Editing Gateway Arch (section)

==Public access==
[[File:Gateway arch south entrance.jpg|thumb|right |Southern entrance to the subterranean visitor center]]
In April 1965, three million tourists were expected to visit the arch annually after completion;<ref name="Wick"/> 619,763 tourists visited the top of the arch in its first year open. On January 15, 1969, a visitor from [[Nashville, Tennessee]], became the one-millionth person to reach the observation area; the ten-millionth person ascended to the top on August 24, 1979.<ref name="Arch timeline"/> In 1974, the arch was ranked fourth on a list of "most-visited man-made attraction[s]".<ref name="Corrigan"/> In 2010, the Gateway Arch had over four million visitors,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=206438 |title=Gateway Arch draws the most visitors in St. Louis |last=Glaus |first=Heidi |date=July 8, 2010 |location=St. Louis |publisher=[[KSDK-TV]] |access-date=February 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127183905/http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=206438 |archive-date=January 27, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> of which around one million traveled to the top.<ref name="USA Today cable"/> In 2022, an estimated 1.62 million people visited the Arch.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nps.gov/jeff/learn/news/gateway-arch-national-park-sees-41-attendance-increase-in-2022.htm#:~:text=Visitation%20at%20the%20Arch%20grew,off%20to%20a%20strong%20start. |title=Gateway Arch National Park Sees 41% Attendance Increase in 2022 |date=March 10, 2023 |publisher=National Park Servie |access-date=February 21, 2024 }}</ref>

On December 8, 2009, sponsored by nonprofit CityArchRiver2015, the international design competition "Framing a Modern Masterpiece: The City + The Arch + The River 2015" commenced.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cityarchrivercompetition.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/cityarchriver_competition_news_release_120809.pdf |title=International Design Competition to Invigorate the Gateway Arch Starts Today |date=December 8, 2009 |publisher=National Parks Conservation Association |access-date=January 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820193857/http://www.npca.org/media_center/press_releases/2009/international-design.html |archive-date=August 20, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It aimed to "design a plan to improve the riverfront park landscape, ease access for pedestrians across Memorial Drive and expand onto the East St. Louis riverfront,"<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_f949a3e6-baaa-5d92-b3c0-88b9de2d7135.html |title=Revised riverfront plan, including gondolas, to be unveiled Wednesday |last=O'Neil |first=Tim |date=January 26, 2011 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |access-date=February 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110129021340/http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_f949a3e6-baaa-5d92-b3c0-88b9de2d7135.html |archive-date=January 29, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as well as to attract visitors.<ref name="Olson">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-arch-stlouis-idUSTRE70Q0ZJ20110127 |title=Proposal unveiled for revamped Gateway Arch park |last=Olson |first=Bruce |date=January 27, 2011 |work=[[Reuters]] |access-date=January 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110131171827/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/27/us-arch-stlouis-idUSTRE70Q0ZJ20110127 |archive-date=January 31, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The contest consisted of three stages—portfolio assessment (narrowed down to 8–10 teams), team interviews (narrowed down to 4–5 teams), and review of design proposals.<ref name="manual">{{cite web |url=http://assets.centralcast.net/cityarchrivercompetition/Competition-Manual-v6-051910.pdf |title=Competition Manual |work=cityarchrivercompetition.org |access-date=January 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723040620/http://assets.centralcast.net/cityarchrivercompetition/Competition-Manual-v6-051910.pdf |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The competition received 49 applicants,<ref name="O'Neil">{{cite news |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_acfdcd8e-29a7-11e0-8712-0017a4a78c22.html |title=Latest Arch plan has $578 million price tag, calls for closing Memorial Drive |last=O'Neil |first=Tim |date=January 26, 2011 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |access-date=January 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128004942/http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_acfdcd8e-29a7-11e0-8712-0017a4a78c22.html |archive-date=January 28, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which were narrowed down to five in the first two stages. On August 17, 2010, the designs of the five finalists were revealed to the public and exhibited at the theater below the arch.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_48aa1bfe-3185-5ea2-b958-8c501015e4f9.html |title=Plans for Arch grounds attract curious crowds and praise |last=O'Neil |first=Tim |date=August 18, 2010 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |access-date=January 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121084659/http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_48aa1bfe-3185-5ea2-b958-8c501015e4f9.html |archive-date=November 21, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On August 26, the finalists made their cases to an eight-member jury,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stltoday.com/article_036e04ce-b341-5554-8a4d-52ef02af56d6.html |title=Arch 2015: A citizen's guide |date=August 17, 2010 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |access-date=January 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010173614/http://www.stltoday.com/article_036e04ce-b341-5554-8a4d-52ef02af56d6.html |archive-date=October 10, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_395ecf5e-b8bb-519d-ab23-19bba6a84c0f.html |title=Archscape design competitors take their visions to the jury |last=O'Neil |first=Tim |date=August 27, 2010 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |access-date=February 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130221201/http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_395ecf5e-b8bb-519d-ab23-19bba6a84c0f.html |archive-date=November 30, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and on September 21,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityarchrivercompetition.org/competition/about/ |title=About |work=cityarchrivercompetition.org |access-date=January 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110131130813/http://www.cityarchrivercompetition.org/competition/about/ |archive-date=January 31, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the winner was revealed—[[Michael Van Valkenburgh#Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.|Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates]]. The initiative's plans include updating Kiener Plaza and the Old Courthouse, connecting the city to the Arch grounds with a park over Interstate 70, a re-imagined museum and improved accessibility. The budget for the project is $380 million and was set to be completed in 2018.<ref name="O'Neil"/>

