They did a great job with the recent renovation. T...

They did a great job with the recent renovation. The museum provides a surprisingly balanced perspective on the history of Saint Louis and the history of the Gateway Arch.

We did the package deal, which includes the riverboat tour, the documentary film about the building of the arch and the elevator ride to the top. The combination of the three did provide a good overall history of the area.

The riverboat tour is hosted by a National Park representative. He touched briefly on the original Native American people and how they used the river to navigate massive distances. Followed by a history of the French founders and they pointed out some of the key elements of the downtown architecture.

The documentary is dated, but I found it fascinating. My wife fell asleep, so I guess it's not for everyone. My daughters enjoyed it, but they were terrified by the lack of safety the old construction workers had. It was a good history lesson in the reality of how much safety measures have improved.

The museum is great. Super clean and they cover Native American history, the history of modern St. Louis and the history of the arch, which is meant to represent the gateway to the West. The construction of the arch was not without controversy, which ultimately led to the federal equal opportunity employment law.

The arch tour was really cool, but be sure to climb into the test the pod within the main lobby to make sure you're not claustrophobic. My oldest daughter got a bit freaked out, which her younger sister found amusing.

Very informative package overall and a nice escape from the heat.