The Gateway Arch Reviews

This was our first time visiting since the renovations and it was impressive!
You don t enter through the leg of the arch anymore, instead there s a main entrance with ticketing and security further up towards the street (set up much like an airport). Security went quickly and we were on our way to the lower level.
We bypassed much of the museum because we were in a time crunch but from what we saw, it was an updated version of what has always been there.
In the lobby of the entrance to the arch, there s a gift shop, information desk, restaurant/food court and restrooms. It is set up nicely although it gets crowded when both arch lines (north and south) build up.
If you re wondering which leg of the arch to go up in, the answer is it 100% doesn t matter. You won t see anything in your trek up and once you get to the top you have free rein to explore both sides so really it boils down to which time slot you want.
It used to be you just bought your ticket and hopped in line. Now they are on a schedule. You pick a boarding time online (or at the desk in the main entrance). On busier days, they might be booked out an hour or longer but typically, you can get in within the hour. If you re booking online, be sure to factor in travel time and security when booking!!!!! I would give yourself at least 20 min from walking through the front doors to making it to the North/South entrance lines. Obviously you d need even more time if you re doing the museum.
If you re wondering how you ll fare with heights, this isn t like standing on the glass observation deck of the Empire State Building. The windows at the top of the arch are small. I ve been to the top with a person who has a problem with heights and she just stayed away from the windows and was fine.
Be sure you re good on your feet though. Once you get to the top, there are a few stairs involved and the floor is arched from North to South. If it is crowded, maneuvering from window to window can be tricky.
I d say this is a must. Even if it s just once, although this is probably my 20th time in the arch since I was a kid so I m pretty biased.

A wonderful place to spend time with the family in the beautiful downtown city of St.Louis.

Had a great time at the Arch yesterday. The new exhibits are really interesting and the museum is beautiful. One thing I had a problem with was that there was a ranger who was very nice and doing a great job explaining and he was very enthusiastic about teaching folks about the grounds but he wasnt wearing a mask. He was also standing very close to visitors and at times even touching them. I get that he probably just forgot to put his mask back on but to actually touch others during this time is not something that should be done. Like I said though, in any other time I wouldn't have even thought twice about the way he was demonstrating the exhibit that was built for the blind but right now, it just made me uncomfortable. The only other thing about the Arch Grounds that wasnt ideal was that THERE IS NO ATM ON THE ARCH GROUNDS. They said they took it away during the renovation and haven't brought it back. For us, that meant we had to go into the hotel across the street before leaving because the parking garage where our car was was CASH only due to their systems being down. But for others that could be a real problem. Just a warning.

Very nice national monument. Impressive engineering and friendly staff.

We rode scooters downtown and stopped at the arch. It was meh. I think you need to read the history of it to appreciate it.

Informative historical presentation prior to the ride up the arch and then a great view from the top of the arch!

The ride up into the Arch was closed when I went but I did take the cruise which was a great little tour. The stairs are a bit of a challenge in the heat but I made it back up

A must see when in St. Louis. Get there early if you want to ride up to the top or get online early and pre buy. Nothing worse than getting there and it being sold out. Still beautiful park if you don t go to the top!

Really busy day. But the staff were very helpful and personable. The arch was super nice,clean and updated. The arch film is still the old one but it has such great charm. Many interactive things to do. The bathrooms were very clean. There were plenty of places to eat and drink too. There was also a very nice gift shop. The front of the arch had a little splash shallow pool things to cool off( very very shallow) I would recommend for sure

I enjoyed the history behind the making of the arch. It was a bucket list accomplished.

First time I've been there in years, love the modifications.

Very Beautiful monument... Breathtaking!! Awesome city. Truly enjoyed

What an amazing architectural feat set against the industrial landscape of St. Louis. All of my children had a great time. From 7 to 14. Be sure to check on the hours before you visit so you can enjoy the tram ride to the top as well.

The museum is free and well worth a visit. You go through TSA style security to enter the museum and then the timed/paid tickets to the top of the arch are optional. The entrance is in the park facing downtown and the exits are on either end of the arch. We made the mistake of trying to enter at the bottom of the arch which is not allowed.

Makes us realized how human mind works. It's a wonder

This is one of my favorite monuments to visit. The history of this monument is pretty neat, and its construction is quite unique. Besides, you can easily catch a Cardinals' game next door! They recently expanded the visitor center to include the new Museum at the Gateway Arch.

Nice museum at the bottom and great view at the top.

