The Gateway Arch: A World-Class Website for an International Icon

Building the Framework for the Gateway Arch Website

Since the start of our partnership in 2018, the Gateway Arch, its national park and its attractions have undergone immense change. With over 1.6 million website users annually, the team sought to reevaluate its online presence. They had three goals in mind: elevating design, focusing on accessibility and highlighting ticketed and free attractions.

In the first stages of the process, we went to work adjusting the site navigation into a mega menu. Revising the menu allowed us to streamline their user experience and break up content into digestible sections. In addition, we integrated an internal linking strategy that acted as a soft navigation layer between deeply nested or related content. This strategy helps users navigate to related content across the site instead of scrolling one page for answers.

Redefining Page Organization

We converted their single “Experience” page into 17 dedicated pages that all fell into a two-tiered system beneath “Gateway Arch National Park” or “Riverfront”. Each page included details on a ticketed or free attraction a visitor may encounter within the park. For example, if a visitor was looking for information about taking the Tram Ride to the Top, they would be directed to all tram ride information, ticketing options and historical facts.

Our page strategy guides visitors through planning their visit, discovering attractions and understanding the monument’s historical significance. From there, we developed a custom keyword strategy across 35 pages. This helped maintain the site’s existing search volume and capitalize on new opportunities to drive ticket sales and increase park visitation rates.

Shifting the Tone

The Gateway Arch has been a welcoming sight for locals returning home and a beacon of wonder for newcomers coming into the city. Our goal was to maintain the website’s warm tone and add a layer of simplicity to drive action.

Our copywriting approach started with the bigger picture — drawing users to visit and stay to experience all it has to offer. With 91 acres to explore, we focused on telling the story of each paid and free attraction in Gateway Arch National Park. We strategically wrote pages to drive ticket purchases and inform visitors of how to spend their time at the Gateway Arch.

Each attraction has its own page to share pertinent planning information while still exuding a sense of wonder for all who encounter the website. By separating the content, we simplified the user journey, making it easier for visitors to find desired information.

Designing a World-Class Experience

With all the changes to the park grounds and museums, their team wanted the Gateway Arch website to rise to the occasion. Our design team crafted elements to help the site stand as proudly as the monument itself.

We set the stage with the home page by effortlessly incorporating the Gateway Arch’s branded blues and oranges with their desired dark brand look. Our designers incorporated its curvature into design elements and crafted icons for attractions. But one of the most unique design features was the animated park map.

The map highlights key attractions such as the Tram Ride to the Top, Old Courthouse and Riverboats. All of these elements were top priorities for the Gateway Arch team. Additionally, the map highlights free attractions like the Museum, Explorer’s Garden and park grounds, iconic photography spots and specific parking locations.

In all facets of design, our team remained attentive to detail and kept a close eye on color contrast to ensure any user could navigate the site. Our design team also incorporated considerations for accessibility including ALT tagging and video captioning. From the subtle curves to the vibrant park photography, we gave the Gateway Arch an inspired look that stands out against competing tourist attractions world-wide.

Working Beneath the Metal

Every website needs a web development team to bring the design and content direction to life. Our team worked hand-in-hand with the Gateway Arch web team to seamlessly transition the website while integrating new design elements into its ticketing platform, Galaxy.

Our web developers worked within the confines of Galaxy to reskin its interface and match the newly designed site. This allowed the “Buy Tickets” page to retain full functionality, deliver a visually cohesive experience and build user trust throughout the transaction journey. From there, the Galaxy team was able to carry our vision through its third-party system.

In addition, our developers ensured all animations functioned properly, addressed ADA compliance regulations and created custom content blocks to build new pages. Our work with coding also included attention to additional accessibility requests including keyboard navigation, pausing animations and screen reading considerations. The work we completed behind the scenes constructed a site that is accessible, functional and exciting for all. And, our specific focus on third-party integrations added an element of cohesion users will recognize wherever they navigate.

Explore the Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch’s new website launches them into a new realm of greatness — showcasing all it has to offer to all generations of visitors. Visit gatewayarch.com to view our work in action.

For more website projects, visit our work page to discover our latest websites and projects for the tourism industry.