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September 7, 2017 By Ricci 24 Comments

Visiting the Gateway Arch in St. Louis

This post contains affiliate links.

Hey hey!! Happy Thursday!! So earlier in the week I posted about my trip to St. Louis for Labor Day weekend and all about my stay at the Four Seasons and in that post I promised you a full post about going to see the Gateway Arch aka “The Arch” and today is that day!! I mentioned in Tuesday’s post that I had been wanting to see the Arch for a long time and had never had the chance so when sweet Rebekah invited me along this past weekend I knew I had to go see it!

Rebekah had a breakfast and hair appointment scheduled at the Four Seasons Monday morning and I used that time to go explore downtown St. Louis and finally see the Arch up close and personal! Luckily for me the Four Seasons is within walking distance of the Arch and it’s a pretty walk at that!

I had purchased my ticket for the “Journey to the Top” prior to the trip and since I had no idea where I was actually headed I first made my way to the Old St. Louis Courthouse. You can always buy your tickets beforehand but if you don’t then you can always purchase them the day of at the courthouse. However they do sell out quickly so it’s always a good idea to purchase before you go!

First of all the Old St. Louis Courthouse is conveniently located across from a Starbucks so I stopped there on my way and grabbed some caffeine and a bagel for breakfast. After devouring both I made my way across the street to the courthouse to see where in the world I needed to go!

The Old St. Louis Courthouse is a gorgeous building from the outside and even more pretty on the inside. I have to admit that I felt very patriotic standing there in the rotunda under the American Flag. Gah…I LOVE my country!!

After talking to a really nice lady, I gathered my map (just call me Dora the Explorer) and followed the signs to the Arch!

I mean if I had only looked at the ground maybe I wouldn’t have had to ask for directions but then I wouldn’t have seen the inside of that gorgeous courthouse. These markings on the sidewalk also sort of reminded me of the Freedom Trail markers all over Boston!!

So after following the markers I made it to the Arch!! And let me tell you something…seeing it from a distance and seeing it close up and personal are two completely separate feelings. Actually being close enough to touch it and seeing exactly how tall that dang thing is is awe inspiring.

After gawking at the Arch for a little bit the heat got the best of me and I made my way inside/under the Arch to get in line to take my “journey to the top”. I didn’t get any photos of the inside because there were soooo many people around and that just felt a little awkward but let me tell you. If you are going to the top of the Arch get ready to stand around a lot and get into a lot of lines. If you are claustrophobic at all or scared of heights I would also think twice about making this trip again.

The little tram cars you take to the top only fit five people each and even though I am only 5’9″ I had to crouch down in my “seat” because my head hit the top. The journey to the top takes about 4 minutes and it actually passes pretty quickly. It was very creaky sounding and there is a tiny window so you can see the inner workings of the inside of the Arch and that was a little scary.

But we finally made it to the top and  crawled out of our cars and stretched!! It felt soooo good to be able to move around again! HA!

There are windows on both sides of the top that you can take photos from and here are some of the pics I took from the very top of the Arch!

You can stay in the top of the Arch as long as you want but after a few minutes I was finished and headed back down. The trip down only takes about 3 minutes but was still as crouched and creaky as the trip up! LOL!!

Here are some fun facts about the Gateway Arch in St. Louis:

  • The Gateway Arch is a 630-foot monument in St. Louis in the U.S. state of Missouri.
  • It is made out of stainless steel and is built in the form of an inverted, weighted catenary arch.
  • It is the world’s tallest arch.
  • It is the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere.
  • It is Missouri’s tallest accessible building.
  • It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States, and officially dedicated to the American people.
  • It is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and has become an internationally recognized symbol of St. Louis.
  • Construction began on February 12, 1963, and was completed on October 28, 1965.
  • It is located at the site of St. Louis’ founding on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

Have you been to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis??

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Gateway Arch, Gateway Arch in St. Louis, St Louis, The Arch, travel

Hi! I'm Ricci and let me be the first to welcome you to Ricci Alexis, my lifestyle and beauty blog! I am a 36 year old single lady and am currently living in central Arkansas. My current obsessions include my dog Sophie, McDonald's frappes, the smell of DryBar hair products, the Royal Family, anything leopard print and celebrity gossip. Read More…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Catvills says

    September 7, 2017 at 2:06 am

    Wow! The view from the top is amazing. I guess the four minute ride was worth it.

    Reply
  2. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says

    September 7, 2017 at 6:08 am

    St. Louis is such a cool city! When I was there a few years ago, I made sure to check out the arch. There is no way to adequately appreciate that thing unless you stand under it and just look up. it’s amazing.

