The National Park Service is among many federal agencies that strive to honor the service of current and former military personnel and their families. In honor of Veteran’s Day, Gateway Arch National Park, along with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, will be hold a commemorative event honoring the bravery and sacrifice of all U.S. military veterans.
Credit: Gateway Arch Park Foundation
“Salute to Veterans” will take place on Saturday, Nov. 5 from 1-2 p.m. The program will feature a performance by the Missouri Brass Quintet from the 399th Army Band based at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. The musicians will play both patriotic and traditional repertoire.
The concert will take place outdoors at Luther Ely Smith Square, located between the Old Courthouse and the Arch west entrance plaza. Admission to “Salute to Veterans” is free and open to the public.
Another way the Park Service honors veterans and military personnel is with the Annual Military Pass. The pass provides free entrance to national parks and other federal recreation areas for all current U.S. military members and their dependents, U.S. military veterans, and Gold Star Families. Click here for more information.
The tallest monument in America will become the spookiest monument when the Gateway Arch transforms into a family-friendly Halloween party full of tricks and treats. The kiddies won’t want to miss this unique way to trick-or-treat, complete with a haunted tram ride!
Grab your costume and start your Halloween celebrations early as Frights and Heights returns to Gateway Arch National Park. On Saturday October 15, the Arch visitor center will welcome your little goblins and ghosts to a fun evening of games, crafts, treats and other Halloween-themed activities.
Here’s a sampling of what you can do that evening:
Trick or Tram: Your ride to the top of the Gateway Arch features spooky sights and sounds!
Puppet Shows: Don’t miss the puppet shows at 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm as Lewis and Clark describe their adventures in the American West and share some spooky and true stories from the trails!
Boo-loon Animals: Artists will bring your favorite creepy crawlers to life!
Freaky Fudge: If you’ve got the guts for it, try some Halloween-themed specialty fudge flavors!
Creepy Crafts: Express yourself by decorating a small pumpkin to take home!
Live Music: Join the Halloween dance party when a DJ will take over the Arch mezzanine!
Playful Face Painting: You’ll look hauntingly good after a little makeover!
Family-friendly costumes are encouraged, though no weapons – real or pretend – are allowed, and masks must be removed while going through the security checkpoint. Children can pick up candy and special prizes from various trick-or-treat stations set up throughout the Arch. They’ll also receive a free ticket for a one-hour Riverfront Cruise on the Mississippi River.
The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. and lasts until 10:00 p.m. Get your Frights and Heights tickets here. You may also want to pre-purchase garage parking downtown to avoid higher prices for other downtown St. Louis events.
And visitors are encouraged to share a photo of their costumes or your time at Freights & Heights on social media with #FrightsandHeights, and tag GatewayArchSTL on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Love the Gateway Arch? Then join in an upcoming effort to clean up its “front yard.” On Saturday September 24, join in a fun trash pick-up event to tidy up the St. Louis riverfront. And also enjoy special programs on the Arch grounds.
September 24th is National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort. National parks around the country will host outdoor events for hundreds of thousands of volunteers who will help restore, preserve, and clean up their beloved public lands. In St. Louis, Gateway Arch National Park, Gateway Arch Park Foundation, Beyond Plastics, and Living Lands & Waters are organizing a community trash pick-up event to help tidy up the downtown riverfront. It’s part of a nationwide effort to connect people with the outdoor recreation spaces in their area.
Photo by Gateway Arch Park Foundation
Riverfront cleanups will occur from 9:00-11:00 and from 11:00-1:00. All volunteers will receive materials they’ll need during the cleanup and will be entered to win a drawing for prizes. Sign up here to volunteer.
Photo by Gateway Arch Park Foundation
Don’t miss out on other fun happenings in the park that day. How about a free yoga class underneath the Arch at 9:30 a.m.? Gateway Arch Park Foundation sponsors this Just Breathe Yoga session offered by The Collective STL. Go here to register.
