Gateway Arch Lights to Go Dark in May For Bird Migration Season

ST. LOUIS - The National Park Service will turn off the Gateway Arch’s exterior lights at night from Friday, May 1, through Sunday, May 31, 2026, at Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis as part of an effort to protect birds during spring migration.

The agency said it will not illuminate the monument throughout May to help ensure migrating birds’ safe passage during heavy migration periods.

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According to the National Park Service, 40% of the nation’s migratory waterfowl use the Mississippi River corridor during their spring and fall migration. The agency said upgraded lighting installed in December 2023 significantly reduced flare in the night sky, and that turning the lights off provides additional protection during migration.

The National Park Service began turning the Gateway Arch’s exterior lights off in 2002 to protect migrating birds, the agency said.

The lights are scheduled to be turned back on beginning the evening of Monday, June 1, 2026, and the monument will be lit nightly thereafter.

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