09/07/2026
We can all do our own small parts; they add up!
St. Louis is turning off the Gateway Arch’s lights to help protect migrating birds.
The National Park Service switches off the Arch’s exterior floodlights during the fall migration season, giving birds traveling through the St. Louis region a darker and safer path through the night.
St. Louis sits beneath the Mississippi Flyway, one of North America’s major bird migration routes. Around 40% of the country’s migratory waterfowl use the Mississippi River corridor during their seasonal journeys.
Many birds migrate at night, using natural light, stars and other environmental cues to navigate. Bright artificial lighting can disorient them, drawing them away from their routes and increasing the risk of exhaustion or collisions with buildings.
More than 300 bird species pass through the St. Louis region during migration, making the area an important stop along their journeys.
Turning off the Arch’s lights is not a new response. The National Park Service began the practice in 2002 and continues it during major spring and fall migration periods.
The Arch, museum and national park grounds remain open to visitors at night. Only the exterior floodlighting is turned off.
The lights are scheduled to return to their normal evening schedule on October 1, after the peak of the fall migration.
It is a simple change, but for birds traveling thousands of miles through the night, a darker sky can make the journey a little safer.
