Museum of the Gateway Arch

The Museum at the Gateway Arch covers 201 years of history about the westward expansion of the United States with an emphasis on St. Louis’ paramount role in that era. On the mezzanine level, a terrazzo floor shows a map of North America with historic trails from St. Louis and the East, allowing visitors to trace pioneers’ journeys to the West.

Interactive story galleries guide visitors through time from the founding of St. Louis in 1764 to the building of the Gateway Arch, completed in 1965. The new museum describes the westward expansion period of the United States with more perspectives from the cultures involved. Story galleries include: Colonial St. Louis – indigenous and Creole culture before the Louisiana Purchase; Jefferson’s Vision – how St. Louis shaped the west, Manifest Destiny – trails, settlers, and conflicts; The Riverfront Era – steamboats create an American metropolis and its lasting identity; New Frontiers – railroads, industry, and the myth of the West in culture; Building the Gateway Arch – the monument, its story, and symbolism. Visitors can learn how events that took place in the 91 acres of Gateway Arch National Park shaped American history.