At 630 tall the St. Louis Arch is the tallest Arch in the world. It is also just as as wide as it is long. The location of the Arch was chosen in 1935 and the area was cleared, however, it was not completed until 1965. It opened to the public on June 10th 1967.
There are 1,076 steps to the top. By comparison The Washington Monument only has 897 steps. These steps aren’t accessible to the public but are instead used by maintenance. To get to the top of the Arch you must take a tram. Each tram has 8 capsules and each capsule fits five people. The tram system was developed by Dick Bowser in just two weeks.
At the top of the Arch there is an obersevation deck that fits 160 people. The observation deck has 16 windows on either side. Each window is 7 inches high and 27 inches wide.
The building pictured in front of the Arch is the old St. Louis courthouse. The building is now operated by the National Park Service and and is used for exhibits and events.
