GATEWAY ARCH

The Gateway Arch is the work of Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. Also known as the gateway to the West, it symbolizes the American pioneer spirit. It has become the iconic image of St. Louis.

At 192 meters high and clad in stainless steel, it is one of the tallest monuments in the United States. Work on the structure began in 1963 and was completed in 1965. The arch was opened to the public in 1967.

At its base, the Visitor Center allows the public to access the arch through a museum dedicated to the city but also to the famous westward expansion by pioneers guided by the "manifest destiny" (a term born in 1845 that designates the ideology according to which the American nation would have as a divine mission the expansion of "civilization" to the West)

Access to the top is via cabins containing five seats. Eight cabins linked together form a streetcar. At the top of the arch, 32 windows provide a view of the Mississippi River, the city and southern Illinois. On a clear day, you can see up to 50 km around.

In addition to your visit, you can also attend the very instructive film on the construction of the arch. The 20-minute film describes the different phases of the construction of this masterpiece. A one-hour cruise on the Mississippi River is also offered in the admission options.

In total, the visit takes a little more than 2 hours (excluding the cruise).