![]() ![]() As you travel upward, the windows in the tram capsule will let you see the interior of the arch -a series of stainless-steel triangles that get increasingly narrow as you climb. Take a four-minute trip to the top of the arch in a unique tram that leads to a stairwell leading up to an observation deck. Imagine yourself standing at the opening to a massive shimmering ‘gate’ beyond which half the country sprawls - lands that, prior to 1803, when Jefferson bought them from France through the Louisiana Purchase deal, were virtually unknown to the pioneers. During a visit, you’ll be experiencing the spot where the push into the American west began. Exploring the Gateway Arch by Tramīecause of its location, the arch is also known as the Gateway to the West. Louis from the top of the arch and delve into two very important aspects of American history - the 19 th-century exploration of the American west (the park is near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore and map out the western part of the country just after it was acquired) and the historic legal debate over American slavery (the park incorporates the Old Courthouse where a landmark freedom-from-slavery case was tried). Head to the park to see the magnificent structure designed by Eero Saarinen, one of the world’s greatest architects get an awesome bird’s eye view of St. ![]() In October of 2020, it celebrated its 55 th birthday - a bit over a year-and-a-half after the 91-acre surrounding site was designated a National Park. At 63-stories high, the swooping stainless-steel arch is the tallest manmade monument in America and has a bold legacy to match its commanding stature. Louis, Missouri’s Gateway Arch National Park. are as iconic and recognizable as the Gateway Arch in downtown St. In 2018 it was rededicated as Gateway Arch National Park.Few monuments in the U.S. The park was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. ![]() A subterranean visitor center, also designed by Saarinen, was replaced with one designed by Cooper Robertson and James Carpenter Design Associates with a glass-fronted entrance and a regraded western approach that reinforced visual and physical connections with Luther Ely Smith Square and the Old Courthouse. Kiley’s design intent was retained, with some trees, shrubs, and perennials throughout replaced with native and more resilient species. A parking garage on the park’s north side was replaced by a bowl-shaped lawn. Completed in 2018, and funded by a public-private partnership, the work improved park access with the addition of a 280-foot-long pedestrian land bridge across Interstate 40, regraded the site, and introduced pedestrian and bike paths to improve connectivity with the surrounding neighborhood. In 2009 Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates won a design competition for improving the visitor experience. The Gateway Arch was completed in 1965 and dedicated in 1968, with landscape construction continuing for more than a decade. The sweeping landscape reflects the curve of the Arch, repeating the curvature in walkways, stairs, and site walls. ![]() Saarinen and Kiley revisited their original design to create a concept that respected important axial sight lines between the Gateway Arch and the Old Courthouse. Implementation was delayed until 1957 when funding became available. Their winning design was asymmetrical and heavily wooded, proposing that Saarinen's Gateway Arch rise from an urban forest. The land for the Jefferson Expansion National Memorial was set aside by Executive Order in 1935 and a design competition for the site was won by Eero Saarinen and Dan Kiley in 1947. Located on the western bank of the Mississippi River, the 630-foot-tall stainless steel arch is the centerpiece of this 91-acre national park. ![]()
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