Woohoo! That creekie ride to the top was a gasser! You have a Look down of BUSH STADIUM..fabulous! Love this city!

Takes a while to get through the lines and to get to the trams but, when you get to the top there is an extraordinary view. Would strongly suggest to anyone who is not afraid of heights.

The outside was well taken care of. Unfortunately the restrooms are quite a bit away from the arch, they're inside of the museum. Didn't get to visit the museum because they were sold out.

We had a great experience at The Gateway Arch. Found a parking garage a couple blocks away with a short walk to the Arch. Buying tickets and getting to the top was a painless process and there a great area around the Arch to just walk or sit and relax.

A must-see for anyone interested in history, architecture, or any person who likes heights and seeing cities from above. We got through lines swiftly, despite the amount of people visiting. It was smoothly run and an overall enjoyable experience, and one that we look forward to having again when we visit St Louis

Upgraded a lot and the presence of the post 911 world we live in. The upgrades to electronic displays kind of took away the childhood memories, but I guess overall I had fun visiting and watching my child play where I used to.

It looks like it's from outer space from the outside. Like half of a flying saucer. Try it, you won't regret it.

Place has been upgraded a lot done since I was last here. Looks great!

Wish we would have had more time to visit the inside museum. We purchased our tickets ahead of time online and arrived at our time. But they didn t have enough seats for us to ride to the top at our designated time. We ended up waiting 10 minutes for the next tram which is tough with little kids. There also isn t any designated park and you have to find a local parking garage. Luckily the ground has directions painted on the ground to follow once you ve parked. My kids loved the water to play at in front of the arch so make sure if you have little kids to take a change of clothes.

We visited in the late afternoon and were at the top of the Arch for sunset. It was worth the wait, amazing view!

Awesome! Interesting documentary is available regarding the construction of the arch in the visitors center. The pods are tiny as they take you up to the top. Once there you can feel the awesome power of nature as you can feel the slight shifting of the arch from the wind. While looking through the glass windows the scenery is breathtaking and undeniably monumental. Visitors to St Louis will treasure this amazing experience come and see it.

I have been visiting this incredible monument since it first opened and every time I am close enough to touch it I am amazed at the simplicity of its design and the monumental engineering and building efforts it took to build. The new museum is very informative, interactive and covers a lot of information about the area s history and the expansion west. This should not be missed if you are traveling to our city.

Fun experience, first time to St.Louis for a weekend trip

Great but remember to book well in advance if you want to ride to the top.

A neat experience while in St Louis. This is a place you could make an all day trip or just a few hours and continue in your day depending on what peaks your interest.

So cool to see this historic landmark. The park surrounding us beautiful. The museum is worth a walk-through.

The arch is so huge, most of the times you can visit to the top of the arch by buying a ticket. Also the view near by the arch is a good place to spend some time.

This was interesting, the small pod up with strangers was pretty funny, no one really spoke in my pod, and I was holding in a laugh, priceless. It was a good thing I had no fear of heights. Nice a decent size display about the history, well organized as far as who rides on which pod. The Arch is an amazing thing to see, next to the Mississippi River. So there's a muesum, there is a theater and then there's the ride up and from the top of the Arch.

This is a "must see" when you are downtown St. Louis! The views at the top are so awesome!

Great place to visit. This time of year there's every little to no crowds. Excellent weather

It wasn't what I expected,it was better.. I'm a bit of a math nerd so the dimensions the precision were really impressive. I loved the museum and the little pods you ride up in it was worth the trip.

Glad this is now part of the National Park system. Awesome views from the top of the Arch! Very nice museum, interesting facts/information, courteous staff. Today's visit was just as good as our first (2018)!

I really wish there was a way we would have actually been able to go see the monument. The last time we went was in 2008 and boy has it changed since then. This time (September 2018), we had two car fulls of people wanting to visit, but no where to drop off my grandmother. A parking guard told us the closest parking was a ten minute walk, which is impossible for my grandma who cannot walk for more than five minutes without having to sit down and even if she could make the walk, we would have been required to walk up a steep flight of steps, which, again, would have been impossible for her. So we drove around a construction-heavy downtown St. Louis for an hour looking for any alternative and there isn't any. The Arch itself is awe-inspiring, but as a National Park and monument, you would think they would have taken extra steps to ensure the disabled and elderly would be able to enjoy it as well. I'm rating this as a one star until they fix their ADA non-compliancies.

