Field Trips at Gateway Arch National Park

Spend a day learning about the Gateway Arch, the St. Louis Riverfront, and St. Louis’ impact on American history on your next field trip. We will help you plan a fun educational experience to suit your students’ current studies and interests. Field trip reservations that include educational programming must be made at least 30 days in advance. For questions about making a reservation, please call 314.923.3048.

To begin the reservation process, please complete the form below.

Field Trip Inquiry Form

Plan Your Field Trip Experience

Icon of three people, two in light blue and one in white.

In-Person Programs

All programs take place at Gateway Arch National Park with a National Park Service Ranger. Programming may include role playing, decision making, multiple perspectives, analytical thinking, and activities using replica items and historical clothing. Please allow 50 minutes for each program.

Icon of a computer with the Gateway Arch on the screen.

Virtual Programs

Can’t make it to us? Allow our National Park Service rangers to connect with your class via your preferred digital platform! Presentations will take an audience-centered approach using a variety of practices such as period clothing, historic photos, primary sources, show and tell, music, and other digital content. Please allow 30 to 40 minutes for each program.

Select Your Program Topic

From the early days of St. Louis to the building of the Gateway Arch, the National Park’s Education and Interpretation staff have curated programming suitable for every classroom. The staff is also happy to provide educators with a wide range of resources and workshops. For more information on the topics listed below, please call the Education Department at 314-655-1635 or visit the National Park Service website.

View of the inside of the Gateway Arch museum

General Museum Tour

The general tour of the museum at the Gateway Arch introduces students to the larger themes of westward expansion and the growth of the United States. Students work with a park ranger who guides them through selected galleries which tell the story of westward expansion and the building of the Gateway Arch.

Three kids on a field trip at Gateway Arch museum

St. Louis from the Beginning

In 1764, French fur traders founded St. Louis on the grounds that are now Gateway Arch National Park. In this program, students visit the “Colonial St. Louis” gallery in the museum and learn about the ways St. Louis became a prosperous river town and trading post.

Two young kids on a field trip at Gateway Arch Museum

Lewis and Clark

In this program, students learn about the Corps of Discovery’s trip to the Pacific Coast from 1803 to 1806, which started and ended in St. Louis. Students also learn about the members of the expedition and the people they interacted with throughout the voyage.

Two kids on a field trip in Gateway Arch museum

Heading West?

Imagine yourself as a settler in St. Louis getting ready to head west. What supplies would you buy? What trail would you take? Who would join you on your voyage?

Three kids on a field trip in Gateway Arch museum

Building the Dream: Constructing the Gateway Arch

Why is the Gateway Arch here? What does this landmark represent? Step back in time and learn how the tallest national monument in the United States was conceived, designed, and built.

Kids standing in front of a buffalo on a field trip to Gateway Arch museum

American Indians of the Great Plains

American Indians have lived in North America for thousands of years. All of the lands that make up the United States today were exclusively Indigenous lands long before Europeans first arrived about 500 years ago. The growth of the United States through westward expansion challenged traditional ways of life for many Indigenous tribes during the 1800s as more settlers crossed the Mississippi River for a new life in the West.

View of the old courthouse and Gateway Arch

Trial Reenactments

Gain valuable perspective on history by reenacting one of the historic trials, which took place at the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis. A NPS Ranger will facilitate the trial and at the end involve students in the deliberation process as your class becomes jury.

Freedom Suit: Dred Scott v Irene Emmerson
Trial for the Right to Vote: Virginia Minor v Happersett
Segregation Laws in the 1800s: Williams v Bellefontaine
Tort Liability: Franke v City of St Louis
Bubble Gum Trial

Looking for Inspiration to Plan Your Day?

Explore these sample itineraries to spark ideas for your group’s visit to Gateway Arch National Park. We can create a completely customized experience for you, incorporating ranger-led educational programs. To begin planning, please complete the form below or call us at 314.923.3048.

Boy playing with touchscreen elements in the museum.

2.5-Hour Experience Options

GATEWAY ARCH TRAM RIDE & MUSEUM

Arrival, ticketing and security (30 minutes)
Tram Ride to the Top of the Gateway Arch (45 – 60 minutes)
Self-guided or ranger-led tour Museum at the Gateway Arch (Recommended at least 30 minutes – extra time can be planned)

RIVERBOAT AT THE GATEWAY ARCH

Arrival, ticketing (15 minutes)
Riverfront Cruise (60 minutes – boarding starts 15 minutes prior to departure time)
If you are cruising around lunch time, add on a pre-ordered boxed lunch that will be available on board your cruise.

