The Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch

As I walked through the entrance, I headed down the ramp that led into the lobby, which lied underground, between the legs of the Arch. The sun entering through the doors reflected off the marble tiled floor. The first site I came to was the appealing blue fountain that resided in the exact center of the lobby. The royal blue water spout about four or five feet into the air and cascaded down into a small square pool. There were plants lining the edge of the pool and lots of children crowded around it. As I stared to my left, I saw the large off-white sign that read "Tickets" in hunter green letters hanging from the ceiling. Behind the ticket sign was a long chain linked area, creating a weaving line of guests eventually arriving at a large cream colored counter. This area, known as the ticket center, housed the cashiers who sold tickets to the various events offered at the Arch. There were six windows with cashiers dressed in Carolina blue polos behind each station.

On either side of the Ticket center were two gift shops. To the right, the larger of the two stores, the Museum Store, where children were pulling their parents in to buy them various t-shirts or posters. To the left was the "Levee Mercantile" store, which was themed as an 1800's general store. Inside, workers were dressed in colonial style clothing while selling homemade baked goods and saltwater taffies.

On the opposite side of the fountain, across from the ticket center, was the information desk. Here, several families were asking questions about directions, other attractions, and various food locations. Behind the information desk is the famous stuffed, life-size grizzly bear that attracts nearly as many children as the fountain. The giant bear, in an attack position, guards the entrance to the large museum located in the rear of the lobby. The Museum of Westward Expansion was nearly as long as a football field filled with artifacts commemorating the Louis and Clark expedition and travel and trade up and down the Mississippi River.

Throughout the entire lobby of the Arch, there was one thing that I could not get away from, people. Every direction I turned couples and families and business men of all different nationalities were wandering around trying to decide what to do and where to go. Children were giggling and babies were crying, typical of what one would