A Look Ahead to 2016
It seems like 2015 just started, and now we are saying farewell to ’15, and hello to ’16! Here are a few exciting things you can look forward to this year at the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse:
National Park Service Celebrates 100 Years
The National Park Service is marking its 100th birthday on August 25, 2016! In celebration of this historic milestone, NPS is encouraging all Americans to “Find Your Park” in 2016, and offers an extensive collection of ways you can do so.
Be on the lookout for updates from Jefferson National Expansion Memorial about how the Arch and Old Courthouse are celebrating the centennial.
In addition, every fourth grader in the United States (including homeschoolers) and their families can earn free access to hundreds of America’s parks, lands and waters with the Every Kid in a Park pass. Get in on the fun!
New Arch Store Debuts
The Arch is getting a brand-new store! Designed by architect Charles Sparks & Co. and opening this spring, the 4,000-square-foot space in the Gateway Arch Visitor Center will include interpretive products that align with the themes that will be presented in the new Arch museum, which opens in 2017. The store will also sell homemade fudge that is currently available in the Levee Mercantile.
Arch Park Grounds Re-Open
CityArchRiver work on the park grounds and the North Gateway is scheduled to be completed later this year. The improved park grounds will feature newly planted trees, sustainable ponds, new accessible pathways from the Gateway Arch to the Mississippi Riverfront, and landscaping improvements. The North Gateway will connect the Arch grounds to Laclede’s Landing, Washington Avenue, and the riverfront while providing an event space, and an Explorer’s Garden for children.
Renovated Riverfront is Completed
In addition, renovations to the Mississippi Riverfront, which includes elevating the 1.5-mile stretch of Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard, are scheduled to be completed in the first half of the year.
Arch Museum Renovations Continue
Renovations to the Arch Visitor Center and museum located beneath the Arch are underway, too. Once completed, the Arch Visitor Center and museum will have a new, westward-facing grand entrance and six new interactive, interpretive spaces, each with a unique historical theme, such as Jefferson’s Vision, colonial St. Louis, and the design and construction of the Gateway Arch. Visitors can check out the progress with the brand-new observation platform located in the recently revamped Luther Ely Smith Square, which is located just east of the Old Courthouse.