Gateway Arch National Park

It should not be a National Park!  Okay, that’s just my opinion, but for seven decades, the name “Jefferson National Expansion Memorial” sufficed for the riverfront area in downtown St. Louis that would eventually hold the Gateway Arch. Why there was a need to change the name to Gateway Arch National Park in 2018 is beyond me, especially given that this was the same year a major renovation of the Arch’s Visitor Center opened featuring a large museum dedicated to westward expansion!

I’ve visited the Gateway Arch two times in the past, but it was still fun to ride the tiny tram cars to the top and enjoy the views. It took over two years, from 1963 to 1965, to construct the Arch designed by architect Eero Saarinen and selected from over 170 other designs submitted.

The biggest change to the park since my previous visit was the expansion of the Visitor Center. This is actually located under the Arch and is where one boards the trams for the four-minute trip to the top. The center now houses a large exhibit, with separate areas for various time periods, that covers the country’s westward growth, much of which was centered around St. Louis.

In addition to the exhibit, the center has a small restaurant, a large gift shop, and a theater with a video on the construction of the Arch. Entry to the Visitor Center is free (though one goes through airport-like security to enter), however, rides to the top on the tram require rather pricey tickets.  These are not covered by my Senior Park Pass.

I had actually arrived in St. Louis very early in the morning, coming from the small town of Litchfield, Illinois, about one hour away. I did not want to fight rush hour traffic on the bridges across the Mississippi or through the downtown area.  I succeeded on both counts. I already knew where I could get a good photo of me standing by a sign identifying the park, something I try to do at all parks. Since this one was on a downtown sidewalk, I preferred getting the photo early before it was too crowded.

As I was about to leave the parking garage with my camera and tripod, it began to downpour. Fortunately, it did not last too long and I was able to get my photo and return my tripod to the car. I then wandered around the park at the base of the Arch taking photos and waiting for the doors to open.

After my time at the Arch, I headed back to my car around 11:30 intending to leave downtown, find somewhere for lunch, then head to Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in the afternoon. It was then that I discovered the fine print on my parking garage ticket. Because I arrived early, I qualified for the “Early Bird” rate of $7.00.  But what I had overlooked is that I had to stay until at least 2:00 to get that rate, otherwise it was $30!!!  I decided I would go have a leisurely lunch in downtown St. Louis, then do a little work on my laptop until 2:00.  A minor inconvenience but worth it to save $23.00.

The National Park includes, in addition to the Arch, the Old Courthouse located about a block away. It was here that the initial ruling in the Dred Scott case was made. In 1846, Dred Scott, a slave since birth, sued for his freedom arguing that his “owner” had taken him to Illinois and Wisconsin where slavery was illegal. In 1850, he won his case, but it was overturned by the Missouri Supreme Court in 1852 and ultimately by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1857. The decision gained national attention and was another log on the fire that was soon to erupt into full Civil War.

Unfortunately, the courthouse was closed when I visited as it is undergoing major renovations.

I wasn’t sure if there was anything “new” I would learn at this park, but the new national expansion exhibit had a lot of historic tidbits I did not know and the details on the construction methods were also fascinating. The learning streak continues!

Steve