St Louis, MO: Inside The Arch and City

Gateway Arch National Park was our 1st stop in St Louis. That was an easy decision because we were staying right next door at Drury Plaza.  I’ve always been pleased with the Drury Plazas that we have stayed in.  This one was very nice too.  You don’t always have a National Monument next door. Bonus!

Gateway Arch National Park

After purchasing my ticket, I walked through the museum.  This is a great place to hang out coming or going from the top.  It’s not only the history of building the arch, but of the expansion and shaping of the west.  

Before The Ride To The Top

On the other side of the museum, I caught up with my scheduled group. After some instructions from one of the Rangers, we were assigned a number. I was number 4. Our waiting spots, rides and viewing windows were all labeled for us with these numbers for the duration of the tour. 

The 1st thing our group did (standing socially distanced on our spots) was to listen to a short presentation. With projected images and video clips. We learned about the building of the arch and other happenings in the US at that time. 

Next we all had our pictures snapped in front of the green screen and then headed to wait for our ride up.  We were instructed to stand on the steps outside our assigned door and enter  the tram car once cleared by those returning down. 

After ducking through the 4 foot door opening into our tram cars, we find ourselves in these little capsules.  It’s a rounded vessel with 5 small seats protruding from the walls and it’s all white inside.  Screams space to me. Haha Since I was the only one in my party, I was in the tram car alone. It seemed like getting 5 adults inside would be very tight.  Then the doors close.  Yikes. Here we go!

The Ride To The Top Gateway Arch

During the 4 minute ride to the top of the arch, your little capsule will stay upright. You will feel and hear the adjustments as you ascend and follow the bend. You will be able to see the interior of the arch through the clear doors of the tram car.  The interior consists of the various mechanisms, stairs, work space and tram itself. Not room for much else in the narrow arch! Watch the short video below to see inside the arch.

View At The Top Gateway Arch

Being a party of one definitely had its advantages for taking in the view at the top. From my #4 assigned windows, I was able to see St Louis from the window on one side and Illinois from the other without elbows from others. The isle between the two sides of the top of the arch is only 10 foot or so.  Not really wide up there! The windows are narrow rectangles inset at the back of a divided and slanted ledge. It was a great design for just leaning out 630 feet up in the air to enjoy the aerial view below!

The Ride Down Gateway Arch

After about 10-15 minutes or so to sight-see below, it was time to take a tram back down.  This one was on the opposite side of the arch. The ride down is only about three minutes and you know exactly what to expect in the space capsule at that point.  Awesome experience! Highly recommend. Join me riding down in video below!

After the exciting main attraction, of going to the top of the arch, you can check out the gift shop, grab a bite to eat in the cafe or explore the museum further. You will walk back through the main corridor of the museum to exit the visitor center at Gateway Arch National Park.  

I found Bud and Trit sitting on a bench waiting for me as I exited. They had been checking out the grounds of Gateway Arch National Park taking pictures when I started my tour.  I’ve always told Bud that he is home to me. Wherever we are traveling in the world, seeing him makes me at home. 

Trit isn’t a service dog, but the nice Ranger let Bud come in and sit with Trit while I went to the top of the arch. It was very cold the day we visited!

Old Courthouse St Louis

The historic Old Courthouse, closed for upcoming renovations, is part of the Gateway Arch National Park and typically open for tours. The courthouse has significant history with Dred Scott trials held here as well as Underground Railroad links. 

Exploring St Louis

I love driving around and exploring, especially cities I haven’t been to. We usually have a list/route of must see sites, but are happy to get off the path or circle back around when something catches our eye. This new luxury apartment building designed by Jeanne Gang, a world famous architect,  is certainly eye-catching! One Hundred Above The Park is a fitting name for this landmark building at street number 100 on Kingshighway Blvd overlooking Forest Park. 

Murals and Cathedrals 

Two things that we usually circle back around for or just stop for, are murals and cathedrals. The art and the architecture are so intriguing to me. There is a place called St Louis Mural Mile which would be wonderful untouched. Unfortunately, we found part of it to be painted over with graffiti.  

We also came across this beautiful cathedral at an intersection. It’s the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis. Of course we had to make another block to get a photo of the front. 

Busch Stadium

I’ve probably said this before or will say it again, but I love it when ballparks are right in downtown. Busch Stadium is no exception. It is home of the almost 130 year old MLB team, the Saint Louis Cardinals. This particular stadium was completed in 2006 and Ballpark Village was added on the previous stadium site in 2014. Here, you will find bars, Cardinal Nation Restaurant, Budweiser Brew House and the St Louis Cardinals HOF museum.

Citygarden Sculpture Park

In the midst of all of the soaring buildings in the city there is an awesome sculpture park. It was very cold, but we couldn’t resist going through it to capture images of the art.  Trit was asleep, so we left him in the warm truck. We decided to divide and conquer. Bud went one direction and I went the opposite.  What we didn’t see in person, we will enjoy in each other’s pictures with you!

 Central West End St Louis

The neighborhood between Forest Park and St Louis University might be an upscale, top ten in America and include a business district, but it’s also beautiful, vibrant, inviting and walkable. It’s not only home to 100 Above, Cathedral Basilica, historic homes and around 75 restaurants, it’s also home to some chessy establishments.  

World Chess Hall of Fame

Not cheesy. Chess-y. St Louis is the acclaimed Chess Capital of the United States. The World Chess Hall of Fame is easily spotted with a giant chess piece in front. It’s the world’s largest at 14 foot tall. Enjoy the museum and boutique here. 

Across the street is the Saint Louis Chess Club, where you can learn to play through classes and private lessons. You can participate in leagues and tournaments or just play for fun. 

One of our last stops was next door to the Chess Club, chess themed Kingside Diner, where I grabbed some fish and chips to go. Meanwhile, Bud was around the corner grabbing a (little healthier) green smoothie at Rush Bowls. Grab and go for the road is the perfect pet travel option!

We enjoyed our short time in St Louis, including Central West End. Time to be back on the road and headed to our next stop, Kansas City, MO!

Oh and remember the photo that was snapped in front of the green screen at Gateway Arch? Here’s the result. Yep, I bought the photo! Haha