Comments on: The Gateway Arch (And Why It’s Not Fascist)

By: Arc de Triomphe Paris

Arc de Triomphe Paris — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:51:00 +0000

I have only seen the arch in St. Louis from afar while traveling, but would love to see this creation one day. I’m a descendant of Lewis and Clark so it’d be interesting to see the â€œgatewayâ€ to the west that they took. Never knew planes tried fling through there or that people tried climbing up it. Crazy folk!

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:45:00 +0000

I remember going to the Arch a couple years ago when the Cardinals were in the World Series and looking out at the empty ballpark right before they started letting everyone in. It was a spectacular view from the top, one that I will never forget. I remember looking out my hotel room and seeing the new Busch Stadium from one window and the Arch from another window.

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:10:00 +0000

There is actually an ordinance that no building downtown can be taller than the Arch. It has, in my opinion, really hurt the growth and expansion of the downtown area. Well, that and poor city planning.

By: Brooke

Brooke — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:55:00 +0000

Yay! I love the Arch. It’s definitely my favorite national monument. One of the things I like about it is how accessabe it is. You can walk right up to it and touch it (and it looks really cool if you put your face against it and look up). With so many other monuments, you just have to admire it from afar. I also love the museum under the Arch. The film on the construction that you can watch there is very cool. And of course the trip to the top and the view once you get there is awesome. It is, however, a little creepy to feel it swaying if you’re up there on a windy day.

By: mdely5

mdely5 — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:48:00 +0000

Couple of fun facts about the Arch:

The concrete poured at the base used water from the Columbia River…the end site of Lewis and Clark’s journey.

The one millionth customer received some wine and a ticket to a nightclub…she was only 9 yrs old!

The steel company that created the arch put its logo on an original piece of the arch. Since ads are not allowed on federal land, the government threatened to charge millions of dollars a month in fees. It was taken off shortly afterward.

The original concept was an arch/bridge across the Mississippi…tying the two lands together in honor of the Louisiana Purchase.

By: Kieran

Kieran — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:35:00 +0000

I’ve always enjoyed the arch. My favorite memory of it was the July 4th celebration in ’01 or ’02. We sat directly underneath the Arch, and I have a picture of it looking like one big silver band across my frame. We saw Ray Charles play a concert just before they let off the most spectacular fireworks I have ever seen from a barge in the Mississippi.

It’s still one of my favorite memories.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:16:00 +0000

Great article. Now I think I will take a break from picking my nits and point out that the thing you aim the ball at in croquet is a wicket, not a widget.

By: Marty

Marty — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:21:00 +0000

As a life-long St. Louisan, I was surprised to hear about the accusations of fascism and the Arch, but yet again, the Arch is something that almost everyone identifies with our city, yet is something that is almost regarded as kitschy and downright touristy. We typically will go and visit it with out of town visitors instead of making the trek on our own accord. We’d rather check out the A-B Brewery Tour or the City Museum. :)

BTW, there is some artwork out there where an imaginative soul pictured the bottom half of the Arch as no more than a buried wire hanger. Clever.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:14:00 +0000

I think the Arch is cool! I’ve been inside it a few times and while it makes me a little nervous, it’s a neat experience. The tram cars are a bit claustrophobia-inducing, but it’s fun.

By: Patrick J.

Patrick J. — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:47:00 +0000

And if you take the tram up the Gateway Arch, you can look out over a lonely, almost alien landscape known as Downtown Saint Louis. ;)