Ground broke on the "Park over the Highway" project, the first component of the CityArchRiver project, on August 2, 2013. This project features a landscaped structure over Interstate 70 and rerouted surface traffic that had previously formed a moat separating the Gateway Arch from the Old Courthouse. This project was completed in December 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/arch-s-park-over-highway-bridge-completed-ready-for-landscaping/article_8a2cb137-7b29-5bfd-b6fb-6afb71f4b90c.html |title=Arch's park-over-highway bridge completed, ready for landscaping work |last=Hunn |first=David |work=stltoday.com |access-date=December 14, 2017 |language=en }}</ref>

===Visitor center===
[[File:Gateway Arch visitors center.jpg|thumb|right |Inside the visitor center prior to its 2018 renovation]]
The underground visitor center for the arch was designed as part of the National Park Service's [[Mission 66]] program.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/allaback/vci.htm |title=Mission 66 Visitor Centers: The History of a Building Type |last=Allaback |first=Sara |chapter=Appendix I: Mission 66 Visitor Centers |year=2000 |publisher=National Park Service |isbn=978-0-16-050446-4 }}</ref> The {{convert|70000|ft2|m2|adj=on}} center is located directly below the arch,<ref name="Kimbell">{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/enquirer/access/1822812391.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |title=Enter the Gateway of St. Louis |last=Kimbell |first=Becky Yaeger |date=October 12, 2003 |newspaper=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]] |page=T.2 |access-date=January 13, 2011 |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105083509/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/enquirer/access/1822812391.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status=dead }}</ref> between its legs. Although construction on the visitor center began at the same time as construction for the arch itself, it did not conclude until 1976 because of insufficient funding;<ref name="Visitor center" /> however, the center opened with several exhibits on June 10, 1967.<ref name="Arch timeline" /> Access to the visitor center is provided through ramps adjacent to each leg of the arch.<ref name="Visitor center">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4zuo4E6WLKwC&pg=PA121 |title=Underground Buildings: More Than Meets the Eye |last=Hall |first=Loretta |publisher=Quill Driver Books |year=2004 |page=121 |isbn=978-1-884956-27-0 }}</ref>

The center houses offices, [[mechanical room]]s, and waiting areas for the arch trams, as well as its main attractions: the [[Museum of Westward Expansion]] and two theaters displaying films about the arch.<ref name="Visitor center" /> The older theater opened in May 1972;<ref name="Arch timeline" /> the newer theater, called the Odyssey Theatre, was constructed in the 1990s and features a four-story-tall screen. Its construction required the expansion of the underground complex, and workers had to excavate solid rock while keeping the disruption to a minimum so the museum could remain open.<ref name="Visitor center" /> The museum houses several hundred exhibits about the United States' [[westward expansion]] in the 19th century<ref name="PopSci" /> and opened on August 10, 1977.<ref name="Arch timeline" />

As part of the CityArchRiver project, the visitor center and museum underwent a $176 million expansion and renovation that was completed in July 2018.<ref name="Hahn">{{Cite news |url=https://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/hotlist/gateway-arch-museum-visitors-center-to-open-in-time-for/article_9222e6c1-b789-54ac-93af-241ea9abeccd.html |title=Gateway Arch museum, visitors center to open in time for Fair St. Louis |last=Hahn |first=Valerie Schremp |work=stltoday.com |access-date=December 14, 2017 |language=en }}</ref> The renovation includes a 46,000-square-foot underground addition featuring interactive story galleries, video walls, a fountain and a cafe.<ref name="Hahn"/>

