The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri is an iconic monument that has inspired many riddles and brain teasers over the years. Here are 97 riddles about the Arch for you to enjoy and test your knowledge.
General Riddles About the Arch
Let’s start with some general riddles about the Arch:
- What is the official name of the Arch in St. Louis? Answer: The Gateway Arch
- What two famous explorers does the Arch memorialize? Answer: Lewis and Clark
- What is the architectural style of the Arch called? Answer: Modernist or Futurist
- What material is the Arch made of? Answer: Stainless steel
- How many stairs are inside each leg of the Arch? Answer: 1,076 stairs
- What is the base of each leg made of? Answer: Concrete
- When was the Arch completed? Answer: 1965
- Who designed the Arch? Answer: Eero Saarinen
- What shape is the cross section of the Arch? Answer: Equilateral triangle
- What city nicknames itself the “Gateway to the West”? Answer: St. Louis
Dimensions of the Arch
How big is the Arch exactly? Test your knowledge with these riddles:
- How tall is the Arch? Answer: 630 feet (192 meters) tall
- How wide are the legs at the base? Answer: 54 feet (16.5 meters) wide
- What is the span (width) of the Arch at its top? Answer: 630 feet (192 meters)
- How much does the Arch weigh? Answer: 17,246 tons
- How thick are the outer walls of the Arch? Answer: Just 3 inches (7.62 cm) thick
- How many hundreds of feet tall is the Arch? Answer: Six hundred feet tall
- What is the width of the equilateral triangle cross section? Answer: 17 feet
- How much distance is there between the legs at the base? Answer: 50 feet (15.24 meters)
- What is the ground to top height of the Arch in meters? Answer: 192 meters tall
- How many feet higher is the Arch compared to the Statue of Liberty? Answer: 364 feet higher
Arch Construction Facts
Do you know how the Arch was built? Test yourself with these construction riddles:
- What was used to construct the triangular sections of the Arch? Answer: Cranes
- How many triangular sections make up the Arch? Answer: 142 triangular sections
- What kind of cranes were used to put the sections in place? Answer: Crawler cranes
- How long did construction of the Arch take? Answer: A little over 3 years
- When did construction on the Arch begin? Answer: February 12, 1963
- How was the Arch funded? Answer: Public and private funds
- Who was the contractor for building the Arch? Answer: MacDonald Construction Company
- What architectural firm designed the Arch? Answer: Eero Saarinen and Associates
- What part of the Arch was installed last? Answer: The final triangular section at the top
- How many worker deaths occurred during construction? Answer: Zero deaths
Visiting and Using the Arch
Want to learn more about visiting and using this landmark? Try these Arch riddles:
- What transports visitors to the top of the Arch? Answer: A unique tram system of egg-shaped compartments
- How many people can fit in each tram compartment? Answer: Up to 5 people
- What is the charge to go up in the Arch tram? Answer: Around $15 per person
- What is the name of the museum below the Arch? Answer: The Museum of Westward Expansion
- About how many visitors go up in the Arch each year? Answer: Around 1 million people
- How fast do the tram compartments travel? Answer: About 3 mph
- How long is the tram ride to the top of the Arch? Answer: 4 minutes up, 3 minutes down
- At the top, how many little windows are on each side? Answer: 16 windows on each side
- How many states can you see from the top of the Arch on a clear day? Answer: Up to 30 states
- Who was the first person to ride to the top of the Arch? Answer: The mayor of St. Louis in 1965
Arch Facts and Records
How much do you really know about this monument? Test your knowledge with these Arch fact riddles:
- What is the world record for most people atop the Arch at one time? Answer: 612 people
- What is the width of the widest part of the Arch compared to a football field? Answer: As wide as a football field is long
- About how many times could the Statue of Liberty fit inside the Arch? Answer: About 2 and 1/3 times
- About how much did it cost to build the Arch in the 1960s? Answer: About $15 million dollars
- How many glazed white ceramic tiles cover the exterior of the Arch? Answer: Over 43,000 tiles
- How many cents and dollars is represented in the total cost to build the Arch? Answer: 15 million dollars
- How many millions of dollars did the local community donate for the Arch project? Answer: About 3.5 million dollars
- How old was the lead architect Eero Saarinen when he died? Answer: 51 years old
- How many inches thick are the concrete foundations of the Arch? Answer: 60 inches (5 feet) thick
- What is the weight of the Arch in tons? Answer: 17,246 tons
St. Louis and Mississippi River Riddles
The Arch’s location is tied to the history of St. Louis and the Mississippi River. Test your knowledge with these related riddles:
- What major river runs through St. Louis? Answer: The Mississippi River