This places was amazing. I am afraid of heights but felt very safe going up this 630ft structure from inside. I really enjoyed the museum now ground as well. Oh! And I bought the U.S. Constitution on old parchment.

Very well organized and the museum is a nice addition.

Bucket list. Put it on there, it was so cool! Only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because the renovations have the entire place torn up.

I'm sure when it finishes, it's going to be absolutely amazing! Also side note type... Just park in the parking garages. We spent half an hour looking for parking before we decided to use the parking garage. There are a bunch moderately close and because the arches parking is closed... It's the best way to go.

Also the tickets for the arch sell out, so get them ahead!

This is a must do if you are visiting St. Louis. Historical site that is a once in a life time if you are not from there. I have visited many times as a kid and have been to the top almost every time.

If you don't like small spaces do go up. Elevators are tiny. Can't imagine getting stuck. The place is cool because of the west side you can see inside of the baseball stadium.

It is fascinating! I would not recommend going in the summer because the crowds are terrible. There were so many people up in the Arch that we were fighting to get to a window. It is definitely a bucket list item though.

The Arch is truly something else. I am deathly afraid of heights but took the ride up with the bf and his mom. From what I could see before going dizzy, the view was amazing. The area is beautiful, green, and vast.

Museum under Arch open in time of pandemic. Keep distance and enjoy the history of Saint Louis.

Such an impressive monument once you get underneath. Makes you proud to be an American! They should seriously consider hanging a big American flag from it, with fireworks constantly shooting off and a giant animatronic bald eagle perched on top with our enemies both foreign and domestic in it's talons. USA, USA!!!

Really nice place. You can feel the little swing at the top of Arch due to wind!

Newly renovated museum is good. And if you were too claustrophobic to go up in the older gondolas, the doors are now mostly glass. Worth the trip up to the top

Worth seeing. We went up on the last train it's beautiful at night.

It's almost alien. The experience of seeing the arch first hand, is extraordinary, almost "out of this world" in looking at it. It is a must see at least once.

Apart from the arch which is fascinating, I dint find anything great about this place. If you are an India tourist, I would give this a pass (especially on a sunny day!) Firstly, there aren't enough parking spots, so you end up driving ahead looking for free spaces and finally park at the paid parking $10! You then have a long walk back to the entrance (river side). I did not find enough covered areas and with a sunny day, it can be exhausting especially with little kids. If you are entering the park from the river side, be prepared to walk a lot more to get to the visitor center where you have an underground entrance. You can buy tickets here for the cable car ride up the arch. There are clean restrooms and drinking water area. I would recommend to visit this place during the evenings.
#localguides

Great improvements, still had great historical facts, and I enjoyed the interactive stations.

I didn't get to go up, but looks like a well organized organization.

Being a construction worker myself I have been interesting in buildings and the design and architecture of great monuments. The movie was worth watching.

The museum is very well done. So much history! The trip to the top of the arch was definately different than I expected. The pods to get to the top are small, egg like pods. The views from the top are awesome, however the windows are pretty small. It can be crowded in the arch, but it's not too bad. We visited in July so it was the peak of summer travel.

It's tall big and cool for 30 seconds while you are inside it then it's just like any other skyscraper.

But it's a historical landmark of St Louis. Something to scratch off your bucket list.

A must see during your time in the city. If you're claustrophobic you may not want to go up as there are 4 seats for a very small car that goes to the top. In the main lobby is a cart that you can sit in to try and see if you will be comfortable. If you get to the arch early, there is an area on the bottle floor that has multiple displays and information regarding the history of the arch. Very informative!

We were here during the the Fair at St Louis. Awesome fireworks shows for three nights in a row. Free!! Free concerts all three nights too.

Seeing the arch in person is a must to appreciate how grand it is. There is a charge to ride to the top, so we opted to just experience it from the ground and visit the museum.

Go early to avoid the crowds. Well organized in getting visitors to the top of the arch. The visitors gallery at the base is rich with historical pieces, and construction/engineering displays. Also, reservations seem to be a "guide"; if they're not busy, you can often go up to the top earlier than your ticketed slot indicates.

Beautiful park. Photos don t do justice to this iconic landmark. It s way bigger than I imagined and it really is a beautiful work of architecture. Really amazing and I highly recommend visiting. You typically could go inside of the Arch but it was closed due to COVID-19. However the museum underneath the Arch is open to visitors.