===Observation area===
[[File:JNEM Observation deck.jpg|thumb|left |Observation area on top of the Gateway Arch]]
Near the top of the Arch, passengers exit the tram compartment and climb a slight grade to enter the observation area. This arched deck, which is over {{convert|65|ft|m}} long and {{convert|7|ft|m}} wide,<ref>{{cite journal |title=Gateway Arch |last=Selbert |first=Pamela |journal=[[Trailer Life]] |date=April 2004 |volume=64 |issue=4 |page=64 |publisher=TL Enterprises, Inc. |issn=0041-0780 }}</ref> can hold up to about 160 people, equivalent to the number of people from four trams.<ref name="Mogin" /> Sixteen windows per side, each measuring {{convert|7|x|27|in|mm}}, offer views up to {{convert|30|mi|km}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gatewayarch.com/Arch/info/act.arch.aspx |title=Top of the Gateway Arch |publisher=Gateway Arch Riverfront |access-date=December 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501044957/http://www.gatewayarch.com/Arch/info/act.arch.aspx |archive-date=May 1, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to the east across the [[Mississippi River]] and southern [[Illinois]] with its prominent [[Mississippian culture]] mounds at [[Cahokia Mounds]] and to the west over the city of [[St. Louis]] and [[St. Louis County, Missouri|St. Louis County]] beyond.{{citation needed |date=September 2011}}

====Modes of ascent====
[[File:Gateway Arch tram car.JPG|thumb|upright |Interior of the tram capsule in the Gateway Arch]]
There are three modes of transportation up the arch: two sets of 1,076-step emergency stairs (one per leg),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/arch-faq.htm |title=Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=December 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530224648/http://www.nps.gov/archive/jeff/arch_faq.html |archive-date=May 30, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> a 12-passenger elevator to the {{convert|372|ft|m|adj=on}} height,<ref name="James"/> and a tram in each leg.<ref name="csmonitor"/>

Each tram is a chain of eight cylindrical, five-seat compartments<ref name="Nofziger">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mqVYAAAAIBAJ&pg=5612,1305043 |title=The Ups & Downs Of Jefferson Expansion Memorial Park |last=Nofziger |first=Fred |date=December 27, 1987 |newspaper=[[The Blade (Toledo)|Toledo Blade]] |page=D7 |access-date=January 13, 2011 }}</ref> with glass doors.<ref name="Schatt">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Qkk0AAAAIBAJ&pg=5780,5802040 |title=Gateway Arch Worth A Trip To St. Louis |last=Schatt |first=Steve |date=December 28, 1975 |newspaper=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]] |page=7F |access-date=January 11, 2011 }}</ref> As each tram has a capacity of 40 passengers and there are two trams, 80 passengers can be transported at one time, with trams departing from the ground every 10 minutes.<ref name="Post-Dispatch"/> The compartments (capsules) rotate like [[Ferris wheel|Ferris-wheel]] cars as they ascend and descend the arch on rails.<ref name="Sutton"/> This fashion of movement gave rise to the idea of the tram as "half-Ferris wheel and half-elevator."<ref name="Sutton"/> The trip to the top takes four minutes,<ref name="Borcover"/> and the trip down takes three minutes.<ref name="Mogin" />
[[File:STL JNEM north tram upper station.jpg|thumb|left |North stairs and tram descending from observation platform]]

Because of a lack of funds in March 1962, the NPS did not accept bids for the arch's internal train system<ref name="Brown7"/> and considered discarding the idea.<ref name="Corrigan"/> In May 1962,<ref name="Corrigan"/> the [[Bi-State Development Agency]] proposed that it issue revenue bonds to obtain the required funds. The Department of the Interior and Bi-State entered into an agreement where Bi-State would construct and operate the tram.<ref name="Corrigan"/><ref name="Brown7"/> Bi-State would have to raise $1,977,750 for the construction of the tram system.<ref name="Brown7"/> It [[wikt:retire#Verb|retired the bonds]] by setting a $1 riding fee to the top.{{#tag:ref |Some locals wrote letters to the [[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] accusing Bi-State of "gouging".<ref name="Corrigan"/> |group=lower-alpha}}
[[File:Downtown-STL-4 (32131567337).jpg|thumb|A view of the city of St. Louis from the observation room of the St. Louis Arch]]
Bi-State put in $3.3&nbsp;million [[revenue bond]]s and has operated the tram system since.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kU5hAAAAIBAJ&pg=4456,4487422 |title=St. Louis Arch Train System Opens After Many Delays |date=July 24, 1967 |newspaper=[[St. Joseph News-Press]] |agency=Associated Press |page=1B |access-date=January 24, 2011 }}</ref> The tram in the north leg entered operation in June 1967,<ref name="Freeman"/> but visitors were forced to endure three-hour-long waits until April 21, 1976, when a reservation system was put in place.<ref name="Arch timeline" /> The south tram was completed by March 1968. Commemorative pins were awarded to the first 100,000 passengers.<ref name="Corrigan"/> As of 2007, the trams have traveled {{convert|250000|mi|km}}, conveying more than 25&nbsp;million passengers.<ref name="Post-Dispatch">{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/119736C1B5DFABF8/0D7C12F5A8A2A86A |title=The Gateway Arch |date=May 24, 2007 |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |page=23 |access-date=January 11, 2011 |issn=1930-9600 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707223359/http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&p_product=AWNB&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D%28%20119736C1B5DFABF8%20%29&p_docid=119736C1B5DFABF8&p_theme=aggdocs&p_queryname=119736C1B5DFABF8&f_openurl=yes&p |archive-date=July 7, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Incidents====
[[File:Boy looking out observation window.jpg|thumb|left|A boy is looking out one of the observation windows at the city of St. Louis. [[Busch Stadium]] can be seen through the window.]]
On July 8, 1970, a six-year-old boy, his mother, and two of her friends were trapped in a tram in the arch's south leg after the monument closed. According to the boy's mother, the group went up the arch around 9:30&nbsp;p.m. [[Central Daylight Time|CDT]], but when the tram reached the de-boarding area, its doors did not open. The tram then reportedly traveled up to a storage area {{convert|50|ft|m|0}} above the ground, and the power was switched off.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BFRWAAAAIBAJ&pg=2145,3066012&dq=gateway-arch&hl=en |title=Four Spend Shaky Hour in High Train |date=July 10, 1970 |agency=Associated Press |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |access-date=March 24, 2011 }}</ref> One person was able to pry open the tram door and the four managed to reach a security guard for help after being trapped for about 45 minutes.<ref name="Arch timeline" />

