Gateway Arch turns 50 with a nod to those who built it

Though builders often worked without safety wires or harnesses, no one was killed during construction.

"More than four million visitors from around the world come to the Arch each year, because it is a uniquely St. Louis and Missouri experience", the Governor said. When the museum reopens in 2017, it may be known simply as the Arch Museum instead of the Museum of Westward Expansion. It is still the tallest structure of any kind in St. Louis, and aside from a select few who maintain the Arch very few ever go where cameras did Wednesday.

Exterior of Arch was completed 50 years ago today; Governor's proclamation recognizes significance of tallest national monument in U.S. A Chicago firm that past year sent climbers rappelling down the landmark's legs to take samples of mysterious stains on the Arch's metal skin concluded in a report released in April that the discoloration was caused by the landmark's original construction, residue accumulation and, closer to the base, graffiti. And at the Missouri History Museum on Wednesday morning, workers who helped build the arch will offer their recollections during a public discussion. The city's mayor and National Park Service officials will speak.

Here are a few fun facts about the St. Louis Gateway Arch, as collected from The Washington Times.

A trip to the top cost $1 when it was opened. The foundations of the Arch are sunk 60 feet into the ground, and the framework of stressed stainless steel is built to withstand earthquakes and high winds.