ShareHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
ST. LOUIS — The shimmering Gateway Arch on the banks of the Mississippi River is St. Louis’ calling card. But the iconic monument set off from the rest of the city is, well, set off from the rest of the city.
The National Park Service hopes to change that. It has released its final management plan for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the 91-acre park that includes the arch and the historic Old Courthouse, which draws throngs of visitors.The plan stresses the need for better links between downtown St. Louis, the arch grounds, the Mississippi riverfront, nearby commercial areas and East St. Louis, Ill., just across the river.One idea being considered is a seasonal water taxi to ferry visitors across the river between the two cities, just one of the changes under consideration.The Park Service held 11 public meetings, attended by nearly 1,000 people, many of whom made it clear they want easier connections to get onto the arch grounds. The plan calls for improved links to the grounds across Memorial Drive, which runs between the arch and the Old Courthouse, by use of a single elevated deck, multiple bridges or improved pedestrian crossings.More would be done to educate the public, improve services offered to them and to increase special events held at the park.The Museum of Westward Expansion, an underground museum beneath the arch, would be renovated with more interactive exhibits and a research facility.The details haven’t been firmed up yet. The Park Service wants a major contest to be held, where outside architects and designers could pitch their ideas for protecting historical and cultural aspects of the park while revitalizing the grounds.The goal is to have these improvements in place in the next decade.Lynn McClure, Midwest regional director for the Washington, D.C.-based National Parks Conservation Association, said she likes the final plan because it still allows room for outside ideas, while protecting heritage. "The design competition will allow for whole new sets of eyes looking at this site," she said.
If you go . . .
Gateway Arch: www.gatewayarch.com. Located on the St. Louis Mississippi riverfront, with a parking garage at 100 Washington Ave. (parking $6 per vehicle). Admission is free to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial park and to a museum beneath the Arch.What’s there: The park includes the Gateway Arch and the Old Courthouse, where historic cases including the Dred Scott trial were heard.A tram ride to the top of the Arch is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 3 to 15. Admission to each of two movies in theaters underneath the Arch is $7 for adults and $2.50 for children ages 3 to 15.Hours: Fall-winter, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Gateway Arch: www.gatewayarch.com. Located on the St. Louis Mississippi riverfront, with a parking garage at 100 Washington Ave. (parking $6 per vehicle). Admission is free to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial park and to a museum beneath the Arch.What’s there: The park includes the Gateway Arch and the Old Courthouse, where historic cases including the Dred Scott trial were heard.A tram ride to the top of the Arch is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 3 to 15. Admission to each of two movies in theaters underneath the Arch is $7 for adults and $2.50 for children ages 3 to 15.Hours: Fall-winter, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
@Nyx.CommentBody@