The Gateway Arch – or, more formally, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial – soars high as the iconic image of the City of St. Louis, Mo, and the entire region.
It was designed by architect Eero Saarinen in 1947 after a nationwide competition to design a monument honoring America’s western pioneers. The Arch stands as Saarinen’s first great triumph as a solo architect.
Some key facts include:
- Construction of the Arch began on February 12, 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965.
- The monument opened to the public on July 10, 1967.
- The Arch is 630 feet high, and 630 feet wide at its base.
- It cost about $13 million to build.
The Gateway Arch Riverfront now attracts more than four million visitors each year.
Information on visiting the Gateway Arch Riverfront can be found at www.gatewayarch.com
To find out more about the context and history of the memorial, watch Jefferson National Expansion Memorial historian Bob Moore’s presentation at the competition pre-submittal briefing, January 13, 2010
- Context and History of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Bob Moore, Historian, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, National Park Service)
For more historical information on the Arch, see the National Park Service Web site.
- Jefferson National Expansion Memorial – General Management Plan
- Excerpts from Chapters 4 and 5, JNEM Cultural Landscape Report Update 2010