    Reply
  3. Leah says

    September 7, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    I love St. Louis! We went there two summers ago to visit my brother in law. It was uncomfortably hot, but the food was absolutely delicious! My favorite were these butter cakes he had my taste! So good!

    Reply
  4. Christine says

    September 7, 2017 at 4:26 pm

    Looks like yall had a blast! I was following along on Instagram and love seeing everything you guys posted! PS I don’t think I could handle going to the top of the Arch. I’m both very claustrophobic and scared of heights!!

    Reply
  5. Liz Mays says

    September 7, 2017 at 4:43 pm

    This sounded like such a memorable experience. It’s just so cool that you can ride all the way up for the view!

    Reply
  6. Gisele says

    September 7, 2017 at 6:03 pm

    I’ve been to and up in the Arch at least three times. The “dryer drums” one rides in to get to the top and back down are tight to say the least. The monument is breath taking and if one gets a bit dizzy I recommend not looking straight up at it from the base or looking straight down from the top. lol

    Reply
  7. Lisa Favre says

    September 7, 2017 at 9:02 pm

    What an incredible view! I’ve never been to St. Louis but a trip to this arch is a good reason for anyone to visit!

    Reply
  8. Joely Smith says

    September 7, 2017 at 9:04 pm

    We LOVE St. Louis. We take a road trip there about once every other year. I am glad I went up in the arch when I was younger. I do not think I could beat my fear of it now.

    Reply
  9. Cherri Megasko says

    September 7, 2017 at 10:03 pm

    I’ve visited St. Louis many times, but I’ve only been up in the arch once. I’m from Missouri, so it was a really nice experience to see all the tourists having such a good time in my state.

    Reply
  10. Mimi Green says

    September 8, 2017 at 7:53 am

    It sounds like a great experience. The views are quite beautiful. I don’t blame you though, I wouldn’t be up there a long time.

    Reply
  11. Melissa Dixon says

    September 8, 2017 at 8:13 am

    I have always wanted to visit it and lived close by but I never did. My mother in law went there on a scool trip as a kid and threw up inside there, yikes! lol

    Reply
  12. Jenn says

    September 8, 2017 at 8:42 am

    Definitely on my bucket list!
    The photos are amazing. I love the skyline and the views.
    I love traveling, have two kids and tba makes traveling a bit more complicated.

    Reply
  13. Marysa says

    September 8, 2017 at 11:19 am

    That’s really cool! I’ve never been to the arch, or St. Louis for that matter. I remember seeing someone on the today show went to the stop of the arch – I had no idea you could even go up there. What a neat experience.

    Reply
    • Ricci says

      September 11, 2017 at 12:21 am

      Yes girl, you should totally go if you get the chance! It’s amazing!!

      Reply
  14. Tami says

    September 8, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    Yes, the Arch is inspiring. My kiddos have yet to see it in person. We need to make that happen.

    Reply
  15. uprunforlife says

    September 8, 2017 at 1:39 pm

    The view from the top is amazing. I am kinda scared of heights so being that high up on something that looks so small would scare me.

    Reply
    • Ricci says

      September 11, 2017 at 12:20 am

      I actually have an incredible fear of heights but this didn’t feel so high to me once I was up there?? That sods weird because of insanely high it looks from the ground!

      Reply
  16. Juliette says

    September 10, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    Wow that view is insane, and really good to know that you can take a ride all the way to the top! I love how detailed your post is!

    Reply
    • Ricci says

      September 11, 2017 at 12:17 am

      Thank you!! It was soooo much fun and I’m glad I did it!!

      Reply
  17. Jennifer says

    September 10, 2017 at 2:12 pm

    I have been once when I was little but I would love to go again as an adult. You captured it perfectly! What kind of camera did you use and lens to get those shots? They are super crisp and gorgeous.

    Reply
    • Ricci says

      September 11, 2017 at 12:18 am

      You should definitely go again as an adult, it’s so much fun!! And thank you, I actually just used my iPhone! I have an iPhone 7 Plus and it’s way more portable and I actually use it for all of my blog and social media photos!!

      Reply
  18. Shannon Gurnee says

    September 10, 2017 at 2:51 pm

    I would love to visit St. Louis someday. The arch looks like an awesome place to visit!

    Reply
  19. Jenny says

    September 10, 2017 at 11:31 pm

    Wow, what a view! This would be a cool place to visit. Hope I make it around there some time in my life.

    Reply
    • Ricci says

      September 11, 2017 at 12:19 am

      If you can you should totally do it!!

      Reply

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ricci

Ricci is a 39 year old digital content creator from central Arkansas. She is passionate about skincare, travel, reading, and being an advocate for women's health issues. She is dog mom to Sophie, cat mom to Rooster and Poppy and an aunt to 10 amazing kiddos. riccialexis83@gmail.com

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