You Can Ride Up the St. Louis Arch? Crazy But True!
I have known about the iconic St. Louis Arch monument since my grade school days, reading about it in our geography and history books.
However, as crazy as this sounds, I had NO idea that you could take a ride up to the top of the arch. I also had no idea that it was located on the border of Illinois and St. Louis. So, why not plan a one-night stay in St. Louis at a hotel adjacent to the arch during a Midwest road trip? Sounded good to me.
Visiting the Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis
As soon as you leave Illinois and head into St. Louis, you immediately see the arch monument located at Gateway Park. After parking, just follow the walkway that leads you right to the large structure. The grounds around the Arch are magnificently landscaped with lots of beautiful, green space.
The Gateway Arch monument, known as “The Gateway to the West”, is made of stainless steel and recognized as the world’s tallest arch. It’s an amazing achievement.
The cost to take the capsule ride up to the top of the arch, offering great views, is $12.00. Make a reservation and arrive early to allow for ample time to go through the security checkpoint. Be sure to stop in at the Visitor’s Center and the Gateway Arch Museum. Browse the museum before taking the ride as it will provide so much interesting information about the Gateway Arch.
I must point out that the capsule type of tram is small. If you have issues with tight spaces, there is a capsule set up for you to sit inside to see if you can handle the space constraints. The ride is 4 minutes up to the top and then a 3-minute ride coming back down. The capsule holds up to 5 people, but less people will give you more space.
When you’re riding up the arch, there are no outside windows, just an inside window that does provide some light. As you elevate, you will mostly see the interior mechanical parts of the arch. When you get to the top at 630 feet high, there are small, thin windows (not floor to ceiling windows as you might imagine) where you can see the west Missouri side with great views of the courthouse, cathedral, Busch Stadium (home to the St. Louis Cardinals), and other sports stadiums. The other side is east Illinois where you can see the Mississippi River’s West Bank.
The gift shop sold many souvenirs depicting the St. Louis Arch. You’ll have a hard time deciding what to buy as you’ll want to buy everything.
A few notes: Buy tickets online so you don’t have to wait on a long line. Also, you’re only allowed to be up at the top of the arch for approximately 6 minutes, so get right to enjoying the amazing views.
Drury Plaza Hotel Located Right Near the St. Louis at the Arch
If you’re looking for a place close to the St Louis Arch, the Drury Plaza Hotel is in the ideal location. The hotel is barely a few minutes away by car. We were looking for a quick overnight stay before heading back out on the road again.
The hotel’s downtown location offeres lots of sights that make for a nice sightseeing stroll around the town. You’ll be amazed at the architectural details on the facade of the courthouse, cathedrals, as well as the other surrounding buildings.
The hotel is less than a 5-minute walk to the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium. Ball Park Village was so close that Drury Plaza Hotel would have made an amazing place to stay should the St. Louis Cardinals have had a home game that night. But on the flip side, if there was a game that night, there would have been no hotel availability, and the crowds would have been overwhelming.
While it was not originally planned, we jumped on the St Louis 75-Minute City Trolley Tour. An expert local guide told us everything we needed to know about the St. Louis history from the 1800s to the present. We went by the Anheuser Busch brewery, Busch Stadium, the old St Louis Union Station that is now home to an aquarium and a huge Ferris wheel, the courthouse, cathedrals, Forest Park, Blueberry Hill with the St Louis Walk of Fame, and much more. It was a great way to enjoy the history of the city while seated in a comfortable trolley seat.
Highlights of the Drury Plaza Hotel
Whether you are brave enough to ride up to the top of the Gateway Arch, you can also enjoy spectacular views from the Drury Plaza Hotel’s eighth-floor terrace. Be sure to visit the terrace at night to see the arch all lit up. Makes for a great photo opportunity.
You will really appreciate the historical lobby décor that includes a small waterfall feature adorning a scene honoring Jean Baptiste Charbonneau of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
One hotel highlight that you’ll want to take advantage of is the free, fresh and hot daily breakfast. The complimentary hot buffet breakfast makes for a great start. You can enjoy eggs, sausage, fruit, pancakes, cereal, oatmeal, toast, bagels and more.
The 5:30 Kickback® was an added surprise of hot food and cold drinks, like a “happy hour.” We received 3 drink credits for the night as well. You can also dine at Carmine’s Restaurant, a fine dining steakhouse and bar onsite. But we chose to walk into town for dinner.
The hotel features an indoor pool and two hot tubs and a 24-hour fitness center. There is a laundromat on site, or you can select same-day dry cleaning service. Covered parking is available with fees starting at $32 and higher.
Cozy, Comfortable Rooms at Drury Plaza Hotel
The Drury Hotel chain is 100 percent family-owned and operated. That’s why it makes for such a nice family-friendly place to stay.
There are 351 rooms available. Each room features free WI-FI, a 37-inch flat-screen TV, microwave, refrigerator, iron/ironing board, and hairdryer. You can select King, Queen, or Suite accommodations. The suites include a bedroom separate from the living room area that also features a pull-out queen sofa sleeper. The bedding was top notch and added coziness for a great night’s sleep.
The Drury Plaza Hotel is dog and cat friendly, with a $50+ daily room fee. Service animals are free.
Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis: Highly Recommended Quick Stay to See the Arch
Clean, comfortable, and convenient is the only way to describe the Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis at the Arch. It’s the ideal location to see the Gateway Arch or attend a nearby St. Louis sporting event. The hotel’s complimentary breakfast buffet and afternoon happy hour added a bit of extra fun to our one-night stay. The staff was friendly and welcoming. And the views of the Gateway Arch from the eighth-floor terrace were an added bonus.
Walking around town was like a page in my old geography and history books, seeing the old courthouse and the horse drawn carriage rides. This quick visit confirmed why visiting the Midwest and discovering America’s rich history is always so marvelous.