Students look and point out the windows at the to of the Gateway Arch

3.5-Hour Experience Options

GATEWAY ARCH TRAM RIDE & MUSEUM

Arrival, ticketing and security (30 minutes)
Tram Ride to the Top of the Gateway Arch (45 – 60 minutes)
Self-guided or ranger-led tour Museum under the Gateway Arch (Recommended at least 30 minutes – extra time can be planned)
Lunch at the Gateway Arch (45-60 minutes)

MUSEUM UNDER THE GATEWAY ARCH & RIVERFRONT CRUISE

Arrival, ticketing and security (30 minutes)
Self-guided tour Museum under the Gateway Arch (Recommended at least 30 minutes – extra time can be planned)
Riverfront Cruise (60 minutes – boarding starts 15 minutes prior to departure time)
Lunch at the Riverboats: add on pre-ordered boxed lunch for your cruise.

A diverse group of students listen to a Ranger in the Museum at Gateway Arch National Park

4.5-Hour Experience Options

GATEWAY ARCH TRAM RIDE, RANGER-LED MUSEUM & DOCUMENTARY MOVIE

Arrival, ticketing and security (30 minutes)
Monument to the Dream documentary movie (35 minutes – starts at the top of every hour)
Ranger-led tour Museum at the Gateway Arch (60 minutes)
Tram Ride to the Top of the Gateway Arch (45 – 60 minutes)
Lunch at the Arch

GATEWAY ARCH TRAM RIDE, RANGER-LED MUSEUM & RIVERFRONT CRUISE

Arrival, ticketing and security (30 minutes)
Ranger-led tour Museum at the Gateway Arch (60 minutes)
Tram Ride to the Top of the Gateway Arch (45 – 60 minutes)
Riverfront Cruise Cruise (60 minutes – boarding starts 15 minutes prior to departure time)
Lunch at the Riverboats: add on pre-ordered boxed lunch for your cruise.

Group of children, one in a wheelchair, in front of a touchscreen in the Museum under the Gateway Arch.

5.5-Hour Experience Option

GATEWAY ARCH TRAM RIDE, RANGER-LED MUSEUM, DOCUMENTARY MOVIE & RIVERFRONT CRUISE

Arrival, ticketing and security (30 minutes)
Ranger-Led Museum under the Gateway Arch tour (50 minutes)
Monument to the Dream documentary movie (35 minutes – starts at the top of every hour)
Tram Ride to the Top of the Gateway Arch (45 – 60 minutes)
Riverfront Cruise (60 minutes – boarding starts 15 minutes prior to departure time)
Lunch at the Arch or Riverboat aboard the cruise
Between Arch and Riverboat activities, allow 30 minutes, which includes a 10-20 minute walk

Bus Directions & Parking

If your tour group is coming on a bus, we offer convenient bus drop-off locations and designated bus parking on the levee of the St. Louis riverfront (if weather permits).

Bus Information

Stay for Lunch

We make group lunches easy! We offers three options for groups: boxed lunches from the Paddlewheel Café, catering from the Arch Café, or the option to bring your own.

Accessibility

To learn more about accessibility at Gateway Arch National Park and the St. Louis Riverfront, please visit the page below!

Accessibility Information

Educational Resources

For more information on the resources listed below, please call the Education Department at phone: 314-655-1635 or visit the National Park Service website.

Gateway Arch National Park invites you and your 4th grade class for a FREE visit to the park for the Every Kid Outdoors (EKO) program! Thanks to the Open Outdoors for Kids grant from the National Park Foundation, transportation costs for your class visit will be paid in full. This is a three-part program, which includes a pre-visit, a field trip to the Gateway Arch National Park (including a FREE trip to the top of the Gateway Arch), and post-visit elements. A virtual EKO program is also available. To learn more, please call 314-655-1635.
This fund makes it possible for students to experience the Gateway Arch by subsidizing transportation, meals, and activities like tram rides to the top, the “Monument to the Dream” documentary film, as well as riverboat excursions for those who need it most. Visit the Gateway Arch National Park Foundation website to learn more.

Group Inquiry Form

For groups of 20 or more, please complete the form below to begin your reservation. For questions regarding reservations or educational programs for smaller groups, please call 314.923.3048.

We look forward to helping you create an unforgettable experience at Gateway Arch National Park.