St. Louis & Gateway Arch NP Self Guided Drive & Walk Audio Tour
Description
Discover the Riverfront City with a self-guided audio tour that moves at your pace! Explore the Gateway Arch and the surrounding landmarks, including the Old Courthouse, the Basilica, and the Customs House. Along the way, you’ll hear the many tales that reside here, from Lewis and Clark to the history of the Blues. Then, drive into Forest Park to see the World’s Fair Pavilion, wave hello to the animals at the Zoo, and finish up the day at the Art Museum. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Over 170 architects from across the country submitted designs. Out of all the designs, it was Finnish-American Eero Saarinen’s crazy arch design that turned heads. It went against all ideas about what a monument ought to look like. And it wasn’t just about commemorating western expansion but also about marking the modern age. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. The tour is over 10.5 miles long, with more than 47 audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete.
Kiener was born and raised here in St. Louis, and throughout his youth gained a reputation as quite the sportsman. He made a name for himself in many sports, including boxing, wrestling, and swimming. He even participated in the 1904 Olympic games as part of the US track team.
While much of the area was bought up during the making of Gateway Arch National Park, there was one exception: The Old Cathedral. The Old Cathedral had always been a staple of the St. Louis community.
The twin pillars and fortress-like design are great examples of French Second Empire architecture. If it seems a little out of place, that was kind of the point! Following the Civil War, cities like St. Louis were reeling from losing the war. Officials wanted to restore pride back to local communities. So in 1873, Alfred Mullett was commissioned to design something to remind folks of St. Louis’s French roots.
When we reach the intersection of Locust and 13th, we’ll see the St. Louis Public Library on our left. You can’t miss this grand stone structure. The library system originally opened in 1865, though not in this building.
Just past the next intersection, you’ll see a grand, multi-layered stone structure on our right with giant columns out front and huge bronze doors. This used to be a Freemason temple, though they sold it in 2017. The Freemasons are a fraternal, closed membership society that has temples and groups all over the world.
We’re about to enter Forest Park. This massive 1,300-acre park dates back to 1876 and is the heart of downtown St. Louis. For comparison, New York City’s Central Park is only 843 acres!
This is one of many attractions built specifically for the World’s Fair in 1904 that happened to be too good to just throw away. Originally, though, it wasn’t a proper zoo. It was just an aviary on loan from Washington D.C. and a few exotic animal exhibits.
That’s King Louis IX of France! Known as the Apotheosis of St. Louis, this statue is actually a replica of the original.
During the World’s Fair, this basin was the center of attention. All the temporary exhibition buildings were situated around this body of water, meaning that everyone who visited got to take in this gorgeous view.
We’ve reached the end of our tour. The visitor center is just ahead, and parking is on the right. I highly recommend parking here, grabbing a map, and spending more time here in Forest Park.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
Reviews(7)
Great way to learn about the landmarks of St Louis at your own pace -- including the Arch, churches, history of the blues in STL, zoo and Forest River park.
Mary, thank you for taking my St. Louis & Gateway Arch GPS drive-and-walk audio tour. I’m so glad it helped you explore the city’s landmarks at your own pace, from the Arch and historic churches to blues history, the zoo, and Forest Park. I hope you’ll try another flexible city audio tour with me soon. Happy exploring!
Great audio for providing history and entails. Was unable to connect to car radio so played on cell phone burning minutes. For some reason it cutoff inside Forest Park and never gave directions for next site to leave the park nor did it provide an ending. We tried multiple timee to reset it and even drive around to no avail. Needs fixed. Other than that, good concept.
David, I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you experienced with my Saint Louis Self-Guided Driving and Walking Audio Tour. I appreciate your feedback and would like to learn more so my team can investigate. Could you tell me which route or section inside Forest Park the audio stopped working? Also, did you start the tour from the recommended starting point and follow the designated route? That usually ensures the GPS-triggered stories work smoothly. For car audio, you can connect via Bluetooth instead of CarPlay for now — full support is coming soon. Please contact me anytime between 9 and 6 EST so I can personally assist in resolving this or provide a replacement.
Travel directions were easy to follow. Narration as we went along, especially at the Arch, was informative and interesting. Enjoyed this tour.
James, I’m so glad you enjoyed my Saint Louis Self-Guided Driving and Walking Audio Tour. It’s great to hear that the directions were easy to follow and that you found the narration—especially around the Arch—informative and engaging. I’m glad the tour enhanced your experience of exploring St. Louis. If you're ready for more adventures, check out my 100+ Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours—there's plenty more to explore with the same convenience and flexibility!
Easy to use- very educational - nice to go at our own pace and not have to be in a tour group-like the walking maps as we went-
Hi there, I’m happy you found my Saint Louis audio tour easy to use and educational. It’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed exploring at your own pace and using the walking maps. Thanks for sharing your experience, and if you're ready for more adventures, check out my 100+ Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours—there's plenty more to discover with the same convenience and flexibility!
It was great but the GPS did not work the best as it did not recognized street closures. We made it work though and will do it again!!
Nicholas, sorry to hear about the trouble with the GPS—street closures can definitely throw things off sometimes. I’ll be sure to update my listing if there’s a closure in the area. The good thing is, your tour stays valid for a year, so you can always revisit and catch any stops you missed once things open up again. Glad you made it work, and even happier to hear you’re planning to do it again. If you're ready for more adventures, check out my 100+ Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours—there's plenty more to explore with the same convenience and flexibility!
Fun Tour. Good app, did it's job. We could wander around, no rush, learning cool facts at our own leisure. The tour was perfect for a day of exploring.
Benny, I’m thrilled you enjoyed my Saint Louis Self-Guided Driving and Walking Audio Tour. The flexibility to wander around, explore at your own pace, and learn fun facts makes it a great way to spend the day. If you're ready for more adventures, check out my 100+ Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours—there's plenty more to explore with the same convenience and flexibility!
Good trip. Beautiful monuments and park and its stories/points were good too. St. Louis is a city with a lot to offer. The app also worked fine and the map really helped a lot. Will definitely visit again and would recommend this tour to all.
I'm glad you enjoyed my St. Louis Self-Guided Driving and Walking Audio Tour. It’s a fantastic city with so much to explore, and I’m happy the map and audio made it even more convenient for you. If you're ready for more adventures, check out my 100+ Self-Guided Driving and Walking Tours—there's plenty more to explore with the same convenience and flexibility!
