Last week our family took a vacation and we went to St. Louis, MO. One of the main attractions that we planned on seeing was the Arch. I had never been to St. Louis before, let alone the Arch, so I was looking forward to what we would see and learn while were there.
Ten Things I Learned About the Arch
- It’s name is not the St. Louis Arch. I always called it, and heard others call it, the St. Louis Arch. It’s official name is Gateway Arch.
- Why it was made. The Gateway Arch was built as part of Jefferson National Expansion Memorial to signify St. Louis’s part in the westward expansion of the United States. Starting as a French fur trading post, explored by Lewis and Clark,bustling with commerce, and being close to the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, St. Louis was an important city as the nation moved West.
- When it was built. The Arch started being built in 1963 and completed in 1965.
- Who designed it. There was a competition held for best design of the memorial, and Eero Saarinen won with his design of the arch.
- How tall it is. It is the tallest national monument, standing at 630 feet.
- What it is made of. The structure is made of stainless steel on the outside, carbon steel on the inside, and concrete in the middle.
- You can go inside the arch! I figured that we would just stand outside and take a good look at this huge arch, but no, you actually get to go inside it’s hollow legs!
- The way you get to the top is in a pod. You would think that there is a little staircase all the way to the top, and there is in case of emergencies. There are actually little pods that you sit in and ride to the top of the arch.
- You can go to the top and look out a window. When you get to the top of the arch, you can step out of your pod, climb some stairs and you will be a the top of the arch. There are windows to look out and see an awesome view of the city
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- You can get a really cool picture of the shadow of the arch from the top.
It was really neat to see, experience, and learn about the Gateway Arch with my family.
What national monument would you like to visit?
Average Housewife 
We have ridden past the arch many times over the past 4 years…..but never stopped…I hope we do stop one day, though I don’t know if I could go to the top!
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I won’t lie. I was a little nervous myself, but I’m glad we did it. The nice thing is you can stay on top as long as you’d like. You can leave whenever the next pod comes up or wait until you’re ready to go.
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Aww! You were in my neck of the woods!! I’m glad you enjoyed your visit to St. Louis. The Arch is one of our favorite sights here. It really doesn’t get old.
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We went a few years ago and your description is very good! Could you add the cost? My husband and oldest daughter are afraid of heights so they were a little scared looking out the windows at the top but had a good time. I was surprised by the security search on the way in. 🙂
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It was $10 per adult and $5 per child. There is also a free museum to walk through. They offer educational movies too. The movies cost $7 per adult and $2.50 per child, according to their website. http://www.stlouisarch.com/experience/the-gateway-arch/
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