NextStop Blog

I think sometimes we forget that the Arch isn’t just a great big tall monument/building, but is actually a national park. This weekend is a great time to experience the “park” part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial with two days of outdoor fun, celebrating our national parks.

ParkPalooza features 10 interactive “stations” for visitors, including archeology, mapping, water safety, nature encounters, and more. The event also features two seven-mile guided bike tours on Sunday, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Seven miles maybe sounds like a lot, but this tour is about one and a half hours of biking over nice level ground. Casual riders in reasonable shape should have no problem. Map .pdf here.) You can even stop by an view the “Baseball’s Gateway to the West” exhibit, complete with a scavenger hunt game (.pdf).

What’s the best part? Not only is this event totally accessible via Metro (Lacledes Landing MetroLink station, of course!) but it is 100% free. Get more info by visiting the national parks page, and check out the photos from last year while you’re there.