On July 21, 2007, a broken cable forced the south tram to be shut down, leaving only the north tram in service until repairs were completed in March 2008.<ref name="USA Today cable">{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-03-18-st-louis-arch-tram_N.htm |title=After 8 months, tram in St. Louis Gateway Arch moving again |date=March 18, 2008 |work=USA Today |agency=Associated Press |access-date=January 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205085010/http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-03-18-st-louis-arch-tram_N.htm |archive-date=February 5, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Around 200 tourists were stuck inside the arch for about three hours because the severed cable contacted a high-voltage rail, causing a [[electrical fuse|fuse]] to blow. The north tram was temporarily affected by the power outage as well, but some passengers were able to exit the arch through the emergency stairs and elevator. It was about two hours until all the tram riders safely descended, while those in the observation area at the time of the outage had to wait an additional hour before being able to travel back down. An arch official said the visitors, most of whom stayed calm during the ordeal, were not in any danger and were later given refunds.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19893149 |title=Tram out of service after Gateway Arch mishap |agency=Associated Press |work=[[NBC News]] |date=July 22, 2007 |access-date=March 24, 2011 }}</ref> The incident occurred while visitors in the arch were watching a fireworks display, and no one was seriously injured in the event. However, two people received medical treatment; one person needed [[oxygen]] and the other was [[diabetic]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/22/AR2007072200045.html |title=200 Trapped in Gateway Arch for 2 Hours |agency=Associated Press |date=July 22, 2007 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=March 24, 2011 }}</ref> Almost immediately after the tram returned to service in 2008, however, it was closed again for new repairs after an electrical switch broke. The incident, which occurred on March 14, was billed as a "bad coincidence."<ref>{{cite news |title=Gateway Arch tram reopens, breaks down |date=March 15, 2008 |work=[[United Press International|UPI NewsTrack]] |publisher=United Press International }}</ref>
[[File:Mississippi River from the Arch.jpg|thumb|right|A view of the Mississippi River from the observation room of the St. Louis Arch.]]

On the morning of February 9, 2011, a National Park Service worker was injured while performing repairs on the south tram. The 55-year-old was working on the tram's electrical system when he was trapped between it and the arch wall for around 30 seconds, until being saved by other workers. Emergency officials treated the injured NPS employee at the arch's top before taking him to [[Saint Louis University Hospital]] in a serious condition.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_9f3b5873-7763-593f-aaa4-74a65ef09f59.html |title=Worker injured by tram inside Gateway Arch |last=Currier |first=Joel |date=February 10, 2011 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |access-date=May 14, 2011 }}</ref>

On March 24, 2011, around one hundred visitors were stranded in the observation area for 45 minutes after the doors of the south tram refused to close. The tourists were safely brought down the arch in the north tram, which had been closed that week so officials could upgrade it with a new computer system. The National Park Service later attributed the malfunction to a computer glitch associated with the new system, which had already been implemented with the south tram. No one was hurt in the occurrence.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/251177/3/Arch-trams-shut-down-stranding-visitors- |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127065538/http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/251177/3/Arch-trams-shut-down-stranding-visitors- |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 27, 2013 |title=Arch trams shut down, stranding visitors |date=March 24, 2011 |last=Held |first=Kevin |location=St. Louis |publisher=KSDK-TV |access-date=March 24, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Group-trapped-at-top-of-Arch-after-malfunction-118606314.html |title=Group trapped at top of Arch after malfunction |date=March 24, 2011 |location=St. Louis |publisher=[[KMOV-TV]] |access-date=March 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326045551/http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Group-trapped-at-top-of-Arch-after-malfunction-118606314.html |archive-date=March 26, 2011 }}</ref>

