Downtown St. Louis Bucket List: Making the Most of a Trip to the Gateway Arch

Arch history and riverfront orientation

The Gateway Arch is the signature landmark here, but the best first move is to understand the site as a whole. The monument stands 630 feet tall and 630 feet wide at the base, and it was designed by Eero Saarinen. It was completed in 1965, and the surrounding grounds are part of the riverfront experience, with the Mississippi nearby and the downtown setting shaping the visit.

The museum below the Arch focuses on westward expansion and is free to enter, while the tram ride to the top is a separate ticket. That distinction matters when you plan your day, because a quick museum stop and a tram visit are not the same kind of outing. If you want a fuller first look at the area, start outside on the grounds, then decide whether the museum or tram fits your schedule and energy.

Tram reservations, free museum and accessibility distinctions

The tram is the part of the visit that most benefits from advance planning. Tickets are best bought ahead for a specific day and time, and same-day availability is not guaranteed. The operator advises arriving about 15 minutes before the tram ticket time, and you should also allow time for security before you enter. That makes the Arch a place where punctuality really matters.

It also helps to remember that the museum and tram are distinct. The museum is free, but that does not mean the ride to the top is included. If you are looking for a lower-pressure visit, the museum alone can still give you a meaningful stop without committing to the full tram experience. That makes the site flexible for different ages, schedules, and weather conditions.

Accessibility differs by part of the site. The tram and top are not wheelchair accessible, and the tram has at least 96 steps broken into flights. Wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers are not allowed in the tram or on top. By contrast, the museum, grounds, and Old Courthouse offer accessible alternatives, and ramps connect parts of the riverfront and grounds. If mobility is a concern, plan around those lower-burden spaces rather than assuming every part of the attraction works the same way.

Old Courthouse and riverfront route

The Old Courthouse is one of the most important companions to an Arch visit. It is where the first two Dred Scott trials were heard, in 1847 and 1850, and it also became part of the Virginia Minor voting-rights case. The galleries and restored courtrooms reopened in 2025, which makes the building especially relevant if you want the downtown trip to include more than the monument itself.

There is no entry fee, so it can work well as a second stop even if you are not committing to a long museum day. The site also adds useful context to the Arch grounds, since both places sit within the same historic downtown landscape. If you are organizing your route by foot, the courthouse helps turn the area into a compact history loop rather than a single-photo stop.

This is also the section of the day when the riverfront matters most. The grounds stretch outdoors along the Mississippi, and ramps connect parts of the riverfront and grounds. That makes the area suitable for a slower scenic break, though it is still wise not to assume every cobblestoned or older surface will suit every visitor equally.

Laclede’s Landing dining and evening planning

Laclede’s Landing sits north of the Arch near Eads Bridge. It can be a useful meal stop after the museum or riverfront, especially if you want to keep the day downtown. Choose a restaurant before setting out, check its hours for your date and allow time for a sit-down meal rather than treating dinner as a quick gap between attractions.

One option is Old Spaghetti Factory, which currently lists a St. Louis location at 727 North First Street in Laclede’s Landing. The restaurant’s own site includes reservations and menu information, but weekday lunch is not universally available, so check the day you plan to go. That is a good example of how to handle the area: use official listings, confirm the details you need, and avoid building your plan around assumptions.

An evening in the Landing and a ticketed performance are different plans. If a game or show is your priority, choose that booking first and work backward from its start time. Dinner before the event is easier to organize than relying on a kitchen still serving afterward.

Pair visit with an actual downtown live event and leave time to transfer

A smart Gateway Arch day often works best when you add one other downtown plan, but keep it realistic. An actual live event can give the visit a stronger finish, whether that is sports, music, theatre, or comedy. The key is to choose an event that fits your plans and leave enough time to move between the Arch area and your next stop, rather than trying to stack too much into one block of time.

That is especially useful if you are arranging your day around the evening. Instead of assuming the perfect restaurant or show will fit automatically, check current listings and build in transfer time between activities. If you are heading to Busch Stadium, Enterprise Center, or Stifel Theatre, those venues all fit naturally into a downtown itinerary when you start at the Arch and move outward.

Allow time for security, the museum and any tram reservation before adding an evening plan. For a game, compare St. Louis’s sports venues; for a show, choose a performance from the event calendar and leave time to reach its venue.

Before you head out

Questions, answered