Frequently Asked Questions

630 feet, which is 63 stories, 192 meters, or 7,560 inches tall, making it the tallest man-made monument in the United States — taller than the Statue of Liberty, the Washington Monument, and even the Space Needle in Seattle. From the base of one leg to the other, the Arch is as wide as it is tall! Each leg of the Arch is 54 feet wide at the base, tapering to 17 feet wide at the top.

Yes, you can go inside the Gateway Arch! A Tram Ride to the Top provides access to the observation deck, offering panoramic views. Your visit also includes access to the free Museum under the Gateway Arch and other indoor attractions.

Visitors who are unable to travel to the top can view the live feeds at the top of the Gateway Arch in the keystone exhibit located past the Museum.

On a clear day, the observation deck at the top of the Arch offers panoramic views stretching up to 30 miles. Look west to see St. Louis and Missouri, and east for views of the Mississippi River and Illinois.

The structure was built as a monument to the vision of President Thomas Jefferson and to St. Louis’ role in the westward expansion of the United States. That’s why both the Arch and St. Louis are often referred to as “the Gateway to the West”.

It was built as a memorial to President Thomas Jefferson, who championed the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and sent Lewis & Clark on their great expedition westward. The entire Jefferson National Expansion Memorial consists of the Gateway Arch and grounds (about 62 acres), plus another 30 acres encompassing the Old Courthouse and Luther Ely Smith Square.

Steel and concrete. It has a double wall construction with ¼” stainless steel skin on the outside and 3/8” structural steel on the inside. The distance between the skin at the surface is 3 feet, narrowing to less than 1 foot at the top. There is a layer of concrete between the skins going approximately halfway up the legs of the Gateway Arch. To support this massive, 43,226-ton structure, the foundations go about 60 feet into the ground.

Finnish-American architect and designer Eero Saarinen won a national design competition in 1947, earning the privilege to design this timeless monument.

MacDonald Construction Company of St. Louis was the primary contractor on the project. A few hundred workers built the Gateway Arch with no loss of life, despite the danger involved in raising such a tall, unique structure.

Richard “Dick” Bowser, a second-generation elevator manufacturer, invented the Gateway Arch’s unique tram system. Tasked by architect Eero Saarinen, Bowser designed a way to transport visitors to the top of the Arch, a challenge due to its curved shape, the need for an observation platform, and an emergency stairway. He had only two weeks to create the design.

Under normal conditions, the Gateway Arch does not sway, although it was designed to sway as much as 18 inches and can withstand an earthquake. It takes a 50-mile per hour wind to move the top just 1.5 inches either side of center.

To install the last 4-foot section at the top, builders had to use over 500 tons of pressure to pry apart the north and south legs of the Gateway Arch. Larger windows could not withstand that pressure. At just 7 x 27 inches in size, the 16 windows on each side of the observation deck may seem small. But the views they reveal are truly monumental.

Construction began February 12, 1963. The final piece was put in place on October 28, 1965. The trams were not completed for over 2 years, with the north tram opening in July 1967 and the south tram in May 1968.

No, there are 1,076 steps inside the Gateway Arch, but they are used for maintenance and emergency purposes only.

Each tram ride and tour has an anticipated duration of 45 – 60 minutes. This includes time spent with a tour guide, a multimedia experience, the Tram Ride to the Top (4 minute ride to the top), time at the Observation Deck (up to 10 minutes) and the journey back down (3 minute ride down).

For the best experience and to ensure you can visit on your desired day and time, purchase your Tram Ride to the Top tickets before your visit at gatewayarch.com/tickets.

Tickets can be purchased on-site at Gateway Arch National Park, but same-day tickets are not guaranteed. We strongly recommend pre-purchasing your tickets online to ensure you have a tram time on your chosen visit day. Please visit our tickets page to purchase: gatewayarch.com/tickets.

The Tram Ride to the Top of the Gateway Arch is not fully accessible for guests with mobility impairments. Wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and strollers are not permitted in the tram or on the Observation Deck. Visit our accessibility page for more information.

Visitors who are unable to travel to the top can view the live feeds at the top of the Gateway Arch in the keystone exhibit located past the Museum.

Some stairs are required during the Tram Ride to the Top. You will need to walk at least 96 steps, although the most you will be asked to walk at once are 28 steps. The steps occur at four different times during the tour. You will also need to stand for the majority of the experience which lasts approximately 45-60 minutes.

The tram travels at 340 feet per minute, or approximately 3.86 miles per hour. It takes 4 minutes to go up to the top and 3 minutes to come down. Tram rides leave approximately every 10 minutes.