Around 2:15&nbsp;p.m. local time on June 16, 2011, the arch's north tram stalled due to a power outage.<ref name="tram stall">{{cite news |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_744afb22-985d-11e0-80ed-001a4bcf6878.html |title=Arch tram stalls with 40 on board |last=Currier |first=Joel |date=June 16, 2011 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |access-date=June 16, 2011 }}</ref> The tram became stuck about {{convert|200|ft|m}} from the observation deck, and passengers eventually were told to climb the stairs to the observation area.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/263425/3/Arch-north-tram-stalls-trapping-visitors |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904034758/http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/263425/3/Arch-north-tram-stalls-trapping-visitors |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 4, 2012 |title=St. Louis Arch tram stalls, trapping visitors |last=Held |first=Kevin |date=June 16, 2011 |location=St. Louis |publisher=KSDK-TV |access-date=June 16, 2011 }}</ref> It took National Park Service workers about one hour to manually pull the tram to the top, and the 40 trapped passengers were able to return down on the south tram, which had previously not been operating that day because there was not an abundance of visitors. An additional 120 people were at the observation deck at the time of the outage and also exited via the south tram. During the outage, visitors were stuck in the tram with neither lighting nor air conditioning.<ref name="tram stall" /> No one was seriously injured in the incident, but one visitor lost consciousness after suffering a [[panic attack]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Visitors-to-the-Arch-stuck-after-tram-loses-power-124031214.html |title=Arch tram loses power, passengers stuck |last=Chiodo |first=Joe |date=June 16, 2011 |location=St. Louis |publisher=KMOV-TV |access-date=June 16, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618151551/http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Visitors-to-the-Arch-stuck-after-tram-loses-power-124031214.html |archive-date=June 18, 2011 }}</ref> and a park ranger was taken away with minor injuries. The cause of the outage was not immediately known.<ref name="tram stall" />

===Stunts and accidents===
[[File:STL Skyline 2007 edit cropped.jpg|thumb|right |The arch in September 2007]]
On June 16, 1965, the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] cautioned that aviators who flew through the arch would be fined and their licenses revoked.<ref name="Wolf">{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/626557502.html?dids=626557502:626557502&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI |title=St. Louis' Stainless Steel Streamline Baby |last=Wolf |first=Jacob |date=May 12, 1968 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |page=I28 |access-date=January 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/61hcbXuod?url=http://hn.bigchalk.com/pqdocs/share4/pqimage/hnirs104v/201109141840/22213/3567/out.pdf |archive-date=September 14, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> At least ten pilots have disobeyed this order,<ref name="Arch timeline"/> beginning on June 22, 1966.<ref name="Corrigan"/>

In 1973, Nikki Caplan was granted an FAA exception to fly a [[hot air balloon]] between the arch's legs as part of the [[Great Forest Park Balloon Race]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Cox |first=Jeremy R. C. |title=St. Louis Aviation |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ttPS7yYgiKMC&pg=PA31 |year=2011 |publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] |location=Charleston, SC |isbn=978-0-7385-8410-2 |page=31 |chapter=The Beginning of Flight in St. Louis }}</ref> During the flight, on which the St. Louis park director was a passenger, the balloon hit the arch and plummeted 70 feet before recovering.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/610909732.html?dids=610909732:610909732&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI |title=Column 1: Hot air fans meet, shoot the breezes |last=Oppenheim |first=Carol |date=August 12, 1976 |work=Chicago Tribune |page=1 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/61j1Nn95w?url=http://hn.bigchalk.com/pqdocs/share4/pqimage/hnirs101v/201109151633/37704/27294/out.pdf |archive-date=September 15, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1976, a [[U.S. Army]] exhibition skydiving team was permitted to fly through the arch as part of [[Fourth of July]] festivities,<ref name="Evening Independent accident" /> and since then, numerous skydiving exhibition teams have legally jumped onto the Arch grounds, after having flown their parachutes through the legs of the Arch.

