Completed on October 28, 1965, with the installation of the final section, the Gateway Arch stands at 630 feet high, making it the tallest man-made monument in the United States today.

In honor of its 53^rd birthday, Gateway Arch National Park will host its annual Arch Builders’ Reunion to honor the many engineers, tradesmen and support staff who contributed to the construction of the Gateway Arch from 1963 to 1965. Arch builders – including representatives of the retired ironmakers from the Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Company in Warren, Pennsylvania, who fabricated the steel sections that were shipped by rail to become the building blocks of the monument – will share memories, photographs and wonderful stories that chronicle their contributions to the Arch construction. The builders will also autograph a special Arch poster that visitors can purchase at The Arch Store for $1.

The event, held on October 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Museum at the Gateway Arch, is free and open to the public. Enter the Arch facility via the Arch’s new circular west entrance, which faces Fourth Street and the Old Courthouse (the Arch legs are exits only). Visitors must go through an airport-style security screening to get to the Museum.

Additionally, the “Building the Arch” exhibit at the Museum showcases photographs, mementos, audio exhibits and text panels that document the workers’ stories and their contributions to the project. For a sneak peek into Saturday’s Arch Builders’ Reunion, listen to Jerry Rains, x-ray technician, chat with McGraw Milhaven on KTRS about his experience building the Arch.

For more information, visit www.gatewayarch.com, www.nps.gov/jeff or call 877-982-1410.

Photo credit: Arteaga Photos/National Park Service