- What is the name of the river that St. Louis is known as the “Gateway to”? Answer: The West
- What Native American tribe lived in the St. Louis area before European settlers arrived? Answer: The Mississippian Culture
- St. Louis was acquired from what country in the Louisiana Purchase? Answer: France
- Which president made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803? Answer: Thomas Jefferson
- Which two states were part of the Louisiana Purchase? Answer: Missouri and Iowa
- What explorer founded the city of St. Louis? Answer: Pierre Laclede
- In the early 1800s, St. Louis was the capital of which territory? Answer: The Missouri Territory
- St. Louis hosted what Olympics games in the early 1900s? Answer: The 1904 World’s Fair and Olympics
- The Eads Bridge, completed in 1874, was the first what over the Mississippi? Answer: Bridge over the Mississippi
Architecture and Design Riddles
How much do you know about the Arch’s unique architecture and design? Solve these riddles:
- What architectural style is the Arch? Answer: Modernist
- What is the triangular shape of the Arch inspired by? Answer: The St. Louis Arch
- What technique did Saarinen use to design the Arch? Answer: Sketching with soap on tables
- What made constructing the Arch difficult for its time? Answer: Its curved, futuristic design
- What architectural advantage does the triangle design have? Answer: Strength and stability
- What was innovative about how the foundation connects to the legs? Answer: The foundations splay outward
- What was Saarinen’s inspiration for the Arch design? Answer: A catenary curve
- What was Saarinen’s primary goal with the design? Answer: A monument to the West
- What architectural detail was almost left off the Arch? Answer: The windows at the top
- What color are the tiles that cover the exterior? Answer: White
Pop Culture References to the Arch
The Arch has appeared in movies, TV shows, books and more over the decades. Test your pop culture Arch knowledge by solving these riddles:
- What sci-fi movie featured the Arch prominently? Answer: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- What TV sitcom features an Arch parody called the Seatle Space Needle? Answer: Frasier
- In Meet Me in St. Louis, what is the name of Judy Garland’s character? Answer: Esther
- In National Treasure, what US Document is hidden in the Arch? Answer: The Declaration of Independence
- What 2004 animated film featured a villain named The Burger King demolishing the Arch? Answer: The Simpsons Movie
- What TV drama depicted the Arch being destroyed? Answer: St. Elsewhere
- What famous author drafted a proposal to paint the Arch black? Answer:Mark Twain
- In what Nelly music video is the Arch featured? Answer: Air Force Ones
- In the show Futurama, the St. Louis Arch appears as ruins in what year setting? Answer: In the year 3000
- What Marvel superhero is from St. Louis and has a lair under the Arch? Answer: Hawkeye
Nicknames and Slang Terms for the Arch
The Arch goes by many nicknames and slang terms locally. How many do you know? Solve these riddles:
- What nickname refers to the arch shape? Answer: The Gateway Arch
- Locals call it “The Arch” or “The _______?” Answer: Gateway Arch
- What is one slang term that refers to its tall shape? Answer: Big Mac
- What is a slang term referencing McDonald’s golden arches? Answer: The St. Louis Arch
- Locals sometimes call it “_____ on the Mississippi?” Answer: The Arch
- What is one nickname that locals call the tram system? Answer: Arch Elevators
- What is the most common short nickname for the Arch? Answer: The Arch
- What dessert is the Arch compared to sometimes? Answer: McDonald’s French fry
- Some call it the “__________ of St. Louis?” Answer: Gateway Arch
- What is one sillier nickname used by locals? Answer: St. Louis Rainbow
Fun Riddles About the Arch
Here are some silly and fun riddles about this landmark:
- Why can’t you play cards in the Arch? Answer: There are too many decks!
- Why did the Arch cross the road? Answer: It wanted to get to the other side.
- What did one Arch say to the other? Answer: Don’t look now but there’s something strange between us!
- Why doesn’t the Arch have elevators? Answer: It goes up on a slant!
- Why did the Arch go to the dentist? Answer: It had holes in its sides!
- Why does the Arch have so many steps? Answer: It likes to keep people on their toes!
- Why is the Gateway Arch so skinny? Answer: It doesn’t like to weigh itself down.
- Why did the Arch wear suspenders? Answer: To hold up its pants!
- What time does the Arch open every morning? Answer: At arch-o’clock!
- Where does the Gateway Arch buy his clothes? Answer: At the monumental department store!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed these 97 riddles about the iconic St. Louis Arch! This landmark has inspired so many fun brain teasers over the years. Which riddle was your favorite or stumped you? The Arch is an engineering marvel and stunning monument to the West. Next time you’re in St. Louis, make sure to visit the Gateway Arch and its Museum of Westward Expansion.
