It has been over 30 years since we visited the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Much is the same. The cocoon like tram cars (8 cars total) still take 4-6 people per car to the top. The view from the 630 foot top windows is still amazing.
The new fascinating piece of information we learned was part of the Mississippi Cruise after the arch. Apparently when the arch was built in the 1960s, there were elevated train tracks between the arch and the Mississippi River. Well, the developers felt that would distract from the arch.
Solution? Thousands of tons of dirt were brought in and placed under the arch and the elevated train. Framework was built around the train to, en essence, convert the section by the arch to a mini-subway. Large steps were built from the newly-raised ground area down to the River. On the opposite side, the entrance to the arch goes underground. There is a large underground information center, museum and cafe. Access to the tram to go up in the arch descends even farther underground.
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