The Gateway Arch isn't just a monument.
It's a thesis statement — a 630-foot stainless steel curve that marks where the American Midwest ends and the West begins. Every Route 66 traveler crosses the Mississippi at St. Louis, and the smart ones stop for a night.
Here's why St. Louis deserves more than a drive-by photo, and how to spend an unforgettable evening before you push west.
The Gateway Arch — Yes, Go to the Top
The Arch was finished in 1965, a monument to westward expansion designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen. From the ground it looks like a thin silver ribbon. Up close, you realize the base is 54 feet wide and tapers to just 17 feet at the top. It's an engineering miracle, and most travelers never realize you can ride to the top.
The tram to the top is a quirky 4-minute ride in small, egg-shaped pods that tilt as the Arch curves. The view from the top — 28 miles in every direction, the Mississippi snaking south, downtown St. Louis spread below — is one of the most underrated experiences in America.
Tickets sell out, especially in summer. Book online at least a day ahead through the National Park Service site. The whole experience (tram up, time at the top, tram down, museum below) takes about 90 minutes.
The Museum Below the Arch
Underneath the Arch is a fully renovated Museum at the Gateway Arch, which opened in 2018. It's free, takes about an hour, and is genuinely excellent — six galleries covering the Louisiana Purchase, the colonial fur trade, Manifest Destiny, and the construction of the Arch itself. The Route 66 era gets its own section, which makes this the perfect first museum stop on your trip.
Eat on The Hill
For dinner, drive 15 minutes southwest to The Hill — St. Louis's old Italian neighborhood, settled by immigrants from northern Italy in the late 1800s. The food here genuinely rivals New York's Little Italy, and it's where Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola grew up (they were childhood neighbors).
Two restaurants to know:
Charlie Gitto's on the Hill. Famous for inventing toasted ravioli — a St. Louis original that's now on menus across the city. Get the toasted ravs as an appetizer, then the cannelloni.
Cunetto House of Pasta. No reservations, expect a wait, worth it. The Italian Sausage Cunetto is legendary among locals.
The Original Route 66 Through St. Louis
If you have time the next morning, drive a stretch of the original Route 66 alignment through St. Louis. The road came in from the north via the Chain of Rocks Bridge — a 1929 Mississippi crossing with a famous 22-degree bend in the middle (yes, the bridge actually turns). It's closed to cars now but open to pedestrians and cyclists, and it's worth the 20-minute detour to walk across.
From there, the original alignment ran south through Skinker Boulevard, past Forest Park (the country's second-largest urban park, bigger than NYC's Central Park), and out of the city via Watson Road.
Where to Sleep
For a true Route 66 experience, drive 10 miles southwest of downtown to the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven in Springfield, MO — but that's a full day's drive. If you're staying in St. Louis itself, the Hotel Ignacio in the Grand Center Arts District is a quirky, design-forward boutique with a great in-house Italian restaurant (Triumph Grill).
Cheaper: Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis at the Arch is exactly what it sounds like — a clean, reliable chain hotel two blocks from the Arch, with free hot breakfast and a rooftop pool.
Practical Tips
Park downtown, walk the Arch. Don't drive to the Arch — parking is expensive and the walk from any downtown lot is short and pleasant.
Don't miss Ted Drewes. On your way out of town the next morning, stop at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard on Chippewa Street (the original Route 66 alignment). It's been there since 1929. Order a "concrete" — frozen custard so thick they serve it upside down to prove it.
Watch the timing on the Arch. The Arch is open 9am–6pm in winter, 8am–10pm in summer. Sunset rides are the best ones in summer — book those early.
Cross the river at dusk. If you arrive in St. Louis in the afternoon, plan your Mississippi crossing for sunset. The Arch lit up against the river at dusk is the photo that sells the trip.
Back to the Pillar
St. Louis is stop two of ten. See the full route here: Most People Drive Route 66 Wrong. These Are the 10 Stops That Matter.
Next stop: Tulsa, Oklahoma — where Art Deco architecture and original Route 66 neon still light up downtown at night.
