National Public Lands Day: Fee Free, Yoga, Cleanup, Learning, More

National Public Lands Day is traditionally the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits. Every year, Gateway Arch National Park and Gateway Arch Park Foundation commemorate this special day by hosting a Riverfront Cleanup.

National Public Lands Day activities are free and open to people of all ages. This year’s theme is “Our Home Outdoors”, which is a reminder that these lands are not just physical spaces—they are where we come together, feel rooted, and develop a sense of place.

Join The Collective STL for Just Breathe Yoga, a free, all-levels yoga session under the Gateway Arch. Registration will be available soon, here.

Meet up and team up at the Gateway Arch to help clean up the St. Louis Riverfront! Nine billion tons of trash end up in the ocean every year. In fact, the Mighty Mississippi River is one of the largest sources of oceanic plastic debris. But with YOUR help, we can minimize our environmental footprint by collecting riverside trash to keep the riverfront clean. Gateway Arch National Park, Gateway Arch Park Foundation, Beyond Plastics, Republic Services, Missouri Stream Team, Great Rivers Greenway, Living Lands & Waters, and the City of St. Louis have partnered to organize a community trash pick-up event on National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 27 from 9 a.m. – noon. Recruit your friends and family members and join us in lending a helping hand and cleaning up the riverfront! Interested volunteers should register online at archpark.volunteerhub.com.

Through the generous support of Gateway Arch Park Foundation’s philanthropic donors, the Old Courthouse has undergone extensive renovations to introduce brand-new exhibits, update critical structural elements, and enhance overall accessibility, ensuring this historic building will remain vibrant for future generations. The Old Courthouse is free and open to the public. You’re invited to explore and learn more about important parts of our nation’s history that occurred within the Old Courthouse, including where Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom, Virginia Minor fought for her right as a woman to vote, and more than 300 enslaved African Americans filed suits for their freedom.

The National Park Service has designated National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 27 a fee-free day, in which the entrance fee at all NPS sites is waived. At Gateway Arch National Park, the $3 entrance fee included in each adult Tram Ride to the Top ticket and adult Documentary Movie ticket is waived. This means that Tram and Movie tickets will be $3 cheaper than they normally are.