St. Louis, Missouri is one of the most interesting cities in the United States.
If you plan on visiting anytime soon; be sure that you see the Gateway Arch whilst you’re there.
The Arch is an icon of the American Midwest and was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States towards the Pacific. This expansion occurred in the 1800s as explorers made their way towards California. Thus, the Gateway Arch is also referred to as the ‘Gateway to the West’. In 2015, the Arch celebrated 50 years since its completion in 1965.
Standing at 630-ft tall and made of stainless steel; the Gateway Arch sits along the Mississippi River as the world’s tallest Arch.
It has an interior observation deck which sits right inside the top of the Arch; known as the ‘Journey To The Top’ experience, allowing visitors to take in the stunning views of the city below.
Tickets For The Gateway Arch
Tickets for the Gateway Arch are reasonably priced at only $10 for adults, $5 for children and are available from the Old Courthouse building…which has a truly stunning interior!
However, if you are staying at one of the hotels in the city, many offer a $20 credit towards Arch activities, so you end up saving even more. Tickets for the Arch are timed to ensure the observation deck has limited numbers up there at all times; so it is advisable to arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time in the event it is busy on the day.
When arriving at the Arch’s visitor center, your ticket is checked and the digital board inside the center notifies you on whether your time is being accepted to go up. Once your ticket is scanned; the only way to get up to the observation deck is by taking one of the very out of this world style capsules that look like they belong in a sci-fi film, and seat 5 people. It is a very tight fit in there; so be ready to rub knees with all on board.
Getting Up To The Gateway Arch Observation Deck
The journey up the Arch takes 4 minutes, but once you arrive at the top, it is well worth the close quarters.
Looking out the rectangle windows on both sides of the deck, it is a really lovely viewpoint to have of the city. Not only can you see a nice view all the way up Market Street; which on the day I went up with my friend Vera, it was St.Patrick’s Day, so there was a sea of green below as the city prepared for the hour long parade a few hours later; but you can also get great views of Busch Stadium, home of the St.Louis Cardinals baseball team, the beautiful buildings like the Old Courthouse and the Mississippi River right below.
Once you come back down, and see how tiny the Gateway Arch top looks from below, (and how small the windows really are!); it really reminds you that the Gateway Arch is so much bigger in size than it looks. The fact that an observation deck exists at all up there is quite amazing.
This is a must in St. Louis.
If this hasn’t made you want to visit this attraction, nothing will.
So make sure you do it next time you’re there!
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