The Gateway Arch (or St. Louis Arch, as many call it) is a magnificent structure located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also called the “Gateway to the West.”
It was built in 1963-65 and is a monument to Thomas Jefferson and his ideas for America’s westward expansion. The Arch is the tallest man-made structure in the Western Hemisphere, standing 630 feet high. It was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in 1947 and cost $13 million. The monument opened to the public on June 10, 1967. It is located at the site of St. Louis’s founding on the west bank of the Mississippi River.
Some fun facts about the monument:
- The arch’s two legs were built separately, and if their measurements were off by as little as 1/64th of an inch, they would not have been able to join at the top.
- The arch is tall as it is wide.
- The insurance company for the project predicted that 13 workers would die during construction. No one died during construcction.
- Due to security concerns, presidents aren’t allowed to go to the top—except President Eisenhower (who signed the order for construction of the monument).
Read more about the Gateway Arch design here.
I visited the Gateway Arch back in the 90s. I’m not a big fan of heights yet you have to visit this monument if you go to St. Louis! The scariest part? The tram to the top.
The tram is a “one-of-a-kind” invention created by Dick Bowser. You step (and duck your head) into what looks like an egg shell design (they call it a capsule). If you are not a fan of tight spaces this is not for you! Read about the design of the tram system here and see what the ride up to the top of the arch looks like:
When you get to the top, here’s the spectacular views: (start at 4:50 mark; there’s more tram ride up before that, if interested):
If you haven’t been there, enjoy the virtual visit!
DCG