ST. LOUIS — On Saturday, September 26 – National Public Lands Day – the National Park Service will celebrate the connection between people and green spaces in our community with virtual and distanced programming highlighting the importance of caring for our public lands and the health benefits these spaces provide.
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“The global pandemic has shined a light on our inherent need for the great outdoors and the incredible ways experiencing nature improves our physical, emotional and mental health,” said Pam Sanfilippo, Chief of Museum Services and Interpretation at Gateway Arch National Park. “While we still cannot group together at the park, Gateway Arch National Park invites individuals and families to join us in celebrating National Public Lands Day in a responsible manner through neighborhood cleanups and virtual programming.”
Activities are free and open to all ages. When visiting the park, participants must follow Gateway Arch National Park health and safety guidelines, including social distancing measures, outlined at nps.gov/jeff.
Established in 1994, National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. It is organized annually by the National Environmental Education Foundation, in cooperation with Department of the Interior, Department of the Army, and Department of Agriculture. For more information, visit nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/public-lands-day.htm.
Host Your Own Neighborhood Cleanup
Roll up your sleeves and join your friends and family in cleaning up your local communities. Gateway Arch National Park encourages groups to help remove trash and debris at any site – from neighborhood streets to a local park – and post pictures of cleanups to social media using #NPLD and #GatewayArch for a chance to win prizes. Participants can pick up bags and gloves in advance from Gateway Arch National Park. For more information or to pick up supplies, contact Peter at 314-655-1673 or peter_hovey@partner.nps.gov.
Monarch Garden in a Box Plant Sale
Did you know? When monarch butterflies journey south for the winter, they often fly by the
Gateway Arch. The National Park Service and the City of St. Louis, together with partners
the Missouri Prairie Foundation and its Grow Native! Program, celebrate butterflies’ migration south. Numerous recorded and upcoming webinars on gardening for pollinators and native plants and related topics are available from the Missouri Prairie Foundation at moprairie.org/2020/08/11/view-past-webinars-on-the-mpf-youtube-channel. Registration for upcoming webinars and master classes is available at moprairie.org.
New this year is the “Monarch Garden in a Box" plant sale. Pre-purchase your collection of nine native plants that will form an ideal monarch butterfly habitat through the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Grow Native! website at grownative.org/2020/08/31/get-your-monarch-garden-in-a-box-kit-at-stl-great-monarch-migration-event-sept-26. Grow Native! professional members will fill the orders, and participants can safely pick up kits outside at Gateway Arch National Park between 10 a.m. and noon on September 26. (Pick up location is on Fourth Street, in between the Old Courthouse at 11 N. Fourth Street and the Gateway Arch.) Participants will be able to pull up, grab the plants and go. All orders must be pre-purchased in advance of pick up.
Virtual Walk with an NPS Ranger
Get your steps in and take in the beauty, sights and sounds of Gateway Arch National Park as you learn about the park’s native and pollinator plants from Ranger Dovie. Her video highlights several plants in the park’s North Gateway: youtube.com/watch?v=C99a_BBgfDA&t=20s.
Just Breathe STL: Yoga Under the Arch: 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Join the Gateway Arch Park Foundation and The Collective STL for an all-levels yoga class under the Gateway Arch aimed to create self-care accessibility and mindfulness for all. Please bring your yoga mat, mask and a bottle of water.
NPS Fee-Free Day: All Day
NPS has designated National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 26, a fee-free day, in which the entrance fee at all NPS sites is waived. At Gateway Arch National Park, the $3 entrance fee included in each adult Tram Ride to the Top ticket is waived.
Gateway Arch Lights Off for Bird Migration
As previously announced, the National Park Service is not illuminating the Gateway Arch at night September 18-30 due to bird migration season.
Gateway Arch Visitor Reminders
Visitors to the Arch must enter the monument at the new glass west entrance, which faces the Old Courthouse. The Arch legs are exits only, providing great opportunities for photo ops with the Arch structure and direct access to the park grounds.
Mandatory, free timed ticket reservations are required to enter the Arch facility. Timed ticketing is a temporary measure until the park becomes fully operational. Tram Ride to the Top tickets can be purchased online at gatewayarch.com/buytickets.
Gateway Arch National Park does not have designated on-site visitor parking. A list of parking locations near the park can be found at http://getaroundstl.com. Metered street parking is also available around the park.
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