Gateway Arch National Park

Maintained by the National Park Service, the Gateway Arch National Park comprises a 91 acre park along the Mississippi river which includes the Gateway Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion and the Old Courtyard. The memorial was constructed to commemorate various historic events such as the acquisition of the region of Louisiana by the United States from the French and the subsequent westward expansion of explorers, the historic Dred Scott case which was heard inside the Old Courtyard and the foundation of first civil government to the west of Mississippi river. Learn about the history of the St. Louis riverfront and its surrounding areas through various memorabilia and artifacts. The Arch's construction is well documented in a film called Monument to the Dream and its shows are held inside the Tucker Theater built in 1968. The Odyssey Theater with a seating capacity for 255 spectators was added to the museum in 1993.