The Gateway Arch has become the definitive symbol of the city of St. Louis and is the tallest monument in the National Park system. At 630 feet the Arch is 75 feet taller than the Washington Monument and more than twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty. The Arch is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which also includes the Museum of Westward Expansion and the Old Courthouse.In 1935 40 city blocks of the St. Louis riverfront was selected as the site for construction of a monument to commemorate the westward expansion of the United States in the 19th century. In 1947 the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association held a nationwide competition to obtain an appropriate design for the Memorial Holidays Planer. The winner in the competition was architect Eero Saarinen whose idea of a giant stainless steel arch in the shape of an inverted catenary curve is a complex engineering feat. Construction on the Arch began in 1963 and was completed in 1965.
The interior of the Arch is hollow and contains a unique transport system leading to an observation deck at the top. A unique tram system that combines an elevator cable lift system with cars similar to Ferris wheel gondolas had been installed. The cars hold 5 passengers and 8 cars are linked to form a train with a capacity of 40 passengers. The trip to the top of the Arch takes four minutes, and the trip back down takes three minutes. The car doors have narrow glass panes, allowing passengers to see the interior stairways and structure of the Arch during the trip. An observation area on top of the arch has small windows that allow views across the Mississippi River and southern Illinois with its prominent Mississippian culture mounds to the east at Cahokia, and the City of Saint Louis and St. Louis County to the west beyond the city. On a clear day, one can see up to thirty miles.
History of Gateway Arch
On this day in 1965, construction is completed on the Gateway Arch, a spectacular 630-foot-high parabola of stainless steel marking the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial on the waterfront of St. Louis, Missouri.The Gateway Arch, designed by Finnish-born, American-educated architect Eero Saarinen, was erected to commemorate President Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and to celebrate St. Louis’ central role in the rapid westward expansion that followed. As the market and supply point for fur traders and explorers—including the famous Meriwether Lewis and William Clark—the town of St. Louis grew exponentially after the War of 1812, when great numbers of people began to travel by wagon train to seek their fortunes west of the Mississippi River. In 1947-48, Saarinen won a nationwide competition to design a monument honoring the spirit of the western pioneers. In a sad twist of fate, the architect died of a brain tumor in 1961 and did not live to see the construction of his now-famous arch, which began in February 1963. Completed in October 1965, the Gateway Arch cost less than $15 million to build. With foundations sunk 60 feet into the ground, its frame of stressed stainless steel is built to withstand both earthquakes and high winds. An internal tram system takes visitors to the top, where on a clear day they can see up to 30 miles across the winding Mississippi and to the Great Plains to the west. In addition to the Gateway Arch, the Jefferson Expansion Memorial includes the Museum of Westward Expansion and the Old Courthouse of St. Louis, where two of the famous Dred Scott slavery cases were heard in the 1860s.
Things to Do
The Gateway Arch is just one part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. The Museum of Westward Expansion is located under the Arch. This free museum features exhibits on Lewis & Clark and 19th century pioneers who moved America’s borders westward. Just across the street from the Arch is the third part of the Memorial, the Old Courthouse. This historic building was the site of the famous Dred Scott slavery trial. Today, you can tour restored courtrooms and galleries. If you visit during the holiday season, you’ll see some of the finest Christmas decorations in town. Gateway Arch is a Awesome Place For Vacations.
