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Things You Should Not Miss
1. Take the tram ride. It will not necessarily evoke a trip across the western plains in a covered wagon. More like a spaceship ride in a small capsule. But once you reach the top and take a gander west outside its windows, you see the expanse (thirty miles on a clear day), yes, modern today, but you can imagine putting all your hopes and dreams into a land so rich, but so wild, and doing it in a wagon with canvas sides.
There are a limited amount of tickets for the tram rides each day. Come early or buy in advance if you are visiting on a high attendance day. The observation deck holds only 100-140 people at a time and the trams have a capacity of 80 at a time. They ride at only 3.9 MPH. Geez, about the speed of a wagon train. The entire experience takes about 45 minutes. Remember to get there early enough if you have a timed ticket to make it through the security measures. They can take up to 30 minutes.
2. Take in one of the films, the "Gateway to the West" or "Monument to a Dream."
Pilgrims on the plains. A lithograph by Theo R. Davis from 1869, showing a wagon train on their way west.
What is There Now
The Gateway Arch and Tram Ride to the TopThe Museum of Western Expansion - Holds a collection of exhibits on 19th century pioneers, the American Indian, plus the Lewis and Clark expedition.
The Old Courthouse - Built over 150 years ago on donated land, the courthouse has exhibits of the two Dred Scott cases in 1847 and 1850.
Riverboat Rides
What is Coming Soon
Well, not too soon, but scheduled for 2015, the 50th anniversary of the site. It's gonna be an exciting time at the old Gateway Arch in St. Louis over the next five years as an expansion of the park, plus new landscape and museum design features are put in place to make the visitor experience there augment that wonderful ride to the top of the arch. It's gonna include a cable car ride across the Mississippi River to the new parkland in Illinois, too. Sounds like a wonderful addition to the story of western expansion told through the arch and its museums.Lodging
St. Louis is a large metropolitan city with a variety of motels and hotels. For more information, visit Expedia or one of the other motel travel sites, or the visitor bureau for St. Louis and Missouri. There are a number of hotels and restaurants within walking distance of the arch.
St. Louis Links
Jefferson National Expansion MemorialSt. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau
Nearby Attractions
Missouri Division of TourismCalifornia National
Historic Trail
Lewis and
Clark National Historic Trail
Oregon National Historic
Trail
Pony Express National
Historic Trail
Santa Fe National
Historic Trail
Trail of Tears
National Historic Trail
Gateway to the West Then and Now
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| St. Louis began as a
fur
trading post in 1764 when Pierre Lacle'de Luguest and Rene' Auguste
Chouteau founded the town. Its location was easy to reach by
the
Indians and traders. This ease of proximity would propel the city
throughout the next two hundred years. In the early days,
after
the French and Indian War ended in 1763, the Spanish rule on the west
side of the river was preferred to the British rule to the east, and
the town rapidly grew. When the US consummated the Louisiana
Purchase in 1804, its role in western expansion was secured.
The
steamboat era began in 1817; it was the northernmost navigable point
for large boats and culled another period of expansion. By
1850,
it was the largest city west of Pittsburgh and the second largest port
behind New York City. It was a large city, and growing. In 1840, St. Louis had 20,000 people; by 1850, there were 77,860, and ten years later, 160,000. It had grown 800% in twenty years. And with this growth, it became the starting off point for the many wagon trails and later, railroad journeys, that pulled the population of the United States even further west into existing territories and soon to become states. |
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Gateway to the West Now |
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The Gateway Arch - The modern symbol of the west was designed by Eero Saarinen. It's gleaming stainless steel can be toured with a tram ride to the top, as well as view movies about western expansion and visit the Museum of Western Expansion. The arch was completed on October 28, 1965. It is 630' high and 630' wide and cost $13 million to build. Old Courthouse - Also on the grounds of the park sits the Old Courthouse, whose exhibits focus on the Dred Scott slavery decision and trial, as well as other important trails held within its walls. Ranger Tours - Forty-five minutes tours are given for free by park rangers on a regular basis. |
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