The story behind the place
Architect Eero Saarinen designed the Gateway Arch as a landmark for St Louis. Completed in 1965, its stainless-steel exterior forms an inverted catenary, with triangular-section legs narrowing towards the top. The Arch is as wide at ground level as it is tall: 630 feet, or about 192 metres. The national park also interprets the complex history of westward expansion, including the conquest and displacement experienced by Indigenous peoples.
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Read more from the sources
- Materials and TechniquesU.S. National Park Service
- Gateway Arch Fact SheetU.S. National Park Service
- Gateway Arch National Park Purpose and SignificanceU.S. National Park Service
