Gateway Arch National Park stands in St. Louis, Missouri on a small strip of land adjacent to the Mississippi River. The centerpiece of the park, of course, is the iconic Gateway Arch, the thin ribbon of silver steel that soars above the city. Designed by Eero Saarinen, the arch is a memorial designed to celebrate westward expansion.

Formerly known as the Jefferson Expansion National Memorial, the arch recently underwent extensive renovations in the largest public/private partnership in National Park Service history. As part of that project, the Gateway Arch became a national park. Though the smallest national park in the United States, the Gateway Arch still offers plenty of opportunities for exploration and learning. The main visitor center is located underneath the arch and is the best place to begin your visit.

As part of the renovation project, the Gateway Arch remodeled its museum on westward expansion. The new museum is fascinating, featuring interactive exhibits that make use of technology to help visitors learn more about specific topics. The museum is divided into several sections, each of which tells a part of the story of westward expansion and St. Louis’s role in the shaping of the west. Throughout, the museum tells the history of westward expansion from different perspectives, providing a more nuanced account of the history of the land west of the Mississippi River.

Visitors can also take a tram ride to the top of the Gateway Arch. Visitors sit in tiny pods that move slowly up each leg of the arch to the small viewing area at the very top of the arch. From their perch in the sky, visitors can watch the Mississippi River flow by to the east, or get a bird’s-eye view of downtown St. Louis to the west. It is certainly a fun and interesting experience to be at the top of the arch, though it can also be a bit eerie!

If you would like to learn more about how the Gateway Arch was constructed, there is a film that visitors can view. There are also ranger led programs, a gift shop, and a place to grab a bite to eat in the visitor center.

Outside the visitor center, visitors can roam the beautiful grounds around the Gateway Arch. Be sure to crane your neck and marvel at the band of steel that you just stood in! By looking up at the arch near it’s legs, you might also get a great picture of this marvelous structure. After taking in the arch, check out the Mississippi River, one of the America’s great riverways. If you would like to enjoy the river a bit more, there are riverboat cruises available that depart near the arch.

Another benefit of the recent renovation of the Gateway Arch is the new connector between the arch grounds and the Old Courthouse west of the arch. You might have seen a lovely view of the courthouse from the large windows at the entrance of the visitor center, but be sure to walk over to it as this is an integral part of the national part site as well. Aside from its beautiful architecture, the Old Courthouse is notable as the place where Dred Scott and his wife Harriet sued for their freedom. The supreme court eventually decided against the Scotts, a decision that helped lead to civil war. The courthouse was the site of many other trials for freedom, as well as the site of a case regarding women’s right to vote. While the courthouse is now closed for further renovations, it will re-open with more exhibits on the Scotts, the nineteenth and twentieth century legal system, African Americans in St. Louis, and the architecture of the courthouse.

Gateway Arch National Park protects one of the most iconic monuments in the United States, but also offers insight into the expansion of the United States and the history of the region. Though it might be the smallest national park site in size, it is by no means small in what it has to offer.