USA - Missouri - Gateway Arch National Park

Gateway Arch National Park

Gateway Arch National Park was authorized in 1935 to commemorate Saint Louis role in the westward expansion of the United States during the 19th century. The park honors Thomas Jefferson's vision of a continental nation, which was the inspiration for architect Eero Saarinen's soaring 630 foot stainless steel Gateway Arch. In addition to the Arch and the museum beneath it, the Old Courthouse, scene of the historic Dred Scott case, is a major landmark in the story of the Civil Rights movement in the United States.

Sent by Allison from Saint Louis in Missouri, USA.

Gateway Arch National Park is a national park of the United States located in St. Louis, Missouri, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

In its initial form as a national memorial, it was established in 1935 to commemorate:

• the Louisiana Purchase and subsequent westward movement of American explorers and pioneers;
• the first civil government west of the Mississippi River; and
• the debate over slavery raised by the Dred Scott case.

The national park consists of the Gateway Arch, a steel catenary arch that has become the definitive icon of St. Louis; a park along the Mississippi River on the site of the earliest buildings of the city; the Old Courthouse, a former state and federal courthouse where the Dred Scott case originated; and the 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m²) museum at the Gateway Arch. It is the smallest national park in the United States at 192.83 acres (78.04 ha), less than 2% the size of the next-smallest, Hot Springs National Park.

The immediate surroundings of the Gateway Arch were initially designated the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial by secretarial order on December 21, 1935. The Gateway Arch was completed on October 28, 1965. The park is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS) (read more).