Gateway Arch in St. Louis
A fabulous piece of architecture with a fabulous view of the city.
The first day, I was too scared to go inside. So we just admired it from afar.
Then I got tired of them calling me a chicken, so we went back the next day. I had to prove to them that I wasn’t skurred. Wish you could see the pic of me in the train thingy going up there. LOL! But when you get inside, it isn’t THAT bad.
From one angle, this is a view of the city. Nice!
Some facts about the St. Louis Gateway Arch:
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The Arch is the tallest national monument in the United States.
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The span of the Arch legs at ground level is 630 feet, the same as its height.
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The Arch weighs 17,246 tons.
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The Arch was built at a cost of $13 million.
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To ensure that the constructed legs would meet, the margin of error for failure was 1/64th of an inch. All work was done at night to eliminate distortion caused by the sun’s rays.
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The Arch sways a maximum of 18″ in a 150 mph wind. The usual sway is 1/2″.
*side eye @ that last bullet* And to think, I was at the very top of that joint. Hmph! Never again!
Read more facts about the St. Louis Gateway Arch.
If you ever visit St. Louis, for $10, you should check it out. It’s near a beautiful park and lots of nice restaurants that are on cobblestone roads. I was fascinated.
Any St. Louis natives?
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I am a STL native, returned after living in Houston for many years! I do love living here, it is a great place! Lots to do here, did you have toasted ravioli or goey butter cake? They are must haves on a trip to stl!
I agree that if you come to stl you need to check out the arch and the museum (it is underground) is very interesting.
I grew up an hour east of STL, and love the city–except for the roads. There are so many cool things to do in STL. Between sight seeing, wining, dining, and of course checking out my Cardinals at Busch Stadium (sorry, had to throw that out there!), you can easily fill several days with activities.
Hey Single Ma!
(unrelated to post) Question: I’ve been at my current job for a year and in my industry for two and a half. Since March, of this year, I’ve recieved a promotion for my hard work–but to date they have yet to hire my replacement, so I’ve been essentially working in both capacities while waiting for HR to hire. My boss is just really beginning to aknowledge and be aware of exactly how much work I am doing and how much I really am responsible for. Since I’m new to the corporate world (and this may sound silly), I’m not really sure how to extend a “thank you for the recognition” without “IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU’VE REALIZED I’VE BEEN WORKING MY A$$ OFF!!!!” thrown into the mix. How would you suggest me handling the “thank you” with class and tact? Futhermore, what suggestions do you have for using this as a further growth opprotunity? I’ve noticed over the course of your posts you speak about “aligning yourself for a promotion” within xxx amout of time…how do you do it?
I grew up in St. Louis, and have lived in Houston for the past 20 years. I still miss the beautiful old homes, the big trees, the fabulous zoo (you must visit) and the FOOD! You have to have an Imo’s pizza while you’re there, and of course, toasted ravioli is a must. It’s a great place to live, although I had to leave to get a job after college.
Hi Single Ma,
I’m not a native of St. Louis but I am less than 300 miles away, plus my son’s father and family are native, so we’re there quite a bit. St. Louis is a fascinating city with lots of great family oriented entertainment. If you ever get return and get to venture beyond the downtown area you will be amazed at the awesome shopping, dining, free entertainment and culture. Awesome city!
I love St. Louis. I’m not a native only visited several times (an old flame was from there.) There is also a frozen custard stand, in think on the south side of town, that is so yummy. And, I have to second the fried ravioli, double yum!
I visited St. Louis and the arch as a kid. I thought it was the coolest thing ever! :)
Great pictures!
I grew up 30 miles east of STL and went to law school there as well. Been gone almost a year, and I miss it! The custard mentioned is Ted Drewes, and yes, definitely worth checking that out as well :)
I’ve been living in STL for 3yrs now (New Orleans will always be home) but the arch was one of the 1st things we did when we got here.
You were this close to all of fabulous readers and did not let us know! LOL I did not realize you had that many of us readers in STL. I have been born and raised here even though I think sometimes I would love to live some where else I cannot bring myself to leave. We do have some wonderful things here. Come back and visit when you can stay longer!
Not a native, but I visited the Arch once and the surrounding area and just LOVED it. It was every bit as big as it was in my mind, if that makes sense. It didn’t disappoint. I didn’t go inside, but I sure spent good time admiring it from the ground.
Not a native but I have lived here for 8 years. Hope you enjoyed your time in my city!
My favorite experience in the arch was a rainy weekday morning. Actually it was thunderstorming and I could feel the arch swaying. It didn’t scare me – I know the arch has stood through much worse… but it scared everyone else and at one point only me and my friend were up at the top.
I was born and raised in The Lou (okay, technically I grew up in one of its suburbs — Kirkwood — but now I live in the City proper). I completely love St. Louis. I also love how UNDER-rated it tends to be by people on the East and West coasts. I used to find that annoying (the whole “flyover country” thing, etc.) but now realize it’s awesome because it means my beloved STL is unlikely to suffer an influx of people the way the city where I went to college did — Austin, Texas. It has changed Austin quite a lot even in just the 6 years since I graduated from UT-Austin, and I’d hate to see that happen here …
St. Louis is the best, and so are St. Louisans. And, of course, the Cardinals.