The arch has been a target of various [[stunt performer]]s, and while such feats are generally forbidden, several people have parachuted to or from the arch regardless. In June 1980, the National Park Service declined a request by television producers to have a performer jump from the arch; a similar appeal by stuntman Dan Koko was also turned away in February 1986.<ref name="Arch timeline" /> Koko, who was a [[stunt double]] for ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'', wanted to perform the leap during Fourth of July celebrations.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ca8yAAAAIBAJ&pg=2127,1252455 |title=Gateway Arch stunt off |date=February 13, 1986 |work=[[Ottawa Citizen|The Citizen]] |access-date=March 25, 2011 }}</ref>

'''1980 accident'''

On November 22, 1980, at about 8:45&nbsp;a.m. CST, 33-year-old Kenneth Swyers of [[Overland, Missouri]], parachuted onto the top of the arch. His plan was to release his main parachute and then jump off the arch using his reserve parachute to perform a [[base jump]]. After landing the wind blew him to the side, and he slid down the north leg to his death.<ref name="Montreal Gazette accident">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EVwxAAAAIBAJ&pg=3581,1871410&hl=en |title=Wife sees 'chutist plunge to death |date=November 24, 1980 |agency=United Press International |work=[[The Gazette (Montreal)|The Gazette]] |location=Montreal |access-date=March 25, 2011 }}</ref> The accident was witnessed by several people, including Swyers' wife, also a parachutist. She said her husband "was not a hot dog, daredevil skydiver" and that he had prepared for the jump two weeks in advance. Swyers, who had made over 1,600 jumps before the incident, was reported by one witness to have "landed very well" on the top of the arch, but "had no footing."<ref name="Evening Independent accident" /> Swyers was reportedly blown to the top of the arch by the wind and was unable to save himself when his reserve parachute failed to deploy.<ref name="Montreal Gazette accident" /> The Federal Aviation Administration said the jump was unauthorized and investigated the pilot involved in the incident.<ref name="Evening Independent accident">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IGFQAAAAIBAJ&pg=1666,2432018&dq=kenneth-swyers+gateway-arch&hl=en |title='I Knew He Was Dead': Parachutist Dies After Landing On St. Louis Arch |date=November 24, 1980 |agency=Associated Press |work=[[Evening Independent]] |access-date=March 25, 2011 }}</ref>

On December 27, 1980, St. Louis television station [[KTVI]] reported receiving calls from supposed witnesses of another stunt landing. The alleged parachutist, who claimed to be a retired professional stuntman, was said to be wearing a [[Santa Claus]] costume when he jumped off an airplane around 8:00&nbsp;a.m. CST, parachuted onto the arch, grasped the monument's beacon, and used the same parachute to glide down unharmed. KTVI said it was told the feat was done as an act of homage to Swyers, and "apparently was a combination of a dare, a drunk, and a tribute."<ref name="Eugene Register-Guard jump">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dFhYAAAAIBAJ&pg=6888,8834513&dq=kenneth-swyers+gateway-arch&hl=en |title='Santa' parachutes onto arch to honor stunt man |agency=United Press International |date=December 28, 1980 |work=[[Eugene Register-Guard]] |access-date=March 25, 2011 }}</ref> On the day after the alleged incident, authorities declared the jump a hoax. A spokesperson for the [[St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department]] said no calls were received about the jump until after it was broadcast on the news, and the Federal Aviation Administration said the two calls it had received were very similar. One caller also left an out-of-service phone number, while the other never followed up with investigators.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yApIAAAAIBAJ&pg=4262,4403948&dq=arch+stunt&hl=en |title=Gateway Arch leap seen hoax |date=December 29, 1980 |work=[[Record-Journal]] |access-date=March 25, 2011 }}</ref> Arch officials said they did not witness any such jump, and photos provided by the alleged parachutist were unclear.<ref name="Eugene Register-Guard jump" />

'''1992 stunt'''
[[File:Gateway Arch from air.jpg|thumb|right |Aerial shot of the arch]]

