By Lauren Miller Period 1 The Gateway Arch By Lauren Miller Period 1

Gateway Arch Location In St. Louis, Missouri, the Gateway Arch is located on the Jefferson National Memorial Expansion along the banks of the Mississippi River

History of the Gateway Arch   The Gateway Arch reflects St. Louis’ role in the Westward Expansion of the United States during the nineteenth century The park is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s role in opening the West to the pioneers who helped shape its history, and to Dred Scott who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse

How the Design Was Chosen A nationwide competition was held in 1947 to 1948 to design a monument in St. Louis honoring western pioneers The architect Eero Saarinen won the contest with his sleek arch

The Designers of the Gateway Arch The Gateway Arch was designed by a Finnish American architect named Eero Saarinen and a structural engineer named Hannskarl Bandel in 1947 Eero Saarinen Hannskarl Bandel

Construction of the Gateway Arch The Gateway Arch was built in triangular sections and has larger sections at the base and smaller sections at the apex Each of the sections is a double walled equilateral triangle of carbon steel on the interior and stainless steel on the exterior held together by welded high strength steel rods The small spaces between the double walls of the triangular sections are filled with concrete up to the 300 foot level Construction for the Gateway Arch began in 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965.

How much the Arch weighs The Gateway Arch is a massive stainless steel structure that towers 630 feet above the surrounding landscape Nine hundred tons of stainless steel were used The Gateway Arch weighs 17,264 tons

Another Name for the Arch The Gateway Arch in St.Louis, Missouri, is also known as the Gateway to the West

Facts about the Gateway Arch The Arch is the largest monument in the United States and is larger than the Washington Monument and the Statue of Liberty The foundations of the Arch sink 60 feet into the ground The Arch sways a maximum of 18" (9" each way) in a 150 mph wind when the usual sway is 1/2" The Arch was built at a cost of $13 million The transportation system was built at a cost of $3,500,000

Inside the Arch The floor plan of the Underground Visitor Center follows a circular pattern with galleries showing a 100-year span of Westward Expansion Other attractions include two passenger trams to the observation room at the top and the Museum of Westward Expansion Visitors to the Gateway Arch can step back in the past at Levee Mercantile, an1870s style riverfront general store that is located in the visitor center beneath the Arch Most of the food products in the Levee Mercantile feature Missouri natives who use their own traditional recipes Visitors can also see a documentary film called Monument to the Dream explaining the construction of the Arch shown daily in the Tucker Theatre Large screen movies are shown on the Arch's Odyssey Theatre's four story high screen featuring a 70 mm projection system and THX sound

Getting to the Top Underneath the north and south legs of the Gateway Arch, you can board one of two enclosed trams Four minutes later, after a narrated trip, you’re at the indoor Gateway Arch Observation Area Trams run every 10 minutes There are eight tram cars that go up to the top of the Arch in the north and south legs and each tram seats five people Trams travel at an average speed of 4mph and are very quiet and safe Visitors can enjoy the views and displays for as long as they like

Missouri State Quarter Missouri’s state quarter shows the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Gateway Arch

Bibliography http://www.gatewayarch.com/Arch/info/arch.fact.aspx http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/harrison/harrison30.htm http://www.slfp.com/View-of-Arch.html http://www.truckerphoto.com/gatewayarch.htm http://www.shapeofamerica.com/shape/id/11 http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Gateway_Arch.html