Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch frames Route 66’s Mississippi crossing at monumental scale. Completed in 1965 from Eero Saarinen’s stainless-steel design, the 630-foot curve commemorates westward expansion while the museum beneath it now tells a broader story of Indigenous homelands, exploration, migration, conflict, and the city that became a continental crossroads. Walk the landscaped grounds for the essential free view, then enter through the west-facing visitor center if you have time for the museum or a reserved tram ride. The grounds are generally open 5:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.; visitor-center and tram schedules vary seasonally, and all entrants pass through airport-style security. Tram tickets can sell out and are never implied by this Hop. Check the National Park Service alerts, hours, river conditions, and accessibility guidance before arrival. Use a legal downtown garage or transit rather than stopping along the riverfront. The payoff is both landmark and threshold: a modern icon marking the transition from the Midwest toward the open road. More

The Gateway Arch frames Route 66’s Mississippi crossing at monumental scale. Completed in 1965 from Eero Saarinen’s stainless-steel design, the 630-foot curve commemorates westward expansion while the museum beneath it now tells a broader story of Indigenous homelands, exploration, migration, conflict, and the city that became a continental crossroads. Walk the landscaped grounds for the essential free view, then enter through the west-facing visitor center if you have time for the museum or a reserved tram ride. The grounds are generally open 5:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.; visitor-center and tram schedules vary seasonally, and all entrants pass through airport-style security. Tram tickets can sell out and are never implied by this Hop. Check the National Park Service alerts, hours, river conditions, and accessibility guidance before arrival. Use a legal downtown garage or transit rather than stopping along the riverfront. The payoff is both landmark and threshold: a modern icon marking the transition from the Midwest toward the open road. More