Summer at the Gateway Arch!
Put Gateway Arch National Park on your list for summer travel! The park is hosting safe programming opportunities all season long for all ages, ranging from stargazing events to Living History demonstrations. So come on out and experience the Gateway Arch in an entirely new way!
Saturday, May 29 through Labor Day, Monday, September 6, the Gateway Arch operates in extended summer hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The last Tram Ride to the Top of the Arch leaves approximately one hour before closing.
Here’s what’s happening at the Arch this summer:
Gateway to the Stars Series: Monthly, May Through October, 8 to 9:30 p.m.
Gateway to the Stars returns for its 12th year! Learn about astronomy and space with the National Park Service and the St. Louis Astronomical Society. Each virtual program will air live on the St. Louis Astronomical Society’s Facebook page (facebook.com/stlastro) and includes a presentation by a guest speaker, a planetarium-style tour of the night sky, and a live or recorded video of the moon, stars and planets. (Fall Gateway to the Stars events will take place September 18 and October 16).
- Saturday, May 8: The Globe at Night: National Optical Astronomy Observatory scientist Dr. Connie Walker shares how to get involved in an international campaign to raise awareness of the impact of light pollution. Citizen scientists are invited to measure and submit their night sky brightness observations.
- Saturday, June 19: The Lives of Stars: What is life like for a bazillion-ton ball of collapsing star dust and how have stars shaped our galaxies and humanity? Local astronomer and former “Dark Ranger” Joel Allen explores star life.
- Saturday, July 17: Astronomy in the National Parks: Space Art Travel Bureau Director and Night Sky Ambassador Dr. Tyler Nordgren takes participants on a virtual tour of night sky opportunities available in America’s national parks.
- Saturday, August 14: Kids Explorer Night: Kids ages 5-12 can complete a Junior Ranger Night Explorer activity and earn a special patch with the help of Sky Ranger Rich Fefferman.
National Kids to Parks Day: Saturday, May 15, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
National Kids to Parks Day invites kids and families to discover and explore America’s parks, public lands and waters. Gateway Arch National Park hosts four virtual sessions on May 15 in celebration of Kids to Parks Day, where kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge or an Every Kid Outdoors pass. Pre-registration for the sessions is required at https://bit.ly/2QJ6h7H.
- To earn a special “Nature Cat” Junior Ranger badge, kids should watch at least one session, take a screenshot of the program and send a direct message to Gateway Arch National Park on Facebook (com/gatewayarchnps) with one fact they learned.
- Fourth graders can earn a voucher that qualifies them to receive an Every Kid Outdoors pass that waives park entrance fees at every national park site in the country for summer 2021. To earn the voucher, fourth graders must attend the “NPS 101” virtual session, take a screenshot of the program and send a direct message to Gateway Arch National Park on Facebook (com/gatewayarchnps) with one fact they learned.
Battle of St. Louis Commemoration: Saturday, May 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Join the National Park Service at the south reflection pond of the Arch grounds to learn about St. Louis’ role in the American Revolution and how citizens of St. Louis defended their village from the British attack on St. Louis on May 26, 1780. Living History volunteers will conduct musket and cannon firing demonstrations.
1821 Statehood Celebration: Saturday, July 3
Happy 200th birthday, Missouri! Celebrate the Fourth of July 1821 style in honor of the state’s bicentennial with Living History demonstrations and much more. Further details about this event will be shared on the park’s Facebook page (facebook.com/gatewayarchnps).
Ranger-led St. Louis Riverfront Cruises: Saturdays & Sundays through May 28, 1:30 p.m.; Daily May 29 through September 6, noon and 1:30 p.m.
At the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch, located below the Arch on the St. Louis Riverfront, an NPS ranger leads the one-hour St. Louis Riverfront Cruise that highlights the history of St. Louis and the role the Mississippi River plays today. $21/adults; $11/kids ages 3-15; $19/seniors (ages 60 and older); free for kids under 3. Get your tickets at gatewayarch.com/buytickets.