Gateway Helicopter Tours

Gateway Helicopter Tours is a privately run scenic-flight operator that departs from a floating heliport on the Mississippi just north of Gateway Arch National Park. It's a separate activity from the park's tram and museum. If you want to see the Arch and St. Louis from above, it's an unusual add-on; plan for a seasonal, weather-dependent flight rather than a fixed part of a park visit.

The departure point is the St. Louis Downtown Heliport, a 175-by-54-foot deck barge moored about 50 feet north of the park. It's the only FAA-approved public heliport in the United States on a floating barge. When the river rises above 29 feet, water can cover its boarding ramps and leave the heliport unreachable by land.

From the air, the Arch, Mississippi and downtown sit together in one sweep. Depending on the route, you may also see Busch Stadium, the Anheuser-Busch campus, Missouri Botanical Garden or Forest Park; which ones you see depends on the flight. Flights cannot pass through the Arch; doing so is against the law. Photos and video are allowed once you're aboard, but not on the flight deck beside the helicopter.

The departure address is 50 N. Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard. General levee parking nearby is fee-based when available, but it's separate from the tour and can close with river or weather conditions. The Paddlewheel Café is dockside nearby, but it's a separate stop. The aircraft carries up to three passengers plus a pilot; the operator lists 300-pound per-seat and 550-pound combined-passenger limits, so check that your group fits before booking. Access from the riverfront path onto the floating pad isn't clear, so check with the operator if a step-free route matters to you.