National Park Week 2023 Day 6 – Gateway Arch National Park!

Did you know that there are National Park Service properties that are not the typical rugged outdoor park? Tons of memorial and monument parks are also under the National Park Service umbrella, such as the Washington Monument and others on the National Mall in Washington DC. One monument that was elevated to national park status a few years ago was the previously named St Louis Arch, now officially called the Gateway Arch National Park.

The Gateway Arch in St Louis, Missouri is a monument that was created to commemorate the westward expansion of the United States, thus the “gateway” to the West. A museum inside the arch contains exhibits about the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, which embarked from there, stories of indigenous people and other folks involved with the westward expansion, and the building of the arch itself. It is one of the tallest monuments in the country currently, quite a marvel of architecture and engineering.

We visited the Gateway Arch a few months ago on our way home from our cross-country trip. It is so tall in person, just sitting in the middle of the city! That was a little surprising. We didn’t get to spend as much time as we wanted this time, but we’ll be back!

Unfortunately, we had to change our route to outrun an impending snowstorm, so the timing didn’t work out for us to make it inside. However, you can go inside to go to the Visitor Center and also take a tour of the arch that goes up to the top for great views of the St Louis area. Be sure to go on their website to buy your timed tickets if you plan to do this though, especially during the busy seasons, as it could fill up.

While in St Louis, we had to get some St Louis BBQ at least! We went to Pappy’s, which came highly recommended online during our research. Yummm!!

If you’re planning to visit the Gateway Arch or any other memorial or monument park located within a city, definitely research the area for parking and other vital information ahead of time. Of course, there’s always plenty to do in cities, so don’t miss other iconic things to do that could round out your trip there.

Hopefully, you can include some of these national memorials and monuments in your national park trips as well. Feel free to contact me if you would like to chat about planning a trip here.