and the Old Courthouse of St. Louis to the West, with Arch dead center, surrounded the by visitor center and some walking trails. The interior of the Arch itself is only accessed through the visitor center, which also houses a park film, museum, gift shop, and cafe.

Transportation

Well, hey, this is one of the few parks you can take public transportation to! You can use the St. Louis MetroLink to get to the park by exiting at either the 8th and Pine or Lacledes Landing stations.

Inside the park, there are escalators that bring folks down into the museum and the top of the Arch is accessible by tram ride (which costs $19/person). The rest of the park is tiny, flat, and walkable.

Activities

This is your chance to mix up the classic National Park itinerary! Go for a stroll or bike along the river, watch the park film and explore the incredible museum, take a trip up the arch, or visit one of the other historic buildings on the property.

Roads and Gas

There is no parking at the park; there is plenty of street parking and parking garages nearby in which to park at. Nearby highways include Interstates 44, 64, and 70.

Rating:

It shouldn’t be a full-scale national park, and it is not a bucket list item, but it is an American icon and worth seeing if you are in St. Louis.

Food & Lodging

Food

Well, you have the entire St. Louis culinary scene to choose from. If you are hell-bent on staying inside the park to grub, the Arch Cafe serves full meals and quick bites. It is located downstairs on the right hand side of the visitor center, after the museum and gift shop.

Lodging

Hotels

Anywhere in St. Louis. Public transportation can get you very close to the park.

Camping

Not recommended.

Hikes and attractions:

Hikes

A nice river walk along the banks of the Mississippi.

Attractions

The Gateway Arch is the namesake attraction here and the big shebang. It is massive, it towers over much of the area, and is an incredible work of engineering. Giant metal arches aren’t naturally occurring, but this is best you get here. Stunning views of downtown St. Louis through a window roughly the size of a shoebox and views of highly industrial East St. Louis on the other side.

Otherwise, we have a very well-done educational and entertaining museum in the visitor center, a nice film about Westward expansion, and St. Louis’ first courthouse to explore.

National Park Rankings

1. Yosemite National Park
2. Olympic National Park
3. Zion National Park
4. Mount Rainier National Park
5. Bryce Canyon National Park
6. Arches National Park
7. Canyonlands National Park
8. Crater Lake National Park
9. Indiana Dunes National Park
10. Shenandoah National Park
11. Capitol Reef National Park
12. Acadia National Park
13. Redwood National Park
14. Pinnacles National Park
15. Cuyahoga Valley National Park
16. Gateway Arch National Park

A note: as with all reviews to come, this will be updated upon any re-visit to the park. Feel free to comment or send in your own reviews or recommendations and we will get it added here!