It would be great to include something more ACTIVE at the site:
- cafe with outdoor seating
- bike / walking trail connection
- ice cream vendor / coffee vendor
- boat marina
- revolving museum exhibits

The arch grounds is way too static. We need something that entices people to come back repeatedly and something that generates REVENUE.

I agree that the grounds need to be more accessible. And there should be more activities for visiting families. The Landing is great if you want to drink your night away, but I would never take a family there for dinner or anything like that. I think someone mentioned an aquarium. Not a bad idea, or some kind of mini-zoo/museum focusing on the local flora/fauna. Someone mentioned a water park. Also not a bad idea. But, I think care must be taken to avoid turning it into a tacky theme park. Maintain some of the “pristine” park-like ambience. Find a way to make it picnic friendly (access issue again). Farmer’s Market? Seasonal food vendors?

He are some of my thoughts on how to make the Arch and surrounding area better. I think the Arch is great but it should not be the only thing St. Louis is known for. The city was started 200 years before the Arch was built after all. It is also a “National Expansion Memorial”. It should reflect that more above ground, and not just with the underground museum.

1) Access: Just cover the part of I-70 between the old courthouse to the arch grounds. Make it green space to match. If that is impossible, then build a low arch shaped pedestrian walkway joining to two. Improve parking and provide shuttle service on weekends.

2) General: Allow mobile food vendors in the park. They should meet some guideline in the appearance of their cart to look historic etc. Perhaps these are run by the park service. Allow live musicians. Set up a stage for live theater. In the winter set up ice skating on an arch pond. Have hay rides in the fall and horse drawn buggies in the winter.

3) Grounds: Keep it mainly green space. However, here are some things that could be added in moderation. Place sculptures all through the Arch grounds. Have a contest for sculptures reflecting the history of St. Louis or westward expansion in general. I would love to see river boat “statues” of some of the more famous ones to ply the waters of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Add westward expansion informative historic markers and displays. Make some interactive and have appeal to young and the old. Perhaps inlay a map of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers on the sidewalks. Towns and historic locations could be indicated. Have various rotating displays or artwork. When the baseball All Star game is held in St. Louis in 2009 displays could be out related to the Cardinals and Browns.

4) Lodge: Build a lodge on the Poplar street bridge side of the park. It could be a large timber structure like at the Pere Marquette Illinois State park. Many National Parks have such lodges. Or better yet, make it some how have the architecture of the old warehouse district that was once at the Arch grounds. It should have a large restaurant with some outside seating. Perhaps a small café/coffee shop too. It should be fairly large with modern amenities, pool etc. It should have things that would appeal to visitors and locals alike.

5) Riverfront: Have riverboats on the landing again! Several could house a museum about riverboats. Aside from a permanent exhibits I imagine that a visiting display could be set up from the artifacts of the steamboats Bertrand or Arabia. Both boats left from St. Louis and the current museums can’t display everything. The Steamboat Bertrand is owned by the federal government so that should help. Try to attract some restaurants there again. Maybe seasonal lodging on boats. Where is that old Casio Queen going? Perhaps it could be purchased and adapted.