Discover St. Louis: Gateway Arch, museums, and Citygarden

In the heart of downtown St. Louis, on the Mississippi River, lies Gateway Arch National Park. Its features include the Arch, an underground visitor center and museum, the Old Courthouse, the Mississippi riverfront, and landscaped green spaces and paths. This brings together historic sites, exhibitions, and open urban spaces. Those who want to get to know different sides of St. Louis will find several starting points here—from the city’s history to time by the river.

Gateway Arch National Park: Exhibitions and a Ride to the Top

The tram ride to the top of the Gateway Arch is an activity in its own right. You need a ticket for the ride; tickets are available at the underground visitor center or online. Since ticket terms can change, check the latest information as you plan. There are free museums at both the Gateway Arch and the Old Courthouse. This lets you plan museum visits and the ride to the top as separate options for your day.

Six exhibition galleries in the visitor center and museum at the Gateway Arch explore St. Louis’s central role in the westward expansion of the United States. They also cover the experiences of people in the past and present. The topics thus connect the city’s development with personal perspectives from different eras. This gives the museum visit more than one historical perspective and offers concrete points of discussion for families, too.

Junior Ranger programs are also offered at the Gateway Arch and the Old Courthouse. If you’re traveling with children, you can consider including this option in your plans. Check current dates or availability in advance so you can plan accordingly. The two sites offer different options: museum exhibitions, the tram ride at the Arch, and Junior Ranger programs at both locations.

Sculptures and St. Louis History

Citygarden offers a different focus: the urban sculpture park in downtown St. Louis features 24 sculptures. As a complement to the museums, it particularly appeals to travelers interested in art in public spaces. The landscaped green spaces and paths in Gateway Arch National Park offer another way to experience St. Louis beyond the exhibition galleries. When choosing what to focus on, you can therefore distinguish between museum topics, sculptures, and urban spaces without limiting these interests to just one place to visit.

The Scott Joplin House State Historic Site adds a personal story to this selection: its museum exhibitions explain Joplin’s life. His home in St. Louis was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. For travelers more interested in an individual biography than a comprehensive history of the city, it offers a distinct thematic perspective. The exhibitions and the historic context of the house provide two concrete starting points for exploring Joplin’s life.

Choosing a Convenient Location for Your Stay

When searching for a vacation rental, you can consider downtown as a possible search area if Gateway Arch National Park is the focus of your trip: the park is located there. The different themes in St. Louis—from the park and its galleries to Citygarden and the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site—can help you decide what you want to focus on during your visit. The right location for your accommodation then depends on which of these interests shape your plans.

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