Gardiner’s Roosevelt Arch: Stuff to Know

Yellowstone National Park's north entrance is marked by the iconic Roosevelt Arch in Gardiner. You've seen it a hundred times...but how much do you know about it?

Apparently there's a time capsule sealed up within the arch. I hadn't ever thought of that but it certainly makes sense. (More on that in a minute.)

We thought we'd put together a snapshot of cool facts about the Roosevelt Arch:

• It took only 6 months to build the Roosevelt Arch.
• Construction took place between February 19th, 1903 and August 15th, 1903.
• At the time, it cost $10,000 to build the Arch which apparently would be about $250,000 in today's dollars.
• The Arch and walls around it are constructed of local basalt rock, that came from a quarry right there in Gardiner.
• Nobody is quite sure who designed the Arch. Even the folks in Yellowstone aren't certain. It's most likely Robert Reamer or Nels J. Ness. (Reminder to always sign your best work, eh?)
• THERE IS A TIME CAPSULE IN THERE! We couldn't find an official list of items but apparently there are some U.S. coins from the time, a picture of Roosevelt, some newspapers and a bible. Hopefully there are more creative surprises in there but it will probably be some time before anyone gets to see it. That Arch is pretty sturdy.
• The Roosevelt Arch (North Entrance to YNP) is the only one of the five entrances that is open year round to vehicular traffic. It will take you through Tower Junction to Cooke City....but Mother Nature is always the boss. The road can get quite messy.
• There's a North Entrance webcam that you can check for real time conditions