Sneak Peek: Gateway Arch 50th Anniversary Celebration
Next Wednesday, October 28, marks the golden anniversary of the Gateway Arch! To celebrate, the Gateway Arch and its partners are hosting several special events, and you’re invited to the party. Check out the happenings below, and plan to join us in commemorating the birthday of this symbol of our city’sand nation’shistory!
Arch 50 Fest – Saturday, October 24, 10:30 am – 8:30 pm
Fun for the entire fam! This free, day-long celebration in Kiener Plaza features food and drink vendors, children’s activities and live musicculminating with a world-class fireworks display showcasing the Arch. Sponsored and funded by the CityArchRiver Foundation and Great Rivers Greenway.
Commemoration Ceremony and Birthday Party – Wednesday, October 28, 11 am
Join the National Park Service, Mayor Francis Slay and the Arch’s partners for a commemoration ceremony in the Luther Ely Smith Square at 11 amthe moment the Arch’s keystone was put into place 50 years ago. Enjoy FREE anniversary-themed cupcakes from Destination Desserts and Sarah’s Cake Stop (while supplies last) and live patriotic music immediately following on the Fourth Street side of the Old Courthouse.
$1 Journey to the Top Tram Rides – October 28, all day
DYK? The original price of a Journey to the Top tram ticket was just a buck! All day on the anniversary, tram rides to the top of the Arch are $1and all entry-only tickets are free. Get your tickets in person at the Old Courthouse, online (in advance) or by calling 877-982-1410. All tram riders that day will receive a commemorative “Journey to the Top Club” button and certificate.
Meet the Builders of the Gateway Arch at the Missouri History Museum – October 28, 9:30-11 am
Meet the men who built the Arch! Iron workers, electricians, sheet-metal workers, draftsmen, field engineers and other construction workers will pose for photos and sign autographs in the lower level of the Missouri History Museum. You can see how the men built the Arch by watching the documentary Monument to the Dream, which will screen all day (for free!) in the museum auditorium.
The Gateway Arch: An Icon for Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Panel Discussion at the Missouri History Museum – October 28, 12-1 pm
National Park Service Historian Bob Moore, along with landscape architect Susan Saarinen (daughter of Gateway Arch architect Eero Saarinen), Christine Smith (granddaughter of visionary Luther Ely Smith) and Ken Kolkmeier (project manager for Arch construction) will discuss the history of the Gateway Archfrom its beginnings as a vision of Eero Saarinen to its completion on October 28, 1965at this free presentation in the museum auditorium.
One more thing
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to submit your Gateway Arch photosfrom any time in the monument’s 50-year historyfor a chance to be featured in a permanent digital exhibit commemorating the icon. Submit them here, or stop by the Missouri History Museum during the Meet the Builders event, where the staff will scan in your original prints.