On September 14, 1992, 25-year-old John C. Vincent climbed to the top of the Gateway Arch using [[suction cup]]s and proceeded to parachute back to the ground. He was later charged with two [[misdemeanor]]s: climbing a national monument and parachuting in a national park. [[United States Attorney|Federal prosecutor]] Stephen Higgins called the act a "great stunt" but said it was "something the Park Service doesn't take lightly."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HQBMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4977,3479064&dq=john-vincent+gateway-arch&hl=en |title=Gateway Arch climber charged |date=September 17, 1992 |agency=Associated Press |work=[[Oxnard Press-Courier|Press-Courier]] |access-date=March 25, 2011 }}</ref> Vincent, a construction worker and diver from [[Harvey, Louisiana]],<ref name="STLPD innocent">{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/0EB04DCD374E5048/0D7C12F5A8A2A86A |title=Innocent Plea In Arch Climb&nbsp;– Defendant Had Said That He Pulled Off Stunt |date=September 22, 1992 |last=Bryant |first=Tim |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707223918/http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&p_product=AWNB&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D%28%200EB04DCD374E5048%20%29&p_docid=0EB04DCD374E5048&p_theme=aggdocs&p_queryname=0EB04DCD374E5048&f_openurl=yes&p |archive-date=July 7, 2019 |access-date=March 25, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> said he did it "just for the excitement, just for the thrill," and had previously parachuted off the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] in May 1991. He said that scaling the arch "wasn't that hard" and that he had considered a jump off the monument for a few months. In an interview, Vincent said he visited the arch's observation area a month before the stunt, to see if he could use a maintenance hatch for accessing the monument's peak. Due to the heavy security, he instead decided to climb up the arch's exterior using suction cups, which he had used before to scale shorter buildings. Dressed in black, Vincent began crawling up the arch around 3:30&nbsp;a.m. CST on September 14 and arrived undetected at the top around 5:45&nbsp;a.m., taking an additional 75 minutes to rest and take photos before finally jumping. During this time, he was seen by two traffic reporters inside the [[One Metropolitan Square]] skyscraper.<ref name="STLPD jump">{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/0EB04DCB4831D454/0D7C12F5A8A2A86A |title=Climber Parachutes From Top Of Arch |date=September 15, 1992 |last=Smith |first=Bill |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707224031/http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&p_product=AWNB&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D%28%200EB04DCB4831D454%20%29&p_docid=0EB04DCB4831D454&p_theme=aggdocs&p_queryname=0EB04DCB4831D454&f_openurl=yes&p |archive-date=July 7, 2019 |access-date=March 25, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Vincent was also spotted mid-air by Deryl Stone, a Chief Ranger for the National Park Service. Stone reported seeing Vincent grab his parachute after landing and run to a nearby car, which quickly drove away. However, authorities were able to detain two men on the ground who had been videotaping the jump.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N5FKAAAAIBAJ&pg=5955,2865869&dq=suction+cup+gateway+arch&hl=en |title=Man parachutes off Gateway Arch |agency=Associated Press |date=September 15, 1992 |work=[[The Telegraph (Nashua)|The Telegraph]] |location=Nashua, NH |access-date=March 25, 2011 }}</ref> Stone said 37-year-old Ronald Carroll and 27-year-old Robert Weinzetl, both St. Louis residents, were found with a wireless communication headset and a video camera, as well as a still camera with a [[telephoto lens]]. The two were also charged with two misdemeanors: disorderly conduct and commercial photography in a national park.<ref name="STLPD jump" /> Vincent later turned himself in and initially pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.<ref name="STLPD innocent" /> However, he eventually accepted a guilty plea deal in which he testified against Carroll and Weinzetl, revealing that the two consented to record the jump during a meeting of all three on the day before his stunt occurred.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VOwwAAAAIBAJ&pg=3279,1302928 |title=Photographer of arch jumper guilty of misdemeanor |date=January 24, 1993 |agency=Associated Press |work=[[The Nevada Daily Mail]] |access-date=March 25, 2011 }}</ref> [[United States magistrate judge|Federal magistrate judge]] David D. Noce ruled on January 28, 1993, that Carroll had been involved in a [[conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy]] and was guilty of both misdemeanor charges; the charges against Weinzetl were dropped by federal prosecutors. In his decision, Noce stated, "There are places in our country where the sufficiently skilled can savor the exhilaration and personal satisfaction of accomplishing courageous and intrepid acts, of reaching dreamed-of heights and for coursing dangerous adventures," but added that other places are designed for "the exhilaration of mere observation and for the appreciation of the imaginings and the works of others. The St. Louis Arch and the grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial are in the latter category."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/0EB04DFDE9ECCFA8/0D7C12F5A8A2A86A |title=Guilty: Man Who Filmed Arch Climber |date=January 29, 1993 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707224154/http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&p_product=AWNB&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D%28%200EB04DFDE9ECCFA8%20%29&p_docid=0EB04DFDE9ECCFA8&p_theme=aggdocs&p_queryname=0EB04DFDE9ECCFA8&f_openurl=yes&p |archive-date=July 7, 2019 |access-date=March 25, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

After his guilty plea, Vincent was sentenced to a $1,000 fine, 25 hours of community service, and a year's probation. In December 1992, Vincent was sentenced to ninety days in jail for violating his probation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dropzone.com/forums/topic/31689-st.louis%2C-mo-arch-base-jump/ |title=St. Louis, MO Arch Base Jump |date=January 3, 2004 |work=Dropzone.com |access-date=April 10, 2019 }}</ref>{{unreliable source|date=November 2024}}

