Arch Nemesis

Arch Nemesis? Not really------ but photographing around the St. Louis Arch does require a bit of education, information, awareness and paperwork.

If you want to have professional photography taken at the Arch or on the Arch Grounds there are a few simple rules. Know first of all that you are required to have a PERMIT--- a real live permit, no excuses! Failure to have a permit is cause for ejection from the Arch Grounds. Yes, it happens. Permits are free to acquire but must be requested several weeks in advance.

The grounds around the St. Louis Arch are gorgeous and nothing shouts St. Louis quite like having the Arch in your photograph. Some simple things to keep in mind when you arrive on site for your photos are:

• You're not the only ones on this large property---- be respectful of others!
• Here at Tom Paule Photography we are experienced in getting the best shots of you and the Arch ---- so you can relax, and enjoy. Keep your eyes on the lens, follow instructions and be open to things happening 'on the fly'.
• Be respectful of the Park employees, they work hard to make the Arch the best for visitors and STL residents alike.

Did You Know:

• The Arch is the tallest national monument in the United States at 630 feet; it is the city's best known landmark and a popular tourist attraction.
• Construction began February 12, 1963 and the last section of the Arch was put into place on October 28, 1965.
• The Arch is a structure known as a catenary curve, the shape a free-hanging chain takes when held at both ends, and considered the most structurally-sound arch shape. The span of the Arch legs at ground level is 630 feet, the same as its height.
• Each year, approximately a million visitors ride the trams to the top of the Arch. The trams have been in operation for over 30 years, traveling a total of 250,000 miles and carrying over 25 million passengers.
• The Arch weighs 17,246 tons. Nine hundred tons of stainless steel was used to build the Arch, more than any other project in history.
• The Arch was built at a cost of $13 million. The transportation system was built at a cost of $3,500,000.
• In order to ensure that the constructed legs would meet, the margin of error for failure was 1/64th of an inch. All survey work was done at night to eliminate distortion caused by the sun's rays. Since the Arch was constructed before the advent of computer technology, relatively crude instruments were used for these measurements.
• The Arch sways a maximum of 18" (9" each way) in a 150 mph wind. The usual sway is 1/2".

There is almost always something happening at the Arch---- make sure to do as we do, check with them to see if there is something scheduled that might interfere with your plans!