A revitalized Gateway Arch National Park was dedicated during a festive ceremony July 3 in St. Louis, the culmination of a five-year, $380 million renovation project.

The park was established in 1935 as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial to honor President Thomas Jefferson, who turned St. Louis into the Gateway to the West by doubling the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

It was renamed Gateway Arch National Park through federal legislation in February to better reflect the nature of the park, which is widely associated with its landmark 630-foot-tall stainless-steel arch designed by neo-futuristic Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. This was the first major renovation of the park since the arch was completed in 1965.

The hugely expensive makeover was made possible through fund-raising efforts by the public-private CityRiverArch Project, a partnership that is seen as a template for future improvements to the nation’s treasured network of more than 400 national parks, monuments and historic sites.

Improvements resulting from the project include a new entrance into the arch, an expanded and updated museum and sweeping landscape changes.

One of the most noticeable improvements is that the new entrance into the arch and museum that extends underground beneath the structure – a westward facing curved glass crescent that draws natural light into the museum space. Entry had previously been gained via stairways at the arch’s legs, which now serve as exit points.

The updated museum has been increased by nearly a third and now totals nearly 150,000 square feet. Its exhibits trace the history of St. Louis from its beginning as a French fur trading outpost to the present day, and feature a number of new galleries.

Visitors are greeted by a high-definition video experience that has them facing a charging herd of buffalo, a paddle-wheeler churning along the Missouri River and a wagon train rumbling across the plains. A floor map outlines the Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, pinpointing St. Louis’ historic and geographic connection to the waterways that opened the West.

The most significant change to the grounds is an expansive greenway land bridge that stretches from the arch over Interstate 44 to the Old Courthouse. The 1839 Greek Revival-style courthouse gained national fame as the setting for trials that heard the Dred Scott case on issues of slavery in 1847 and 1850.

The courthouse has always been part of the park complex, serving as its visitor center, but until the renovation project it was separated from the arch by the interstate, complicating passage between the two sites. Traffic now flows beneath the greenway and the entire park complex is now conveniently connected to downtown St. Louis.

The massive renovation project hasn’t been entirely completed, as work to spruce up the Old Courthouse is expected to continue until 2020.

Many other improvements have been made to the grounds. Nearly 2,400 trees have been added along with additional walking and biking paths. A rolling, 7 1/2-acre park crisscrossed with pathways has replaced an ugly multistory parking garage that once stood at the north end of the park’s Mississippi riverfront.

Park visitors 16 and older pay a $3.00 entrance fee to the arch facility — but the entrance fee is included for those purchasing a ticket for a tram ride to the top of the arch ($13 by advance reservation).

Visit www.nps.gov/jeff, or call 314-655-1600 (877-982-1410 for tram reservations).