St. Louis Arch Scheduled for Demolition Early Fall 2015

Claim:   The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is slated for demolition in early 2015.

FALSE

Example:   [Collected via e-mail, June 2014]

Origins:   The Gateway Arch (commonly known as the "St. Louis Arch") is one of the United States' most distinctive landmarks, a 630-foot-high, stainless steel-clad monument to the westward expansion of the U.S. which has graced the western bank

of the Mississippi River since its completion in 1965.

In June 2014 an online rumor began circulating to the effect that the venerable arch was slated to be demolished in early 2015. There was no truth to the rumor: although
redevelopment plans for the arch and its surrounding grounds are in the works (primarily a renovation and expansion of the museum at the monument's base), the demolition of the arch itself is not an option being considered by anyone. The rumor was just a prank started on one of the plethora of web sites that allow users to create fake news stories and propagate them via social media.

Last updated:   18 June 2014