Riders briefly stuck inside Gateway Arch trams

ST. LOUIS – Multiple people were stuck inside the trams in one leg of the Gateway Arch on Monday afternoon.

It was a tram ride to remember for about 25 people inside for all the wrong reasons. The four-minute ride up was fine, but the three-minute ride on the way down was anything but.

According to Pam Sanfilippo, program manager of museum services and interpretation at Gateway Arch National Park, approximately eight trams or cabs stopped at 3:18 p.m., about 100 feet from the north-end bottom load zone.

Park staff was able to maintain contact with the visitors through the tram PA system. Sarah Ka was one of those riders trapped.

“I just thought that it would be a bump…we just waited,” Ka said. “I’m relieved now that I’m safe.”

Park management dispatched a tram engineer to try and fix the problem. When that didn’t work, park authorities contacted the St. Louis Fire Department.

Firefighters and the Gateway Arch team got everyone safely off the tram, Sanfilippo said. No injuries were reported. The incident added about two extra hours to what is normally a 60-minute experience.

Jack Berry had just come down from the south side of the arch.

“I think that’s really scary. I would probably start kicking and screaming and wanting to get out,” Berry said.

The same issue occurred in 2022 , as about 20 people were stuck in the north-leg tram.

The north side of the Arch will be shut down as maintenance crews diagnose and correct the issue. Sanfilippo said there was no timetable on when the north leg will be up and running again.

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