gateway arch national park national geographic

The park as a whole is a unique tourist attraction, with a highlight being a tram ride that carries visitors up the arch to an observation area at the top of the structure on the inside. The remaining of the features of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park were completed by 1976. Happily, this was averted by careful planning, though there were a lot of people (and reporters) who rather anticipated such a failure and waited on site to observe the placement of the last section of the arch. One key concern with the arch was the fact that an error of 1/64 of an inch or more at the foundations would mean that the two halves of the arch would not meet. These clever cranes actually climbed up the sides of the arch as it went up. When the arch was built, the two halves of the 630 foot tall stainless-steel clad arch were constructed simultaneously with the aid of special cranes that hoisted individual sections, which were then welded in place. Though it was decided to build the arch design in 1948, the project took a while to materialize the ground was broken for the arch a little more than a decade later. Despite several challenges to the project, including doubts as to whether or not Saint Louis was actually the “gateway to the west,” a final design for the arch was selected. The stated purpose of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park was to commemorate the Westward Expansion under Thomas Jefferson.

The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park and the Gateway Arch

This structure was the highlight of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park, which had its origins in the 1930s. On June 10, 1967, the Gateway Arch was opened to the public.

Gateway arch national park national geographic