Gateway Arch National Park Purpose and Significance

What is the arch for? What does it represent?

The arch design was the winning entry in a 1947 architectural design competition. All entries in this competition were to represent Thomas Jefferson, his famous Louisiana Purchase, and everyone involved in the subsequent westward expansion of the United States.

Like all memorials, the arch has come to mean different things to different people. For some, it is a symbol of bravery, exploration, and perserverance. For others, it represents a legacy of conquest and displacement. For St. Louisans, it represents home. Perhaps what the arch represents most of all is America and how complex our history is.

 

How did this become a national park?

1935 - 2008

In a 1935 executive order, President Franklin D. Roosevelt directed the Department of the Interior to acquire and develop 40 city blocks along the riverfront in St. Louis to become the new Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which was to be administered by the National Park Service (NPS). In 1940, the City of St. Louis deeded the Old Courthouse to NPS as well.

A nationwide competition was held in 1947-48 to determine what could be built on that 40-block footprint to honor Thomas Jefferson, his Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, pioneers, Tribes of the great plains, and everyone else involved in the story of westward expansion. Architect Eero Saarinen's stainless steel arch was chosen. Groundbreaking for the Gateway Arch occurred in June 1959, and the structure was completed in October 1965. The tram ride to the top was installed right after that, and in the decades that followed the park's landscaping and underground museum/visitor center were installed. Learn more in the park's administrative history.

2009-2018

In 2009, the Gateway Arch Park Foundation (which was then known as CityArchRiver2015) led a public-private partnership to transform St. Louis's riverfront, Kiener Plaza, and Gateway Arch National Park. The $380 million CityArchRiver project was the largest public-private partnership in the history of the National Park Service. The reimagined park features improved accessibility and connectivity, which revitalized the arch grounds and surrounding public spaces.

2018 to Present

Gateway Arch was redisgnated from a national memorial to a national park in 2018 through bipartisan congressional legislation. The change did not alter operations, boundaries, or the park's mission within the National Park Service.