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There are national parks, and then there’s Gateway Arch National Park. Rising from the heart of St. Louis, Missouri, its iconic curve has long drawn the gaze of visitors. But what lies beneath that shining silhouette isn’t simply steel and symbolism. It’s thoughtful design, deliberate inclusion and a renewed understanding of what access truly means.
This park tells stories from centuries ago and holds within it the weight of American history, from westward expansion to landmark court cases, but it is not stuck in the past. Gateway Arch National Park has its eyes firmly fixed on the present, ensuring that the future includes everyone who steps onto its grounds. Its recent transformation, particularly the extensive renovations of the Old Courthouse, speaks volumes. This is done not in bronze plaques or dramatic speeches, but in quiet, purposeful features: elevators, ramps, tactile exhibits, captioned media, audio descriptions and spaces designed for true physical and cognitive ease.
Pam Sanfilippo, Program Manager for Museum Services and Interpretation at the park, shared insights into the massive $380 million public-private overhaul known as the CityArchRiver project, the most ambitious of its kind in national park service history. At the heart of that transformation was a bold question: how do you make a 19th-century courthouse and a mid-century architectural marvel accessible, not just technically, but genuinely?
With nearly 30 years in federal service, Pam brings a deep understanding of public history and a sincere passion for inclusive storytelling. Before arriving at Gateway Arch National Park in April 2020, she worked for the National Archives at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and for 19 years at the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis. Her work is grounded, thoughtful and rooted in the belief that history belongs to everyone and so should the spaces that tell it.
“Until now, the Old Courthouse had steps everywhere,” she said. “No elevators, no way in for so many people. That had to change.” Once closed off by steps and inaccessible floors, the Old Courthouse has reopened after five years of intense planning and construction. This was not a simple facelift. The renovations go far beyond fresh paint or new signage. They’ve rewired the very experience of visiting a historical building constructed before the concept of accessibility existed. From newly installed ramps at both entrances to an elevator that bridges the towering distance between floors, the building now welcomes visitors who were once locked out, not by intention, but by inaction. That era is over.
Inside, the exhibits are reimagined for touch, sight, sound and movement. The content is crafted with guidance from universal design experts, city accessibility leaders and, crucially, people with disabilities themselves. “It was important to include people with lived experience,” Pam emphasized. “We didn’t want to design for people, we worked with them.” And it shows. Visitors now glide seamlessly from the courthouse, across landscaped lawns and accessible walkways, straight into the visitor centre tucked beneath the Arch. Gone are the narrow sidewalks and intimidating crossings. In their place is a wide, inviting path that feels more like a plaza than a workaround.
Interactive elements are now housed in open table-style installations rather than traditional exhibit cases removing the need to turn sideways or crane your neck. There are no more barriers. Visitors in wheelchairs, children in strollers, older adults using walkers can all roll or walk directly up and engage, equally and with ease.
At the base of the Arch itself, the visitor centre continues this inclusive ethos. Every film plays with open captions. Audio tours are being upgraded and fine-tuned with platforms like Duratec to ensure clarity and usability. Tactile models and Braille elements offer context to those who explore through touch. The goal is to have meaningful integration from the outset.
But accessibility at the park does not end here. It includes design that considers neurodivergence and sensory sensitivity. Quiet hours and reduced-sensory programmes are being developed, creating an atmosphere that respects the needs of visitors with autism or sensory processing disorders. Staff training in inclusion and disability awareness is ongoing.
One element remains inaccessible: the tram ride to the top of the Arch. The space simply cannot support the infrastructure necessary for wheelchairs. Rather than allow that to be a point of exclusion, the park partnered with experts to develop a dedicated space below that simulates the experience with a live feed and accurate surroundings. It’s a compromise created with consideration and care.
What stands out at the park, however, is not only its physical transformation. It is the philosophical one. The park no longer tells its stories from a single viewpoint but through a wider, more truthful lens. The Old Courthouse doesn’t shy away from its darker chapters. Visitors learn not only about architectural styles or legal precedents, but about Dred and Harriet Scott, who once sued for their freedom inside those very walls. They hear about Virginia Minor, who challenged the status quo for women’s voting rights. The exhibits provide space for Indigenous perspectives, for uncomfortable truths and stories long erased or reduced to footnotes. This is history made real and inclusive.
Gateway Arch National Park has stepped into a role few parks manage to fully embrace: a national icon shaped not only by the past, but by a commitment to serve everyone in the present. Its transformation is the result of hard questions, honest reflection and sustained collaboration with the people who have long been underrepresented in public spaces.
It’s easy to build something beautiful. It’s harder to build something that matters while ensuring everyone can utilize it. Gateway Arch National Park has done both. The park is not only a symbol of ambition or progress. It is a place that says, with clarity and conviction, welcome, you belong here.
