Gateway Arch National Park

Permit Information

NPS Special Use Permit required for weddings and ceremonies at Gateway Arch National Park, which includes the Arch grounds and the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis. Submit NPS Form 10 930 to Gateway_Arch_Permits@nps.gov. The application fee is $200 non refundable. Applications are handled first come, first served and should be submitted well in advance (at least 30 days, longer for popular dates). Contact the Special Park Uses Coordinator at 314 655 1768 to confirm ceremony location options…

Planning Your Day at Gateway Arch National Park

One-Spot Day

Gateway Arch is the urban national park, 91 acres between the Mississippi River and the Old Courthouse. Stay in a downtown St. Louis hotel within walking distance (Four Seasons, Hyatt Regency at the Arch, or the Courtyard at Laclede's Landing) and base the entire day on foot. Morning ceremony at 7am to 8am at the North Grand Staircase before tourist traffic, breakfast at a downtown spot, tram ride to the top of the Arch mid morning for portraits at 630 feet, lunch, then golden hour portraits in Luther Ely Smith Square. Zero driving required.

Ceremony + Portraits Split

Three distinct ceremony zones, each with its own look. North Grand Staircase delivers the full Arch behind plus the Mississippi River view (up to 30 standing, no chairs). Luther Ely Smith Square frames the Arch and the 1862 Old Courthouse in one shot with a reflecting pond (up to 40 standing). North Gateway Gardens gives you the iconic 'keyhole' under the Arch composition with native plantings and fewer tourists (up to 20). Pick one for the vows and use the other two for portrait stops.

A Note on Light

Late April through early June and mid September through late October are the sweet spots. Downtown humidity and heat in July and August become punishing with the concrete reflection. Morning ceremonies (7am to 9am) are coolest, quietest, and catch the sun rising over the Mississippi behind the Arch. Amplified music is not permitted anywhere in the park. Ceremonies do not grant exclusive use, tourists will move through every site. The Arch at night lit against a cold winter sky is striking but evening ceremony permits are rare.

Ceremony Spots at Gateway Arch National Park

• North Grand Staircase Overlooking the Mississippi — Couples wanting a sweeping Mississippi River backdrop with the Arch towering behind and a true downtown St. Louis sense of place
• Luther Ely Smith Square — Couples who want the Arch and the historic Old Courthouse in a single frame, with a landscaped park feel in the middle of downtown
• North Gateway Gardens and Keyhole View — Intimate elopements that want the iconic under the Arch 'keyhole' angle with softer native plant surroundings and fewer tourists than the west entrance plaza

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