Conference attendees will hear from representatives from the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, and the African American Civil Rights Network, and learn how to nominate St. Louis area sites to these networks. The conference is free to attend, no registration required. Participants are welcome to stay for the duration of the conference or drop-in for part of the day or specific sessions.

Conference speakers include Barry Jurgenson, Midwest Region Program Manager for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, Nathan Betcher, a historian with the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, and Ariel Roy, partner historian with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

The conference also includes presentations from local groups and individuals working to commemorate African American history in St. Louis, followed by roundtable discussion with the participants to discuss the people, places, and events they are working to commemorate as well as next steps in that process. Kelly Schmidt, Postdoctoral Research Associate with the WashU & Slavery Project and Elizabeth Simons, Community Program Manager with Great Rivers Greenway will moderate the roundtable.

The full conference itinerary is available below. 

Gateway to Inclusive History Conference ScheduleJune 19, 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

• 9:00 – 9:15 | Arrival, enter through security checkpoint and move to Tucker Theater
• 9:15 – 9:30 | Welcome & Invocation - Gateway Arch National Park and Rev. Anthony  

                  Witherspoon, Pastor of Washington Metropolitan AME Zion Church

• 9:30 - 10:25 | National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom – Barry Jurgenson
• 10:30 – 11:25 | Reconstruction Era National Historic Network – Nathan Betcher
• 11:30 – 12:25 | African American Civil Rights Network – Ariel Roy
• 12:25 – 2:00 | Lunch on your own
• 2:00 – 2:55 | Presentations by local groups and individuals working to commemorate
   African American history in St. Louis
• 3:00 – 3:55 | Roundtable discussion with participants to share people, places and events
   and next steps.
• 4:00 – 4:15 | Closing remarks from Gateway Arch National Park

Gateway Arch National Park includes the Gateway Arch, the Arch grounds, and the Old Courthouse. The Old Courthouse is the site of the first two trials of the pivotal Dred Scott case and is listed on the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The National Park Service is working with park partner Gateway Arch Park Foundation to renovate the Old Courthouse which is currently closed to the public. Updates to the Old Courthouse include adding new museum galleries, an HVAC system, a fire suppression system, and new office space, and installing an elevator to the second floor. The renovation of the Old Courthouse is the final phase of the $380 million CityArchRiver Project, the largest public-private partnership in the history of the National Park Service. Learn more about the renovation at nps.gov/jeff.

ARCH VISITOR REMINDERS
Visitors to the Arch must enter the Visitor Center at the entrance plaza which faces Fourth Street and the Old Courthouse. The Arch legs are exits only. Entrance to the Arch Visitor Center and the Museum at the Gateway Arch is always free. All visitors must pass through an airport-style security checkpoint to get to the lower level of the Arch facility. During the summer season, the Saturday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Gateway Arch is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. During the winter, from the Tuesday after Labor Day through the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, the Gateway Arch is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Gateway Arch National Park Grounds are open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. year-round. The last tram leaves one hour prior to closing (7 p.m. in the summer, 5 p.m. in the winter). Visitors should arrive at the Arch at least 30 minutes ahead of their scheduled tram time to allow ample time for the security screening.

The Tram Ride to the Top of the Arch sells out early and often. Visitors are strongly encouraged to purchase tram ride tickets in advance at gatewayarch.com/buytickets. For more information, visit nps.gov/jeff or gatewayarch.com, or call 877-982-1410. 

Preferred Arch parking is available at the Stadium East Garage, located at 200 S. Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102, for a fee. Visit iparkit.com/TheArch to pre-purchase parking with no validation required. If parking is not pre-purchased, validation is required by scanning/stamping the parking ticket at one of two validators located inside the Arch Visitor Center. With each parking purchase at the Stadium East Garage, $1 will go to support ongoing conservation and preservation efforts, educational opportunities, and community programs at Gateway Arch National Park through Gateway Arch Park Foundation.

Metered street parking is also located near Gateway Arch National Park. 

ABOUT GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK: Gateway Arch National Park is a unit of the National Park System that commemorates Thomas Jefferson’s vision of a unified continental nation and St. Louis’ role as the gateway to the American West during the 19th century and preserves the Old Courthouse as the site of the Dred Scott case. The park includes the Gateway Arch, the Arch grounds and the Old Courthouse, located on the riverfront in downtown St. Louis. Admission to the Museum at the Gateway Arch is free, and most programs are free of charge and open to the public. Many programs and events at the park benefit from the generous support from park partners Gateway Arch Park Foundation, Jefferson National Parks Association and Bi-State Development. The Gateway Arch is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the summer season and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the winter season. The park grounds are open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. year-round. The Old Courthouse is currently closed. The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. For more information about Gateway Arch National Park, visit NPS.gov/jeff.

Original source can be found here