St. Louis is known by various unique alias: “Mound City, “Gateway to the West” and “Rome of the West. What is most known for though is a National Historic Landmark built more than 55 years ago in 1967 “The Gateway to the West” Arch. Built in stainless steel in the form of a weighted catenary arch weighing 17,246 tons, it has reinforced concrete foundations sunk 60 feet into the ground extend 30 feet into bedrock. It is the world’s tallest arch and the tallest man-made monument in the USA and Missouri’s tallest building.
Dedicated to “the American people”, the Arch is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. There is also a free museum with exhibits detailing America’s westward expansion and the engineering feat of building of the Arch. More than million visitors ride to the top of the monument each year which offers fantastic views of both sides of the Mississippi.
The Memorial marks St. Louis’ role in the westward expansion of the United States during the nineteenth century. Thomas Jefferson, negotiated the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, expanding the size of the United States. Explorers Lewis & Clark scouted the new territory and mapped a route to the Pacific Ocean. Dred and Harriet Scott, filed suit at the Old Courthouse for their freedom from slavery, and Virginia Minor sued for women’s right to vote. The architect Eero Saarinen, designed the monument that honors them all.
If you wish to browse in the Museum and Visitor Center, there is no entrance fee. The entire tram rides to the top take 45 minutes. Tours include an interactive multimedia experience prior to boarding the tram, then a 4 minute ride to the top and a 3 minute ride back down.
Anchoring the west end of the Park, the Old Courthouse is a prime example of mid-19th century federal architecture. Built in 1839, the Courthouse served as the site of a number of landmark civil rights cases, including the Dred Scott decision. In the 1830s, the enslaved Scott was taken to free territory in Illinois and Wisconsin before being brought back to Missouri. In 1847 and 1850, under Missouri’s “once free, always free” doctrine, Scott sued for his freedom at the St. Louis Courthouse. In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court decided against Scott and his wife Harriet, ruling that African-Americans were not citizens and had no right to sue in court. Dissent over the decision helped to speed the start of the U.S. Civil War four years later.
