Gateway Arch – The Ride To The Top

Our busy day at the Gateway Arch National Park continued. Time for a ride to the top….

Being somewhat claustrophobic, Rob was a little nervous because there was a replica of one of the pods – looked pretty small and cramped, but supposedly able to seat up to 5 people (must be pretty small ones).

Our tram was supposed to leave from the North Side but they had the North Side shut down so we were told to enter on the South Side. Also there was no 11:30 a.m. so instead they allowed us to take the 11:25 a.m. tram. In line we were given green boarding passes for tram #7. I kiddingly told the guide, not to put anyone else in that tram so we would have more room – yippee she agreed!

Doors into the tram car were only 4′ high so you have to duck to enter. Four minute ride up, 3 minute ride down. Rob was concentrating on taking a video and noticing all of the pipes, cables, etc. on the way up so he didn’t experience any symptoms of claustrophobia. Once up there, we had to walk up a few flights of stairs to get to the top. Difficult to walk – the arch was swaying a tad due to the wind.

Here’s a few interesting facts – the Arch is the nation’s tallest monument at 630 feet and is as wide as it is tall. It is 75 feet taller than the Washington Monument and almost twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

Windows were only about 4″ x 17″ – anything bigger than that wouldn’t withstand the pressure. Cool views!

We were only allowed to be there for 10 minutes. Good thing, with it swaying in the wind, it was a little disconcerting! It was enough to see all the views of the city.