National Public Lands Day

National Public Lands Day is traditionally the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort.

It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits. Every year, Gateway Arch National Park and Gateway Arch Park Foundation commemorate this special day by hosting a Riverfront Cleanup. This year, National Public Lands Day falls on Saturday, September 28, 2024. National Public Lands Day activities are free and open to people of all ages.

PARKING

Volunteers will receive free parking in Downtown St. Louis following registration.

For guests who visit the Arch, the Stadium East Garage is the preferred Arch visitor parking location, with a discounted rate ($9) for five hours, if pre-purchased at least a day in advance or with ticket validation inside the Arch Visitor Center. Other nearby garages include Interpark's Kiener East Garage, Kiener West Garage, and Stadium West Garage.

Parking is available at the Kiener Plaza East (500 Pine St.) and West (604 Pine St.) Garages, starting at just $8 for up to 12 hours. View on map. Guests who sign up for an InterPark Express account at iparkit.com/register will receive 20% off their first five uses of Express; simply choose your day and time and scan your device to get in and out of the garage.

Guests may find Downtown metered parking on a first-come, first-served basis. The Metro is also a great choice to travel to and from Downtown St. Louis.

MEMBER PERK:

Did you know? Gateway Arch Park Foundation members at the Supporter level and above receive 10 FREE parks for Kiener East Parking Garage, and discounted parking in Kiener East thereafter, with no blackout dates!

Just Breathe Yoga Session Under the Arch: 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Join The Collective STL for Just Breathe Yoga, a free, all-levels yoga session under the Gateway Arch. Registration will be available soon.

Mississippi River Cleanup: 9 a.m. - noon.

Meet up and team up at the Gateway Arch to help clean up the St. Louis Riverfront! Nine billion tons of trash end up in the ocean every year. In fact, the Mighty Mississippi River is one of the largest sources of oceanic plastic debris. But with YOUR help, we can minimize our environmental footprint by collecting riverside trash to keep the riverfront clean. Gateway Arch National Park, Gateway Arch Park Foundation, Beyond Plastics, Republic Services, Missouri River Cities and Towns Initiative, Missouri Stream Team, Great Rivers Greenway, Bi-State Development, Living Lands & Waters, and the City of St. Louis have partnered to organize a community trash pick-up event on National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 28th from 9 a.m. - noon. Recruit your friends and family members and join us in lending a helping hand and cleaning up the riverfront!

Interested volunteers can click the link below to register.

Picnic on the Arch Grounds

Gateway Arch National Park has 91 acres of beautiful landscaping for you to enjoy with your family and friends. Between events, we encourage you to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy your meal at one of the popular spots on the Arch grounds, such as the lawn directly underneath the Arch, on a bench underneath the trees, or in the Explorer’s Garden in the North Gateway. If you’re planning on participating in both the Riverfront Clean-up and the BioBlitz, you will be able to enjoy your lunch from noon – 1 p.m. between events.

BioBlitz

What creatures are thriving at Gateway Arch National Park? Citizen scientists like you can help us find out! On Saturday September 28, 2024, from 1 p.m - 3 p.m., we will be hosting a BioBlitz, and everyone is invited. Use the iNaturalist app on your cell phone to take pictures of birds, insects, arachnids, and other creatures you see throughout the park. Your data will help the park, St. Louisans, and more know what creatures are where. Check-in for this event will be near the north leg of the Gateway Arch and observations will occur all over the Arch grounds.

Interested volunteers can click the link below to register.

Explore the Museum at the Gateway Arch

Located inside the Gateway Arch National Park Visitor Center, the Museum at the Gateway Arch covers over 200 years of history, focusing on the wide reaches of westward expansion, St. Louis’ role in that era, and the wide variety of populations who participated in or were affected by these monumental shifts in history, leading up to when the Gateway Arch was built. This new museum is free to the public every day and features interactive and immersive displays within six exhibit galleries.

NPS Fee-Free Day

The National Park Service has designated National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 28 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 and adult Documentary Movie ticket is waived.