'Gateway Arch National Park' Renaming Becomes Official

ST. LOUIS, MO — The National Park Service has announced that Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is now Gateway Arch National Park, a move intended to better communicate to the public its status as a national park and home of the internationally recognized Gateway Arch.

“Gateway Arch National Park helps visitors connect the Arch to the National Park Service,” says Mike Ward, Superintendent at the Gateway Arch National Park. “The mission of the park remains the same regardless of the park’s name. The stories of Thomas Jefferson and his vision of westward expansion are woven throughout the new Museum at the Gateway Arch, which celebrates its grand opening on July 3, while Dred Scott and his freedom suit are showcased at the Old Courthouse.”

Legislation to change the park’s name was introduced in the U.S. Senate last summer. It was passed by the U.S. Senate in December, and by the U.S. House of Representatives in February. The bipartisan legislation was sponsored in the Senate by Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill, and in the House by Reps. William Lacy Clay, Ann Wagner and Blaine Luetkemeyer. It was signed into law by President Trump.

“The name ‘Jefferson National Expansion Memorial’ was established long before the Gateway Arch was envisioned, and has simply never been adopted by our millions of visitors,” Ward said. “We hope this new name will best reflect the magnificent renovations and visitor experience we will unveil in a few months.”

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