America's smallest National Park (91 acres!) was only designated in 2018 BUT... this monument (and memorial) has actually been part of the National Park system since 1935.
Set aside by FDR as "Jefferson National Expansion Memorial" (and erected in 1965) Saint Louis' iconic Gateway Arch was designed to be both a memorial to Thomas Jefferson AND a monument to the westward expansion of the United States.
Now a full-fledged National Park... what is there to do and see at Gateway Arch? First of all, the arch: Eero Saarinen's masterpiece monument is open and tram tickets are available to visit the tip-top viewing platform (be sure to plan ahead for timed-entry reservations). On your way to the tram, be sure to linger for a moment at the Visitor Center and Museum (once again, dedicated not ONLY to Thomas Jefferson, but also the "manifest destiny" westward move of American settlers). Plus, be sure to take a moment to visit the Old Courthouse; once the tallest building in Missouri, this is where the landmark Dred Scott case was first tried. (Quick refresher, this case made it all the way to the Supreme Court in a decade-long fight for Scott's freedom from enslavement. Check out a more in-depth history here www.history.co...)
Even with all of this to visit and explore, the question still lingers... is Gateway Arch really more like a National Monument or Memorial than a National Park? On your next trip through Missouri, grab some entry reservations and decide for yourself.
#travelagain #gateway arch
27 авг 2024