Visitors can spend up to 10 minutes at the top of the Gateway Arch, enjoying panoramic views from the observation deck. The entire tour process, including the tram ride and a pre-boarding interactive multimedia experience led by a tour guide, takes approximately 45 – 60 minutes. Please follow tour guide announcements for boarding and departure instructions.

No seating or restrooms are available at the top of the Gateway Arch. Please plan accordingly before you embark on your tram ride.

No, food and drinks are not permitted on your Tram Ride to the Top. We invite you to grab a meal or snack at the Arch Café prior to or after your tram ride experience.

Yes, there are four combo packages available that combine our ticketed offerings to make the most of your visit to the Gateway Arch. Please visit gatewayarch.com/tickets to purchase.

The Riverboats are located on the St. Louis Riverfront along the Mississippi River, east of the Gateway Arch National Park.

By vehicle, you can access the St. Louis Riverfront via Chouteau Avenue. Visitors are also able to access the riverfront by walking, rolling, or biking through Gateway Arch National Park. For more detailed driving and pedestrian instructions, please visit our directions and parking page.

The best place to park for riverboat cruises is the levee parking. Parking is offered at 50 South Leonor K Sullivan Boulevard, located along the levee on the historic cobblestones. For more information about parking, please visit our riverfront parking page.

The riverboat cruises operate from March to November each year, with exception to a few specialty cruises or private charters outside of the operating season.

Our standard daytime cruise is an hour long, and our evening dinner cruises typically last two hours. Specialty cruises may have longer durations.

Yes, our riverboat cruises are wheelchair accessible with a ramp to get you onto the riverfront dock as well as the riverboat. The riverboats are wheelchair accessible on the first deck only. Please note that the cobblestone levee is uneven in many places before boarding, and we suggest that those bringing wheelchairs pull up as close to the boat’s walkway as possible to board.

Yes, we offer a series of combo ticket options for attractions inside and outside of the Gateway Arch.

As you make your way to board your riverboat cruise, our Riverfront Gift Shop and Paddlewheel Café are located on the riverboat dock. For more information about gift shop hours and café offerings, please visit their pages.

The Paddlewheel Café opens from April to November each season. It is open Friday – Sunday, 11 am to 3pm. There are also special events such as happy hours offered on occasion. Please visit our calendar for more information.

Please visit the Paddlewheel Café page for more information about our food and beverage options.

The Paddlewheel Café does offer box lunches available March–November with advance notice. Call (314)923-3080 for more information.

The Museum under the Gateway Arch is FREE to all visitors. Tickets are not required for entry. The Museum is located inside of the Gateway Arch National Park facility. Upon arrival, all visitors are required to go through security. As a National Park Service site, security screenings are a requirement at Gateway Arch National Park.

No, there is no time limit to explore our Museum! The Museum is open to all visitors during our operating hours, and you are free to explore for as long as you like. For more information on our daily hours, please visit our Plan Your Visit page.

Yes! The Museum is accessible to visitors with a wheelchair, crutches, or scooters. There is also an elevator and escalator to help guide all visitors toward the Museum experience. To learn more about accessibility within the Museum, please visit our Accessibility Page.

Tickets are not required for the Museum, but there are single and combo ticket options available to make the most of your visit to Gateway Arch National Park. For more information, please visit gatewayarch.com/buytickets.

Tickets can also be purchased at either of our on site Ticket Centers, one is located on the entry floor and the other is located across from Arch Cafe.

Yes, the “Monument to the Dream” documentary movie is a ticketed activity. We advise all visitors to purchase their tickets ahead of time to ensure you get your desired time, however advance tickets are not required. For more information, please visit gatewayarch.com/buytickets.

The documentary movie is a 35-minute film.

Yes! Tucker Theater is accessible for all wheelchair users.

Yes, the Theater is a ticketed activity. We advise all visitors to purchase their designated time slots for the virtual reality theater ahead of time; however, advanced tickets are not required.

The theater holds a 10-minute virtual reality experience.

The virtual reality experience is recommended for ages 3 and older.

The urban national park encompasses 91 acres in downtown St. Louis. This includes the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse — encompassing the grounds (about 62 acres) and Luther Ely Smith Square.

The national park grounds are open from 5:00am – 11:00pm year-round. For more information about the Gateway Arch’s hours for indoor attractions, please visit our Plan Your Visit Page.

No, the Gateway Arch National Park grounds are open to all with multiple points of entry. The security checkpoint begins before you embark on your Tram Ride to the Top, Museum visit, or if you participate in any of our other indoor activities.

Yes! Gateway Arch National Park contains paved paths and ramps for all wheelchair, scooter, and crutches users. Please note, this does not include the Tram Ride to the Top, which is not ADA accessible.