Photo by Gateway Arch Park Foundation
In the afternoon, you and your favorite pooch can join in a dog walk led by four-legged B.A.R.K. Superintendents (dog ambassadors) as part of the day’s B.A.R.K. Ranger activities. Learn how your pup can become an official NPS B.A.R.K. Ranger by visiting the table from 2-5 p.m. on the Arch grounds.
Photo by Gateway Arch Park Foundation
Or if butterflies are more your thing, attend the MonArch Migration event to learn about butterfly flight patterns and native plants. This annual National Park Service program celebrates the Monarch butterfly’s spectacular north-south migrations, and features information on which native plants can help these winged friends. The event takes place from 1-4 p.m. in the Explorer’s Garden on the north end of the Arch grounds.
Gateway Arch is proud to host these fun events, says Pam Sanfilippo, the park’s Program Manager for Museum Services and Interpretation. “The Arch grounds are a place for everyone to enjoy – whether it’s to practice yoga, see butterflies migrating, or play fetch with your four-legged best friend. Join us on National Public Lands Day to experience firsthand the incredible spaces here at the park.”
A ride to the top of the Gateway Arch is an unusual experience. Visitors sit in somewhat cramped little capsules that carry them upward and downward through the legs of the Arch. All the while, they hear strange clicking noises as the capsules constantly pivot to stay upright. Most people probably give very little thought to how this one-of-a-kind transportation system came about. But it’s a fascinating story, mostly centered on one very clever inventor.
Dick BowserPhoto loaned with permission from Harry Breitenstein
The Arch tram ride was conceived in just two short weeks by a humble man who never received a college degree. Dick Bowser was a 38-year-old second-generation elevator manufacturer working in Des Moines, Iowa, when Gateway Arch architect Eero Saarinen asked him to develop a way to bring visitors to the top of the Arch and back down. The project was extremely challenging given the curve of the Arch (it is much narrower at the top than at the base), and the fact that he had to leave room for an observation platform at the top as well as space for a maintenance crew stairway.
A cross section view of the tram ride to the top of the Arch.
Another challenge was Saarinen’s timeline – Bowser was given just two weeks to submit a design for the Arch passenger system! Working day and night at home in his basement, he came up with a concept that borrowed from the mechanics of both Ferris wheels and elevators, resulting in a small curving train of linked passenger capsules. His tram concept was accepted by Saarinen and his team. Bowser was hired to build and install the tram, which opened in 1967, two years after the Arch itself was completed. He then served as tram maintenance supervisor until 1972.
A cross section view of the tram load zone.
Dick Bowser passed away in 2003, but his crowning achievement lives on. “Dick Bowser is a trailblazer in innovation and invention and will always be an important figure in Arch history,” says Pam Sanfilippo, Program Manager, Museum Services & Interpretation, Gateway Arch National Park. “Without his Tram Ride to the Top design, tens of millions of visitors to the Arch would not have had the experience of ascending 630 feet to the top of the monument.”
That’s why the National Park Service will be honoring Bowser’s memory this Thursday September 15 on the occasion of his 101st birthday. The daylong public celebration at the Arch will include a panel discussion by previous and current tram mechanics as well as ongoing ranger talks and kids’ activities. The Arch Store will offer a rare 25% discount on our unique Arch cable replicas, made from the cables that pull the tram cars, and the Arch Café will hand out free cupcakes.
Are you looking for a satisfying and fun full-time or part-time job? Do you enjoy meeting new people? Would you be proud to work at the renown Gateway Arch? Then come join our retail team at The Arch Store!
The Arch Store at Gateway Arch National Park currently has job openings for both full-time and part-time sales associates. Responsibilities include processing sales transactions, providing great customer service, maintaining our beautiful store, and being a friendly ambassador to St. Louis’ greatest treasure.
Working for JNPA is a rewarding experience. Not only will you encounter travelers from all over the world, but you will also have the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping advance our mission of protecting America’s vital national heritage. Plus, you’ll receive a competitive salary and great benefits.
