Gateway Arch National Park

national park, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

Also known as: Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

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July 23, 2026

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The Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Missouri, features the iconic Gateway Arch, a monument symbolizing the city's historical role as the "Gateway to the West" during the United States' westward expansion. Designed by Eero Saarinen, the 630-foot-tall stainless-steel arch commemorates the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.1

The park also includes the Old Courthouse, significant for the Dred Scott case, which highlighted the national debate over slavery. Visitors can ride trams to the top of the arch for panoramic views and explore the Museum of Westward Expansion at its base. The park preserves the history of westward expansion and St. Louis's pivotal role in it.12

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Eero Saarinen
Life
…1948 prizewinning design for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (later Gateway Arch National Park) in St. Louis, Missouri, was completed in 1965. The Gateway Arch is a graceful and spectacular arch of stainless steel with a span and height of 630 feet (190 metres). It conveys a sense of ceremony…
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…1948 prizewinning design for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (later Gateway Arch National Park) in St. Louis, Missouri, was completed in 1965. The Gateway Arch is a graceful and spectacular arch of stainless steel with a span and height of 630 feet (190 metres). It conveys a sense of ceremony…
Read More

Gateway Arch
The gleaming archway, part of Gateway Arch National Park, commemorates the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the subsequent opening of the West to settlers following the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–06), which began nearby. The park also includes the Old Courthouse, where Dred Scott, an enslaved person, first (1847 and 1850)…
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The gleaming archway, part of Gateway Arch National Park, commemorates the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the subsequent opening of the West to settlers following the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–06), which began nearby. The park also includes the Old Courthouse, where Dred Scott, an enslaved person, first (1847 and 1850)…
Read More