New Heights: Gateway Arch Park Foundation

On Oct. 28, 1965, a collective sense of pride overwhelmed St. Louis as the Gateway Arch received its crown, a gleaming, 8-foot keystone piece of stainless steel. At 630 feet in both height and width, architect Eero Saarinen’s iconic structure remains among history’s most astonishing engineering feats, and one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks.

However, the subterranean museum commemorating the Arch was in need of some updates. First opened in 1976, the museum had grown dated, and pedestrian access to the Arch was problematic. That would begin to change several years ago, when the Gateway Arch Park Foundation embarked on a massive museum renovation effort in partnership with several area organizations. Today’s Arch is “a completely reimagined visitor experience,” says Melissa Paz, a foundation board trustee. The museum underwent a dramatic transformation, starting with a striking new semicircular entrance that welcomes guests into a 46,000-square-foot visitor center. Inside, the museum has basically the same footprint, but the visitor experience has completely changed, says Samantha Fisher, the foundation’s director of communications. “Before, the museum could have represented almost any place from here to California,” she notes. “What it does now is give visitors a sense of place.”

Interactivity and engagement set the new museum apart from the former. On the mezzanine level’s terrazzo floor, for example, a map of North America illustrates historic trails from the East to the West coast, as well as the myriad waterways leading to and through St. Louis. This, Paz says, allows visitors to trace pioneers’ journeys and truly illustrates St. Louis as a North American hub. Paz played a key role in creating six story galleries, each with its own culturally inclusive narrative. Each one tells both a local story and a national story, Paz says, with emphasis on the city’s vibrant history and pivotal role in America’s expansion westward.

‘Colonial St. Louis,’ for example, examines indigenous and Creole cultures before the Louisiana Purchase, while ‘Building the Gateway Arch’ offers insight into the massive scope of the Arch’s construction. Additional galleries examine Thomas Jefferson’s vision for westward expansion and the conflicts and events arising from ‘Manifest Destiny;’ how steamboats transformed society and commerce during the riverfront era; and St. Louis at the dawn of the Industrial Age.

Improved access also enhances the Arch experience. Visitors easily can reach the Arch grounds from downtown by way of Luther Ely Smith Square, an inviting green space across from the Old Courthouse. A landscaped platform over I-44, the square is “a natural extension, and it realizes Saarinen’s dream of having the Arch grounds connected to downtown St. Louis,” Paz says.

Paz hopes the new museum and park grounds will grow in popularity as a frequent destination for St. Louis families. “The Arch is such a source of pride for the people of St. Louis, and this renovation just builds on that,” she says.

Admission to the museum is still free, and foundation membership perks include Tram Ride to the Top passes, happy hours, VIP events and discounts.

The Gateway Arch Park Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure the Gateway Arch, its grounds, neighboring public spaces and attractions will be a vital, welcoming and well-supported resource for the community and nation for generations to come. For more information, call 314.881.2015 or visit archpark.org.

Cover design by Cydney Moore
Cover photo courtesy of Gateway Arch Park Foundation

Pictured above: Melissa Paz in the newly reimagined museum.