Roosevelt Arch, Yellowstone National Park, Montana
A majestic stone arch stands at Yellowstone’s north gate in Montana. Built in 1903, it’s seen millions of visitors pass under its span, starting with Teddy Roosevelt himself. Some call it America’s front door to nature.
Here’s the story of the Roosevelt Arch, Yellowstone’s most famous entrance.
Stone Gateway Built for First National Park
You’ll find the Roosevelt Arch standing at Yellowstone’s north entrance near Gardiner, Montana. Back in the early 1900s, park officials thought this entrance looked too plain for America’s first national park.
Captain Hiram Chittenden from the Army Corps of Engineers suggested they needed something more impressive to welcome visitors. Park leaders and local townspeople quickly agreed with his idea.
In 1903, Interior Secretary Ethan Allen Hitchcock gave the go-ahead for a grand stone archway.
That same year, the Northern Pacific Railway extended its tracks all the way to Gardiner, making it much easier for tourists to reach the park instead of stopping at Cinnabar and switching to horse-drawn carriages.
Teddy Roosevelt’s Surprise Cornerstone Ceremony
President Theodore Roosevelt happened to be on vacation in Yellowstone during April 1903. He hadn’t planned to be part of any arch dedication, and nobody intended to name the structure after him.
Local Masons invited Roosevelt, himself a dedicated Mason, to lay the cornerstone on April 24, 1903.
There’s a Time Capsule in the Arch
Local Masons put a time capsule (called a “canister” back then) inside the arch during the dedication. This hidden box contains a Bible, Roosevelt’s picture, Masonic papers, local newspapers, coins, and other items from that time.
You can still spot the cornerstone today when entering from Gardiner. Look at the inside corner of the right tower where you’ll notice one stone that’s more perfectly squared than the others, with “Apr 24 1903” carved on the inner face.
Workers created quite a show during the cornerstone laying, using a flag-draped crane to lift it into place.
Inside the time capsule, they tucked away specific items that captured the era: the 1903 World’s Almanac, Northern Pacific Railway brochures, pictures of the 1870 Washburn expedition members, and original newspaper articles about early Yellowstone explorations.
Who Really Designed This Famous Arch?
No one knows for certain who designed the Roosevelt Arch. Some credit Robert Reamer, who designed the famous Old Faithful Inn, while others believe architect Nels J. Ness created it.
Many sources point to Reamer as the likely designer since he also worked on the train depot nearby.
How Workers Built The Grand Arch
Builders used hexagonal blocks of columnar basalt taken from a local quarry. They hauled hundreds of tons of this native stone to the site between February 19 and August 15, 1903.
Creating this landmark cost about $10,000 back then, which would be around $340,000 today. Local stonemasons built two fifty-foot towers connected by a wide arch and added wing walls on each side.
Their craftsmanship shows in how they carefully chiseled the corners and arches into rectangular shapes while leaving the rest of the columns with their natural polygonal sides exposed.
The Immortal Inscription
Across the top of the arch, you’ll see the words “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People” carved into the stone.
This phrase comes directly from the 1872 law that created Yellowstone National Park.
Additional panels flank the arch above the pedestrian doors. On the left, you’ll see “Yellowstone National Park” and on the right, “Created by Act of Congress, March 1, 1872.”
During his dedication speech, President Roosevelt emphasized this point, saying the “Park was created, and is now administered for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
The Roosevelt Arch Was Supposed to be Grander
Originally, designers wanted even more impressive surroundings for the arch.
Their plans called for curved walls enclosing a landscaped garden with two ponds and a waterfall.
These water features never materialized because Gardiner’s dry climate couldn’t support them. Instead, workers built just a small pond in front of the arch and planted some California sequoia trees.
Over time, both the small pond they did create and the trees disappeared completely as the harsh climate took its toll.
Driving Through The Arch Today
On July 31, 1915, when K.R. Seiler from Redwing, Minnesota led the first automobiles through the passageway.
You can still drive through the Roosevelt Arch when visiting Yellowstone’s north entrance, just as visitors have done for generations.
Wildlife Greeting You Beyond The Arch
After passing through the arch, you’ll drive just half a mile to reach the North Entrance station.
Keep your eyes open for elk herds often spotted on the hills to the south, offering a perfect introduction to a park famous for its wildlife.
As you continue south up Gardner Canyon, look to the east to spot some of the few sedimentary rocks visible in Yellowstone. While most of the park features younger volcanic rocks, these formations date back to the Cretaceous period from 145-65 million years ago.
In 1995, vehicles carrying eight Canadian wolves for Yellowstone’s reintroduction project passed through this same arch.
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