NationalParkEntry

MO · Midwest & Great Plains

Gateway Arch National Park entry requirements

No timed-entry or vehicle reservation is needed to enter Gateway Arch in 2026. There is no entrance fee. Check any visit date against the official 2026 rules.

The 2026 season at Gateway Arch

This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.

No reservation is required to enter Gateway Arch National Park in 2026.

This park does not charge an entrance fee.

  1. Park entrance

    Not required

    Gateway Arch National Park does not charge an entrance fee.

    • There is NO entrance fee to enter Gateway Arch National Park — grounds, museum, Arch Store, cafe and Old Courthouse are all free. The only NPS entrance fee is embedded in tram and documentary-movie tickets: $3.00 of each ticket bought by a visitor 16 and up goes to the NPS, and an America the Beautiful pass waives that $3 on up to four tickets. Parking is never included and is not an NPS fee.

  2. Timed entry

    Not required

    Nothing here is required in 2026.

    • No timed entry to the park itself — the NPS 'timed entry system' label refers only to the tram ticket. A timed ticket IS required to ride the tram to the top of the Arch — that is the separate Tram Ride to the Top ticket, not a park entry requirement.

  3. Vehicle, road, or corridor

    Not required

    Nothing here is required in 2026.

    • Park grounds open 5:00 am - 11:00 pm daily, year round. The last tram leaves one hour prior to closing. All visitors to the Gateway Arch visitor center pass through an airport-style security checkpoint; no weapons, pepper spray, mace or electronic weapons are allowed.
    • The whole park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. The NPS hours page names the park itself as the closed subject - not just the visitor center - so the closure applies to the grounds as well. On every other day of the year the park grounds are open 5:00 am - 11:00 pm.

  4. Shuttle

    Not applicable

    Gateway Arch National Park has no shuttle system.

  5. Your campground or lodging

    Not applicable

    Gateway Arch National Park has no in-park stay that changes what you need to enter.

  6. Selected activity

    Not required

    Nothing here is required in 2026.

    • Tram Ride to the Top ticket — a timed, ticketed ACTIVITY, not park entry. Not required to enter the park, walk the grounds, visit the Museum at the Gateway Arch, the Arch Store or Cafe, or tour the Old Courthouse — all of which are free and ticket-free. Infants 2 and under ride free. The tram ride is not ADA accessible.
    • Tram tickets sell out — same-day tickets released at 9:00 am daily. Sell-outs affect only the tram; the park grounds, museum and Old Courthouse never sell out and never require a ticket.
    • Documentary movie ticket (separate from the tram, also carries the $3 NPS entrance fee). Not required to enter the park or the museum.

Fees and passes

Gateway Arch does not charge an entrance fee.

There is NO entrance fee to enter Gateway Arch National Park — grounds, museum, Arch Store, cafe and Old Courthouse are all free. The only NPS entrance fee is embedded in tram and documentary-movie tickets: $3.00 of each ticket bought by a visitor 16 and up goes to the NPS, and an America the Beautiful pass waives that $3 on up to four tickets. Parking is never included and is not an NPS fee.

An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.

Gateway Arch charges no gate entrance fee, so a fee-free day waives nothing at the entrance. A pass gives $3 off the tram ride and the documentary (the embedded NPS fee), up to four tickets. It does not buy or reserve a tram ticket and does not bypass sell-outs — online, choose the National Park Pass Holder option. A third-party vendor sells passes here, so other parks' receipts cannot be credited toward an $80 Annual or Senior Lifetime pass.

Fee-free days

  • Feb 16, 2026
  • May 25, 2026
  • Jun 14, 2026
  • Jul 3, 2026
  • Jul 4, 2026
  • Jul 5, 2026
  • Aug 25, 2026
  • Sep 17, 2026
  • Oct 27, 2026
  • Nov 11, 2026

From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.

What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover

Nothing at Gateway Arch changes based on whether you have an in-park campground or lodging booking.

Quick answers

Do I need a reservation for Gateway Arch?
No. Gateway Arch National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. Gateway Arch National Park charges no entrance fee.
Is there an entrance fee at Gateway Arch?
No. Gateway Arch does not charge an entrance fee. Other requirements on this page may still apply.

Official links, coverage, and sources

Official booking and park information

What this does not cover

  • Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
  • Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
  • Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
  • Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.

Effective dates and sources

  • Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entranceIf you wish to browse in the Museum and Visitor Center, there is no entrance fee. When park visitors 16 and up buy tram or movie tickets, $3.00 of their ticket price goes to the National Park Service (entrance fee).
  • Fees & Passes - Gateway Arch National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to No entrance fee to the park groundsThe museum under the Gateway Arch is always free for all visitors and does not require any tickets. Entrance to the Old Courthouse is also free and does not require any tickets.
  • Fees & Passes - Gateway Arch National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Tram Ride to the Top ticketTram Ride to the Top Reservation. Jan 2-Dec 31. Pre-boarding tour and top of the arch ticket. Cost $19.00. Prices vary by date of visit. ... Adult (16 and up): Starting at $15. Child (3-15): Starting at $11. Infant (2 and under): FREE. Park Pass Holder: Starting at $12
  • Buy Tickets | The Gateway ArchGateway Arch official ticketing site, linked directly from nps.gov/jeff · reviewed 2026-07-29 · applies to Tram tickets sell outPending availability, additional tickets may be available for same-day purchase beginning at 9am each day via our website, call center at 314-982-1410, and ticket center at the Gateway Arch. Same-day ticket availability is not guaranteed and sells out early and often.
  • Fees & Passes - Gateway Arch National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to No timed entry to the park itself[NPS 'Key Information' panel, verbatim] Make a reservation. This park has a timed entry system. You may need to make a reservation in advance. Reservations and timed entry. [The only item listed under that heading is 'Tram Ride to the Top Reservation'.]
  • Fees & Passes - Gateway Arch National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Documentary movie ticketWhen park visitors 16 and up buy tram or movie tickets, $3.00 of their ticket price goes to the National Park Service (entrance fee). ... they effectively get a $3.00 "discount" on the tram ride to the top and the documentary movie. Each passholder can purchase up to four discounted tickets.
  • Operating Hours & Seasons - Gateway Arch National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-08-05 · applies to Park grounds gate hoursThe park grounds are open from 5:00am -11:00pm year round. * Last tram leaves one hour prior to closing.
  • Operating Hours & Seasons - Gateway Arch National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-08-05 · applies to Holiday park closureGateway Arch National Park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. [Re-verified 2026-08-05; the sentence's subject is the park, not the visitor center. 2026 dates: January 1, November 26, December 25.]

Something wrong here?

Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.

corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-08-05

Nearest other national parks

Chosen by distance from Gateway Arch, not by editorial preference.