North Overlook

North Overlook is a pedestrian terrace at the north river edge of the Gateway Arch grounds. It’s a compact stop for a wider city view: the Mississippi, Eads Bridge, and the Arch all share the scene. If you’re already walking the North Gateway, pause here for the river side of the memorial instead of another view from directly beneath the Arch.

For a photo, include Eads Bridge and the Arch in one frame, leaving some Mississippi in front. That gives the picture its riverfront setting and the scale of the bridge, instead of making this another close Arch shot.

North Overlook was one of the structures included in Eero Saarinen’s plan for the Arch landscape; landscape architect Dan Kiley worked with him from the 1947 memorial competition. Look back from the terrace and the grounds aren’t just a green surround: the paths curve in the same catenary line as the Arch, a form repeated in stairs, river overlooks, and retaining walls. In 1987, the Arch and its grounds were designated a National Historic Landmark.

Eads Bridge was completed in 1874 and is the oldest bridge over the Mississippi. It gives this overlook a second piece of St. Louis history in the same view as the Arch.

The terrace sits in the 7.5-acre North Gateway, where accessible routes connect Laclede’s Landing, the Arch, and the riverfront. Explorer’s Garden has landscaped paths sized for children, and the natural amphitheater hosts concerts and other events. This works best as a pause while you explore the wider north end of the grounds.