Park directly across from the Gateway Arch known for the Gateway Geyser, a fountain that lifts water up to 630 feet (192 m) and an elevated viewing point overlooking the river
General Information
Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park is a park on the east side of the Mississippi River in East St. Louis, Illinois, directly across from the Gateway Arch and the city of St. Louis, Missouri. Its major feature is the Gateway Geyser, a fountain that lifts water up to 630 feet (192 m). The Gateway Geyser is a counterpart to the equally tall Gateway Arch, and is visible from the west side of the river to the right of the prominent Cargill grain elevator. Four smaller fountains around the Geyser represent the four rivers which converge near the two cities: The Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, and Meramec. The park also includes an elevated viewing point overlooking the river.
Arch designer Eero Saarinen conceptualized a memorial touching both banks of the Mississippi River, but funding was not provided for the east side as the extensive Gateway Arch National Park (then known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) took shape in St. Louis, of which the Arch is the most prominent element. One of the many supporters of the 1947 effort to fund that landmark was St. Louis attorney Malcolm W. Martin. After two decades without development on the Illinois side, Martin founded the Gateway Center of Metropolitan St. Louis to fund land acquisition for a park there, in 1968. He headed a federal committee in 1987 planning its design, and won an award for his work the following year.
Work began with the installation of a 100-foot (30 m) flagpole, shortly after Gateway Center purchased the site from Illinois Central Railroad. The fountain first gushed on May 27, 1995, with Martin at the switch, and when he died in 2004, he left $5 million for the addition of the Mississippi River Overlook and completion of the park. On June 17, 2005, ownership of the site was transferred to the Metro East Park and Recreation District, and the park officially opened in June 2009. Gateway Center continues to pay for the park, but MEPRD owns and maintains it.
- Gateway Geyser
- Mississippi River Overlook
- Malcolm W. Martin Statue
- Web camera
- Green space and concrete paths
- Benches throughout the park
- Free parking lot on site
- 24-hour security station
The overlook platform provides scenic views of the St. Louis Arch and city skyline, the river, and the fountain. It officially opened June 6, 2009.
The geyser has one scheduled eruption every day from May 1 to September 30. Each eruption lasts 10-minutes and is dependent on wind, weather, and drought conditions. The Gateway Geyser hibernates October through April.
The Overlook is a five-tiered rising walkway that culminates in a platform 40 feet (12 m) above the bank of the river. It is made of concrete and steel, with lighted railings on all sides. A bronze statue of Martin is sitting at the top, facing the view of the Arch that he helped preserve. A live web camera provides constant access to the scene. The statue was designed by St. Louis sculptor Harry Weber.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
