The Gateway Arch: a Must-Visit Site In St. Louis

Known to many as the Gateway to the West, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, looms above the Mississippi River.  It’s so named because the city was historically where the U.S. began its celebrated expansion into the then wild, wild West.

 

Many people know that the Gateway Arch is the world’s tallest arch, part of why it attracts thousands of visitors each year.  But it is also a U.S. national monument, part of a larger national park and is formally known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.  It’s so named in commemoration of Thomas Jefferson’s role in the expansion to the West.  

Underneath the Arch is a massive museum aptly named the Museum of Westward Expansion.  It’s a detailed museum that pays homage to the Lewis & Clark Expedition, among other expansion figures, paraphernalia, and corresponding artifacts and discoveries by the pioneers on their plight to the uncharted West.  It’s a great place to immerse oneself in the era.  

Finally, did you know that you can actually take a tram to the top of the arch? There are small pods that will take four to five tourists up there within four minutes.  But most of the time purchasing a ticket does not immediately get you riding the pods.  You’d most likely have to wait a couple of hours before your group’s turn.  We suggest visiting the nearby Old Courthouse first or spending more time at the museum.