Golden Spike National Historic Site is a commemoration of the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad. On May 10, 1869, The Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad were joined. The meeting of the rails was established by the significant driving of the Golden Spike. Officials of the two railroads convened at the site to drive symbolic spikes, 4 to be exact, two of them gold. The Last Spike Ceremony is annually reenacted on the 10th of May. On the second Saturday of August the annual Railroader?s Festival is held. On the last weekend of December, Winter Steam Festival is held.

This Historic Site is a tourist favorite destination. An average of 49,500 visitors goes there annually. In 1978, a move was made to make the park as close as possible to the original appearance of the place. In 2006, the Board of Geographic Names granted a petition to change its name to Chairman?s Arch, in commemoration of the numerous Chinese workers during the 19th century. The arch now is called Chinese Arch.