ST. LOUIS — The Gateway Arch turned 54 years old Monday.
The final piece of the Arch was put into place on October 28, 1965. It’s been a well-loved, long-standing symbol of St. Louis ever since.
In honor of the Arch’s 54th birthday, here are five fast facts about the landmark, courtesy of the Gateway Arch National Park website:
- Eero Saarinen’s design was selected after a nation-wide competition
- It’s as wide as it is tall: 630 feet
- Construction took about 2 years and cost less than $15 million
- It’s built to withstand earthquakes and high winds
- The Arch sways up to 1 inch in a 20 mile-per-hour wind, but it’s built to sway up to 18 inches
We gathered photos of the Arch on the days leading up to the final piece being put into place and on the day it was completed. Click here or scroll through the gallery below.
Photos: Final piece of the Gateway Arch goes into place
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We also dug into our archives and pulled out video from the day the Arch was finished. Check out the video below or click here.