Planning a summer trip to the Gateway Arch? Well, don’t let construction get you down! Our beloved Arch grounds are under a massive construction project as CityArchRiver continues it’s quest to connect the Arch to the rest of downtown St. Louis! The improvements are going to be amazing, but they take time.
Why are the Arch Grounds under construction?
CityArchRiver is a giant project to improve your experience when visiting the Gateway Arch. The underground museum is getting a major renovation, they’re adding a snazzy new front door, new bike trails, new walking paths and new landscaping. They’ve even raised Leonor K. Sullivan Blvd (the road along the Mississippi) by two and a half feet to keep it above typical flood levels. The best part, in my humble opinion, is the cap over Hwy 70 which will connect the Arch to the rest of downtown. When it’s done, the grass will flow from the Old Courthouse right to the Arch legs. Which is probably what Arch architect Eero Saarinen had in mind in the first place. Poor old Saarinen designed the Arch in 1947, before Hwy 70 sliced through downtown, and didn’t live to see his steel behemoth built.
The important thing to remember is the Arch will stay open throughout construction! 
Where to Park
You might have heard that the old parking lot on the north side of the Arch grounds was demolished this spring. Don’t panic, they did a survey and found that on an average day, there are 2,653 EMPTY parking spaces within a five minute walk to the Arch’s temporary construction entrance. The old north lot only had 1200 spots and was at least a five minute stroll to the Arch entrance. So we’re ok here.
They already made curb cuts on every sidewalk around the Old Courthouse to the Arch grounds–so no worries if you’ve got a stroller or wheelchair.
My personal recommendation is the Stadium East garage, which is two blocks from the Old Courthouse. Of course, there might be cheaper options if you can find a good street spot. And if you’re staying in a hotel downtown, you should be able to keep your car in their garage and just hoof it to the Arch.
Also, look for the FREE Laclede’s Landing-Arch Shuttle that will run every day from 11am to 7pm. It has stops at Laclede’s Landing, the Old Courthouse, the entrance to the Arch grounds at the Old Cathedral and the Mississippi Riverfront. The shuttle is air-conditioned and able to accommodate passengers with wheelchairs.
You’ll Need Tickets
During construction you’ll have to get a TIMED TICKET to enter the Arch’s underground lobby area. Why? There’s a whole lot less space to wander about under the Arch–the museum is now closed for remodeling. To avoid over-crowding, you’ll need to get a ticket BEFORE you enter the Arch if you want to take a ride to the top or see the movie. Tram ride to the top tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 3 to 15. Tickets to ONLY SEE THE MOVIE are $3 for adults and free for children under 15.
If you’re just admiring the Arch from the outside, no tickets are needed.
The tickets are TIMED, so you’ll want to plan ahead a bit. You’ll have 30 minutes of wiggle room for your time slot.
There are THREE WAYS to get a ticket:
Best: Buy your ticket online the day before. No lines! Print it at home! Weeeeee!
Not Bad: Buy your ticket at the Old Courthouse the day you visit. The Old Courthouse is now the Arch’s museum, so you’ll want to stop here anyway.
Opps, I forgot: There is a ticket kiosk on the Arch grounds in case you forgot to get a ticket.
YOU CAN NOT ENTER THE ARCH WITHOUT A TICKET. After construction is over, things will go back to normal…but that’s not until 2017.
So What Happened to the Museum?
The old Museum of Westward Expansion is closed for remodeling. Well, they’re not just remodeling, they’re tunneling through the park to create a new entrance that will face the Old Courthouse. Then they’re setting up some cool 21st century interactive displays the kids are going to love. Some of the old museum pieces have been sent to other museums (bye-bye stuffed buffalo) and some have been moved to the Old Courthouse for display right now. If you haven’t stopped by before, do stop now–the Old Courthouse has several rooms that tell the story of St. Louis’ frontier days. There’s one courtroom set up on the main floor, and two more upstairs from different eras when the Old Courthouse was a functioning county courthouse. The famous Dred Scott Case was heard in this very building! In case you’re curious, St. Louis replaced the courthouse in 1930, and turned it over to the National Park System in 1940.
The Old Courthouse is free to visit. It’s not fully handicap accessible (it was built before elevators) but if you have a stroller or wheelchair, just go around to the west entrance (facing away from the Arch) and you’ll find a ramp. Most of the main floor has been made wheelchair accessible, so you’ll be able to enjoy the displays. There’s one section that isn’t handicap accessible, and believe me, you’re not missing much–it has dusty old dioramas of angry settlers.
Getting To the Arch
So, now you’re downtown, you parked your car and you have your tickets. How do I get to the Arch?? Don’t worry, they thought of that too. Painted on the sidewalks all over downtown are signs like this:
These signs will help you find your way, no matter where you parked. There’s also signs on the lamp posts…you’re not going to miss it!
There’s only one way to cross the highway from downtown to the Arch Grounds right now, and that’s at Walnut Street, aka Rue de la Tour. Cute, huh? They’ve widen Walnut and added a pedestrian bridge. Don’t know where Walnut is? It’s right by the Old Cathedral.
Once you crossed Walnut, walk by the Old Cathedral and into the park. Now just follow the path to the Arch!
What about those River Boats?
You’ve made it to the Arch, why not take a river boat cruise too? The sight seeing boats Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher are ready to take you on a one-hour sight seeing trip up and down the Mississippi. Leonor K. Sullivan Blvd. (the riverfront road) is open all the way to the boats from the south side of the park. However, it’s closed on the north side due to construction.
There is limited parking on the river front by the boats.
If you plan on taking a cruise, you can walk from the Arch, down the grand stair case, or take free shuttle to the river from down town.
One hour cruises are $18 for adults, and $8 for kids from 3 to 15. You can save a couple bucks if you buy a combo ticket for both the Arch and the boats. Check out their website here to get your tickets in advance.
Lunch on the Landing
The guys from CityArchRiver tell me that soon the riverfront will have space for food trucks and maybe concession stands that will hang out all summer long. But not until 2016. My favorite place to stop for lunch or an early dinner when touring the Arch is The Old Spaghetti Factory on Laclede’s Landing. It’s delicious and pretty darn cheap for a family of four. There’s a bunch of other places, and though the Landing is known for it’s night life, a few places are family friendly.
Due to construction, I’d recommend you take the free shuttle around to the Landing. Just remember, the shuttle runs until 7pm.
Ballpark Village
Remember how I said to park at Stadium East? That means your car is right next to Ballpark Village! If the Cardinals are in town, you can add a game to your trip downtown, and if they’re not, there’s a few good places to eat around the stadium. If you’re planning on being out and about past 7pm (when the free shuttle stops running) this might be a good option.
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~Denise
The post Don’t Let Arch Construction Detour Your Summer appeared first on StLMotherhood.
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