Museum Under the Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch is an iconic landmark, but have you explored the treasure beneath? Museum under the Gateway Arch is a free, universally-designed museum with six interactive galleries, offering a world-class experience for all. Delve into over 200 years of shared St. Louis and American history within this award-winning Midwest institution.

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NPS Ranger showing a student the tactile bison in the New Frontiers exhibit.

Museum Highlights

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  • Illustration of family in gallery 6 Galleries
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  • Illustration of ranger hat Jr. Ranger Programming
  • Illustration of nps logo National Park Service Programming

A World-Class Museum in St. Louis

The Museum under the Gateway Arch is one of the top free museums in St. Louis. Reenvisioned in 2018, each of the six galleries feature a period in our nation’s and St. Louis’ history, including interactive elements for people of all ages and abilities, immersive experiences, and state-of-the-art graphics and sound. Which gallery will you explore first?

Colonial St. Louis exhibit, featuring a recreated house from the time period.

Colonial St. Louis

Travel back to 1764 and understand how St. Louis came to be with a deeper look into our colonial history. Learn the importance of Indigenous and Creole cultures and wander through structures like the vertical log cabin.

Statue of Thomas Jefferson in the Jefferson's Vision gallery.

Jefferson’s Vision

We all know about Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, but do you know what they brought along their westward journey? Learn about the Louisiana Purchase, Indigenous People who helped them, their expedition tools, and the plants and species they found along the way.

Manifest Destiny gallery in the Museum, featuring a red stagecoach, large image of a man holding an American flag and a map on the far wall.

Manifest Destiny

In the mid-1800s, many Americans believed they had the right to expand the nation to the west coast. Discover the conversations and controversies between Spanish explorers, Indigenous Peoples, and American settlers in their movement west.

A NPS Ranger pointing to details in the St. Louis Riverfront diorama in the Museum under the Gateway Arch.

The Riverfront Era

St. Louis was once a bustling port city with steamboats and businesses all along the Mississippi River levee. The gallery will immerse you in moments past along the river and show you how the landscape was forever changed.

New Frontiers exhibit featuring a life-sized bison and additional photography.

New Frontiers

By the late 1840s, St. Louis became a manufacturing hub. Witness the city’s economic expansion alongside the industrial revolution, growth of the transcontinental railroad system, and how the mythic West shaped thoughts within our nation.

Saarinen's Vision exhibit, includes a full diorama of the Gateway Arch grounds.

Building the Arch

Examine the stories of the design, construction, and lasting legacy of the Gateway Arch with Eero Saarinen’s vision and design. Learn about the competition, the runner up designs, and the plans and scale models of what could have been on the St. Louis Riverfront instead of the Gateway Arch.

A group of people looking outside the windows at the top of the Gateway Arch. A Long Weekend to Do Everything
Old Courthouse with the Gateway Arch behind it The National Park Adventurer
Group of women gather on the riverboat for an evening dinner cruise. An Evening on the Riverfront
NPS ranger shows visitors the diorama of the St. Louis Riverfront as the third busiest riverport in the United States. Our Half-Day Essentials
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Your Experience at the Gateway Arch’s Museum

The Museum under the Gateway Arch is just one of the many free activities you can do in the national park. From a picnic near the Reflection Ponds to observing plants in the Explorer’s Garden to moving along the five miles of paved paths, the possibilities are endless no matter how you decide to plan your day. Visit our sample itinerary to explore your options.

View Sample Itineraries

Museum FAQs

Before visiting our museum, there are a few things to know before you go:

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Explore More Below The Gateway Arch

It’s easy to plan a full day at Gateway Arch National Park! With activities for all in and around The Museum under the Gateway Arch, there is so much to do when you visit.

Mom with three teens in Gateway Arch tram

Tram Ride to the Top

Travel to the top of the Gateway Arch inside one of our trams.

Visit the Gateway Arch
Child holding VR headset in Gateway Arch museum

Virtual Reality Theater

Immerse yourself in St. Louis Riverfront history in our award-winning Virtual Reality Theater movie.

Visit the VR Theater
Gateway Arch before putting in the last piece

“Monument to the Dream” Documentary Movie

Discover how the Gateway Arch came to be in the Academy Award nominated documentary movie.

Watch the Documentary
Woman walking her dog in Gateway arch National Park

Gateway Arch National Park

Wander the 91 acre national park grounds.

Explore the Park Grounds
View of the old courthouse and Gateway Arch

The Old Courthouse

Witness history unfold inside our remodeled courtrooms and four interactive exhibit galleries.

Visit the Old Courthouse
View of the riverboat and Gateway Arch

Riverboat Cruises

Cruise along the Mississippi River on a replica paddlewheel boat.

Book a Riverboat Cruise

Have additional questions before your visit to the Museum under the Gateway Arch? Contact us about our hours, parking information or other Gateway Arch attractions by calling our Call Center at 877-982-1410 or emailing us at info@gatewayarch.com.