Gateway Arch National in St. Louis and Taking the Tram to the Top

Are you planning a visit to Gateway Arch National Park anytime soon? Well there is some important information to know before you go!
There is no National Park Pass required to walk the grounds of the park and to go inside to the visitor center. Walking around the grounds is a great way to take in different angles of arch and to get views of the Mississippi River. The visitor center requires a security checkpoint but bags and backpacks are allowed so you don’t have to leave your belongings in the car.
Tram Rides: Tickets are required for a time slot in order to go to the top of the arch in a tram. During the busy months (summer), tickets can sell out in advance so it is always recommended to buy them in advance. For adults, tickets range from $15-$19, depending on the day of the week (weekends are more expensive). There is also a $3 discount for your ticket if you have a National Park Pass. I visited the arch on a slow Sunday morning in February and I was actually able to go up in the tram early because there were no other people. Rides start at 9AM and it is always best to avoid the heart of the day to avoid crowds. Also, another option I did not get a chance to do is to go up the arch at night. This was recommended to me by my Uber driver.
Parking and Hotels: I stayed at the Casino Queen across the river in East St. Louis, IL. It was a convenient hotel (and in a safe location) with free parking. The hotels in downtown are nice too, but just beware that parking is not free to stay at the hotel. If you are driving to the arch, there are several parking options. The best is to park in the East Garage. Another possible location is to park at the Riverboat, but this parking is not handicap accessible (parking is on a steep hill). These are paid parking areas that are a safe location to park your car. Recommended to me by the hotel staff, I ended up riding an Uber from my hotel because my vehicle would not fit in the garage. It was a little more expensive than parking in the garage, but I did not have to worry about driving downtown.
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