Great Platte River Road Archway Monument facts for kids

The Archway spanning I-80

The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, often called The Archway, is a special building in Nebraska, United States. It stands over Interstate 80, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) east of Kearney, Nebraska. The Archway opened in July 2000. It is a museum that tells the amazing story of Nebraska and the Platte River Valley. This area played a big part in how America grew. The monument is more than 300 feet (91 meters) long above the highway. You can easily reach it from Interstate 80 using exits 275 and 272.

Building the Archway

A former governor named Frank B. Morrison had a dream. He wanted to build a monument to celebrate the history of the Platte River Valley. This dream came true when the Archway was built.

The Archway officially opened its doors on July 16, 2000. Many people visited in the first two years. Over 223,000 people came in the first year, and more than 249,000 in the second. Even President Bill Clinton visited the Archway during its first year.

Changes and Reopening

After a few years, the Archway faced some money problems. It had fewer visitors than expected. To help, the Archway changed its focus. It started offering more educational programs and tours for groups.

In 2013, the Archway needed to make some big changes to its financial plans. To help, the City of Kearney took over managing the Archway. Also, a new exit (Exit 275) was built right next to the museum in August 2013.

In December 2013, the Archway closed for two months. This time was used to make improvements and get ready for a fresh start. It had a grand reopening on March 1, 2014. New things included a redesigned gift shop and a new theater. The theater shows short videos related to the museum's exhibits. A new mascot, Archie the Buffalo, was also introduced!

In January 2018, the Archway announced good news. For the first time in its history, the organization made a profit in 2017. This showed that the changes helped it become successful.

What You Can See Inside

The Archway museum tells the story of travel along the Platte River. For thousands of years, this path, known as the Great Platte River Road, was a major route across the continent. The museum shows how pioneers, adventurers, and inventors traveled this trail from the mid-1800s. They helped build America as we know it today.

The exhibit begins in 1848 at Fort Kearny. It shows the famous trails that met near Fort Kearny before heading west. These include the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail.

As you walk through the museum, you'll see different time periods come to life. You can explore:

• A prairie schooner wagon from the Oregon Trail.
• A scene of a buffalo stampede.
• The Mormon Handcart Expedition.
• A campsite from the California Gold Rush.
• The Pony Express, which delivered mail quickly.
• The Transcontinental Telegraph.
• An old stagecoach.
• The Transcontinental Railroad, which connected the country.
• The first transcontinental highway, the Lincoln Highway.
• Today's transcontinental highway, I-80.

The exhibit ends with a cool replica of a 1950s-style drive-in and cafe. From here, you can look out over the interstate. All the exhibits are in order, showing how the Great Platte River Road changed over time.

Images for kids

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  Covered wagon

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  Covered wagon

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  Campers, visitors can sit with them, on the stump shown

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  Pioneers

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  View of I-80 underneath museum

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  Wagon showing the size and contents of the typical Conestoga wagon on the Oregon Trail

See also

• Landmarks of the Nebraska Territory