Our ideal job candidate is at least 16 years old; is able to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends and holidays; and is friendly, fun and dependable. If this sounds like you (or someone you know), then we encourage you to apply online today!
JNPA is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We give consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
It has been called brilliant, inspirational, breathtaking, a true architectural marvel. Those who have visited the Gateway Arch rarely forget their first glimpse of the shimmering stainless steel icon. It soars 630 feet above the St. Louis riverfront, standing as a lasting memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s vision of exploring the American West. But who was the creative genius behind the design of the Arch?
When St. Louis officials decided in 1947 to erect a monument to President Jefferson on the downtown riverfront, they invited architects from around the world to submit designs. A little-known Finnish architect named Eero Saarinen beat out more prominent designers with his plans for a majestic arch rising from the riverbanks. The competition judges appreciated the symbolism of an arch as a reference to St. Louis’ historic role as a “gateway to the west.” As Saarinen said at the time, “The major concern… was to create a monument which would have lasting significance and would be a landmark of our time… Neither an obelisk nor a rectangular box nor a dome seemed right on this site or for this purpose. But here, at the edge of the Mississippi River, a great arch did seem right.”
Beyond its architectural beauty, the Arch is also an engineering marvel. Each leg consists of double-walled steel equilateral triangles which are stacked one on top of the other and welded together. The complex engineering design and construction is completely hidden from view; all that can be seen from the outside is its sparkling, stainless steel outer skin.
Nor did Saarinen intend for visitors just to look at the Arch – he wanted them to go inside it and travel to the top. So he designed the structure’s two legs to be hollow, allowing enough room for a specially designed tram to transport guests up and down, itself a daunting engineering challenge.
TWA Flight Center, New YorkTulip Chair
Saarinen went on to design other prominent American buildings, including the TWA airport terminal in New York, Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., as well as numerous churches, university buildings, and corporate headquarters. He was also an influential furniture designer, responsible for the famous Tulip Chair and other well-known mid-century pieces.
Credit: Debbie Franke
Saarinen would be turning 112 years old on August 20. What better way to commemorate his birthday than with a trip to the Gateway Arch, where you can admire his architectural wonder and learn more about the building of the monument in the Arch Museum. Or you might want to purchase one of the many Saarinen-related products we sell at The Arch Store, like this handsome tote bag.
At this patriotic time of year, we often recall our nation’s founding fathers. Here at JNPA, we’re particularly fond of the visionary Thomas Jefferson, whom the National Park Service honors as part of the founding mission of Gateway Arch National Park. But while Jefferson is famous for many reasons (let’s see — third U.S. President, author of the Declaration of Independence, signer of the Louisiana Purchase…), you might not be familiar with his lesser known Ten Rules of Conduct.
Thomas Jefferson often advised others, including his children and grandchildren, on how to conduct themselves and frequently developed lists of personal behavior for them. In 1825, the year before he died, he imparted what he called “a decalogue of canons for observation in practical life.” Some of these rules were borrowed from literary sources; others seem to be his own creation.
Jefferson’s rules seem to be as relevant today as they were in the 1800s:
Never put off till tomorrow what you can do to-day.
Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.
Never spend your money before you have it.
Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.
Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst and cold.
We never repent of having eaten too little.
Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.
How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened!
Take things always by their smooth handle.
When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, an hundred.
Thomas Jefferson’s signature
If you decide to share Jefferson’s useful rules with the children in your family, why not also treat them to this mini-building block set? That way, they can build their own (4-inch) statue to Jefferson.
Can you guess which of JNPA’s museum stores sells harmonicas, a guitar-shaped bottle opener, and a St. Louis license plate magnet? If you said the gift shop at the National Blues Museum, you’re right! JNPA has operated this unique retail location since 2019, and you’ll find it chockful of cool music-related products that are found nowhere else.
Credit: Explore St. Louis
If you haven’t paid a visit yet to the National Blues Museum, it’s high time to treat yourself. The museum celebrates the blues as the foundation of all modern American music with high-tech exhibits, unique artifacts from famous musicians, and a state-of-the-art concert venue. It’s open daily from 12-5 p.m.