Great history and fun for the whe family ! Get there early because once you go through security, there is a museum and shops to look at and eat while you wait for your ride up to the top !

This place was amazing! I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling near the St. Louis area. It is truly an architectural wonder. Defiantly leave time to take the tram ride to the top! There are several horse and carriage rides along the river, helicopter rides to get a birds eye view and cool street food vendors.

Beautiful exhibits. Park staff helpful and friendly. Worth every penny of the modest admission price. Spectacular views from the top. They have a model in the entrance of the pods you will ride to the top. If claustrophobia is an issue, you might not like it.

I've been to a fair amount of national parks. The exhibits are top notch. Our family loved it. Due to COVID they won't let you go to the top. That was a total downer!

Easily accessible. Great view of the Mississippi river. Amazing architecture. Nice park surrounding the arch.

Do you know that Jefferson National Expansion Memorial actually consists of the Gateway Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion, and St. Louis' Old Courthouse.
The Gateway Arch is a 630 foot stainless steel arch. It was built as a perfect monument to the spirit of the western pioneers. Construction of the Arch began in 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965, for a total cost of less than $15 million!
Do you the Arch has foundations sunk 60 feet into the ground, and is built to withstand earthquakes and high winds. It sways up to one inch in a 20 mph wind, and is built to sway up to 18 inches.

The museum below is excellent. The ride to the top of the arch is less so. It smells of oil and the line to get up will probably separate your group.

Buy tickets ahead of time for the trip to the top of the arch. Be aware that there is a metal detector to get into the museum proper.

Everything was amazing from the ride to the top to the view. The view was amazing. Hint go during a Cardinal game. You won't be disappointed.

Beautiful! Amazing feat! Museum was free interactive for all ages. Power up your battery for great pictures!

Didn't ride the tram to the top, but the museum was great! With a wide variety of multimedia installations explaining the regional history as well as the history of the Arch, it makes a fun stop for everyone. There is a restaurant inside as well a restrooms and seating.

Amazing views, the new west entrance and museum is a must see

For the first time ever going to see the St. Louis Arch and the museum...I had a lot of fun. I was just my wife and I but we will be back with the daughters to see it again.

Nicely remodeled. Rangers gave interesting talks. Clean.

Wow! Amazing feat of engineering! Watch the movie first, make it much more interesting.

Yes it's a feat of engineering and it's a nice view at the top. However I wouldn't say if I was going to St. Louis it could by itself deserve the stop. All together I still enjoyed myself and the staff were very friendly.

Terrific place to learn Missouri history and have a great day trip. Be prepared for a great deal of walking!

Wow! Love the new park. The park grounds are beautiful. Being able to walk from downtown to the arch is awesome, and they created a great view as well.

The museum is excellent as well. Appealing to the eye and lots of interesting exhibits. Much better waiting area for going up into the arch.

And the Gateway Arch... its the arch. Fun claustrophobic cars going up. Great views on the observation deck.

This was the very first entertainment part of my 8th Grade Mystery Trip. I saw we were going here and freaked out a bit, seeing as I am not afraid of hights, but falling. I know you cant actually fall, but still. My friends really made sure I was ok the whole time, but did tease me a bit and faked falling off the parking lot walls, causing me to scream. (I still love them, though )

AMAZING. I loved the visitor's center and museum. The view looking up at the arch from the base was magnificent. And everything I did was free!

A great experience for the entire family. Very affordable compared to other similar experiences. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Go in the evening for much shorter lines and great sunset views!

A 630 feet experience you won t forget. Highly recommend taking a trip down to St. Louis. The arch is one of those bucket list items you must see. I have to be honest, at first I truly didn t see the point. In my mind I m like, great another overrated monument thing . Boy was I wrong. We went to a ball game at Busch Stadium and it is about a 7 min walk from there. The arch is also visible from the stadium which makes for a great photo opportunity. Its definitely a must go-to place that you don t fully appreciate until after you get there.

The was a great site to see. I loved it here. Espeally the way it overlooks the river. Simply Amazing. It is extra cool that from one side it looks like it goes into infinity. You cannot see the light on the other side.

This is definitely worth going to. Way cooler than I thought it would be

This was a really cool and inexpensive excursion. Great views from the top. Walk all the way to the top of hill to get the entire arch in your selfie! Parking was limited and somewhat far for those who have trouble with walking...

It's wonderful but don't get to go up elevator due to covid 19

Museum is very interesting. Advice: Buy your tram tickets then go through the museum (saves time)