I had only ever driven past St. Louis’s Gateway Arch twice before: on my way into and out of Missouri last summer on a road trip around the state. At 630 feet tall and 630 feet wide, the Arch is the tallest national monument in the United States, making it an easy icon to spot from the car window while driving by.
The Arch was designed in 1947 by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel and constructed between February 1963 and October 1965.
Site: The Gateway Arch
Location: St. Louis Riverfront, St. Louis, MO 63102
Cost: Free to see (Tram, movies, etc. extra.)
Hours: Always visible. Open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Winter hours (Labor Day – Memorial Day), 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Summer hours (Memorial Day – Labor Day), 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Hours subject to change.
Date: March 20, 2010