The site’s location in downtown St. Louis is intentional. Situated along the historic Blues Highway (Highway 61), the city had an important influence on the evolution of blues music. Musicians and song writers performed there as they traveled from the South to the recording studios of Chicago.
The museum traces the development of the blues and its various styles. It recognizes the musicians who created the musical genre as well as those who contribute to it today. To keep the traditions alive, part of the museum is devoted to an intimate concert space where audiences can hear local and touring blues artists perform. And at the Thursday night Sittin’ on the Porch jam sessions, aspiring blues players are welcome to bring a musical instrument and sit in with the pros during the musical numbers.
When you visit the National Blues Museum, be sure to stop by our handsome store. We feature a wide range of blues-themed merchandise, from books, CDs and instruments to hip apparel, bar glasses and gifts. For instance, check out this snazzy hand-painted glass ornament . Proceeds from product sales – either at the museum or from our online store – help support the educational mission of the museum.
Stop the presses. We have an important news flash: National Fudge Day is just around the corner! Actually, it’s not until June 16 but we’re letting you know early because – hey, fudge! We also wanted to give you extra time to pop down to The Arch Store to pick up a box for yourself, or for your sweetie (sweetie, get it?), in time for the Big Day.
Fudge is thought to have originated as a mistake. Accordingly to legend, a candy maker in the late 1800s botched a batch of caramel he was making, but he ended up making something just as tasty. And since the term “fudge” was already in use to describe a clumsy adjustment or nonsense, the name stuck!
Wondering why we sell fudge at The Arch Store, where our products have to adhere to the interpretive themes of Gateway Arch National Park? Well among other things, we feature various foods, toys and other historical goods that were available in the early days of St. Louis, where pioneers and western explorers passed through on their way to the western frontier. And fudge was as popular in old St. Louis as it is now.
The Arch Store makes its own fudge several days a week in a specially designed kitchen and we sell it at our historically themed fudge counter in the back of the store, often after giving customers free samples to try. Our best-selling flavors are Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel, Peanut Butter-Chocolate and Gooey Butter Cake. Mmmmm.
So celebrate National Fudge Day with a trip to The Arch Store to get a sweet taste of the past. And be sure to let us know which is YOUR favorite flavor!
How much do you know about the skies above us? Well here’s a fun way to learn. All would-be stargazers should mark their calendars for the return of the summer and fall Gateway to the Stars series at Gateway Arch National Park. Visitors of all ages can join in the fun.
Credit: NPS
Each month from now through October, the National Park Service and the St. Louis Astronomical Society will offer public astronomy programs and telescope viewing at the Gateway Arch. Each evening event will begin with a ranger talk and discussion inside the park’s Visitor Center at 6:45 p.m. followed by telescope viewings of the night sky just outside the Arch entrance beginning at 8:00 p.m., weather permitting. Volunteers from the Astronomical Society will have multiple telescopes available for participants to use and will help interpret what people can see through the eyepiece.
Credit: NPS
The theme of each evening will differ. No reservation is required except for the children’s program on July 10, which requires advance registration:
Sunday, June 12: Stories in the Stars The discussion will focus on the sky as a cultural resource and will include constellation stories from many cultures. Visitors will also be invited to share their sky stories.
Sunday, July 10: Kids Explorer Night Children ages 5-12 can earn their Junior Ranger Night Explorer patches as they build and take home their own Galileoscopes. These are small refractor telescopes that allow viewers to see the same objects as famed astronomer Galileo Galilei such as craters of the moon and four moons of Jupiter. Space is limited. Go to Gateway to the Stars: Kids Explorer Night for information on how to sign up.
Credit: NPS
Sunday, August 14: The New James Webb Space Telescope Learn about the newest space telescope, its “first light,” and early discoveries it has already made.
Saturday, September 3: Lights Out Heartland Speakers from Dark Sky Missouri will discuss the impact of light pollution on wildlife and the environment.
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