The Gateway Arch and the Start of an Adventure

Of all the things that St Louis is known for, there is little arguing that the Gateway Arch is right up there (no pun intended;-).  And on the Lewis & Clark trip, there is no getting around a stop here.

I remember going up in the Arch the first time as a small boy probably of Bridgette's age. It was a long weekend with Mom and Grandma. I will confess that I don't remember anything from the Museum, I don't remember hardly anything else in St Louis but I DO remember going up in the Arch. Since then, I have been back and up in the Arch twice I think. Once with the Boys Scouts on a trip to Philmount and then again shortly after Illianna arrived in the US. As a Boy Scout, I remember looking down on a baseball game being played in the stadium. With Illianna, I remember the feeling of being scared of heights and her laughing at me about it. I remember the sensation of going up in the Arch as the little egg shaped elevator cars twist as you ascend so your not laying on your side when you get tot the top. I remember being much more appreciative of the engineering feat that the arch is a man with a background in engineering. I want to share that with my children.

While the above link is to the National Park Site, to pre-purchase tickets to go up in the Arch and the various other attractions, there is a  commercial website for the Arch. At this site, they even provide Sample Itineraries on how it get the most out of your visit to the park!

While the Arch's shear size and physical presence makes it impossible to ignore, there is much more there is to see and do which must not be ignored. The basement of the Arch houses the Museum of Western Expansion. According to the website, the museum covers a wide range of topics and subjects which cover St Louis' role in the opening of the American Frontier. What I think my be fo most interest to us will be the Photo Murals that document the journey of Lewis & Clark.  My plan is to point these out to the kids and challenge them to find these sites along the journey. Will it work? I don't know but it will certainly be worth a try....:-) While the Lewis & Clark exhibit plays a large role in the museums mission there are many other artifacts and displays which detail the expansion of the west from an Indian Tipi  to prairie schooner, the important items of the 19th century are displayed and explained. Should be very good for the kids and Illianna too.

The Old Courthouse is also part of the park complex but I must confess I never realized this fact. The website suggests that there are lots of displays about the history of St Louis (I did not realize that St Louis was attacked by the British during the Revolutionary War) it suggests that a lot of the museum is dedicated to the history of Slavery and the role St Louis played in that chapter of American History. It will be interesting to learn. Having been completed in 1862, I am sure that there are architectural features a plenty to enjoy.

I an see a whole day spent in the shadow of the Arch with little difficulty whatsoever......