===Security===
Two years after the 1995 [[Oklahoma City bombing]], a little over $1&nbsp;million was granted to institute a [[counterterrorism]] program. Park officials were trained to note the activity of tourists, and inconspicuous electronic detection devices were installed. After the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, security efforts became more prominent and security checkpoints moved to the entrance of the visitor center.<ref name="Nixon">{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/0F9E8724422A6C71/0DF73E411D70C6CA |title=Security tightened at St. Louis Gateway Arch |last=Nixon |first=Mike |date=May 31, 2002 |newspaper=St. Charles County Business Record |access-date=January 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200105204424/https://www.webcitation.org/61hcjvzGx?url=http://iw.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb%3Fp_action=doc&p_theme=aggdocs&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date:D&p_product=AWNB&p_docid=0F9E8724422A6C71&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D(%200F9E8724422A6C71%20)&p_nbid=A65M60YWMTMxNjA0MDE0MS45NjA3NDk6MTo3OnJhLT |archive-date=January 5, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref> At the checkpoints, visitors are screened by [[magnetometers]] and [[x-ray]] equipment,<ref name="Miller">{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2003/03/17/daily56.html |title=Gateway Arch will close if alert raised to 'red' |last=Miller |first=Beth |date=March 20, 2003 |newspaper=St. Louis Business Journal |access-date=January 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809212334/http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2003/03/17/daily56.html |archive-date=August 9, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> devices which have been in place since 1997.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/0EB0504762F5FB6B/0D7C12F5A8A2A86A |title=On Guard: Metal Detectors Make Debut at Gateway Arch |last=Hopgood |first=Mei-Ling |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=May 21, 1997 |access-date=January 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707224459/http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&p_product=AWNB&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D%28%200EB0504762F5FB6B%20%29&p_docid=0EB0504762F5FB6B&p_theme=aggdocs&p_queryname=0EB0504762F5FB6B&f_openurl=yes&p |archive-date=July 7, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Arch also became one of several U.S. monuments placed under [[restricted airspace]] during 2002 [[Fourth of July]] celebrations.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/07/03/july4th-celebrations.htm |title=USA engages in guarded celebration |last1=Locy |first1=Toni |last2=Watson |first2=Traci |work=USA Today |date=July 7, 2002 |access-date=January 28, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/27/us/government-restricts-airspace-at-3-us-landmarks-for-july-4.html |title=Government Restricts Airspace At 3 U.S. Landmarks for July 4 |date=June 27, 2002 |work=The New York Times |access-date=February 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924204432/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/27/us/government-restricts-airspace-at-3-us-landmarks-for-july-4.html?src=pm |archive-date=September 24, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2003, {{convert|10|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}}, {{convert|32|in|cm|adj=mid|-high}}, {{convert|4100|lb|kg|adj=on}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KKgfAAAAIBAJ&pg=2830,4988670 |title=Barricades around Arch grounds draw some complaints |last=Wittenauer |first=Cheryl |date=February 7, 2003 |work=[[Southeast Missourian]] |agency=Associated Press |page=4A |access-date=February 1, 2011 }}</ref> movable [[Jersey barrier]]s<ref>{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/0F90B46078215940/0DF73E411D70C6CA |title=Protecting the Arch; Barriers Are Considered Temporary Solution; Concrete Barricades Do the Job Until More Attractive Design Is Found |last=Duffy |first=Robert W. |date=February 6, 2003 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |page=B1 |access-date=February 1, 2011 |issn=1930-9600 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200108205142/https://www.webcitation.org/61hcq4dPh?url=http://iw.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb%3Fp_action=doc&p_theme=aggdocs&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date:D&p_product=AWNB&p_docid=0F90B46078215940&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D(%200F90B46078215940%20)&p_nbid=T4FN4ARAMTMxNjA0MDIzMy42NTU2NDM6MTo3OnJhLT |archive-date=January 8, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref> were installed to impede terrorist attacks on the arch. Later that year, it was announced that these walls were to be replaced by concrete posts encased in metal to be more harmonious with the steel color of the arch.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/s/InfoWeb/aggdocs/AWNB/0FF317BDF146E616/0D7C12F5A8A2A86A |title=Better-looking Barriers To Protect Gateway Arch |date=November 30, 2003 |newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]] |page=6H |access-date=January 14, 2011 }}</ref> The movable [[bollard]]s can be manipulated from the park's dispatch center, which has also been upgraded.<ref name="GAO"/>

In 2006, arch officials hired a "physical security specialist," replacing a law enforcement officer. The responsibilities of the specialist include [[risk assessment]], testing the park's security system, increasing security awareness of other employees, and working with other government agencies to improve the arch's security procedures.<ref name="GAO">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eWxEY7wZleYC&pg=PA36 |title=Homeland Security: Actions Needed to Improve Security Practices at National Icons and Parks |last=Goldstein |first=Mark L. |year=2010 |publisher=Diane Publishing Co. |pages=19, 36 |isbn=978-1-4379-2332-2 }}</ref>