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 that stretches over Interstate 80 near Kearney, Nebraska, in the United States. It opened in July 2000. This amazing monument tells the exciting story of Nebraska and the Platte River Valley. It shows how this area helped America grow and develop. The Archway is more than 300 feet (about 91 meters) long and goes right over the highway! You can easily visit it from Interstate 80 using exits 275 and 272.

The Archway's Story

The idea for a monument about the Platte River Valley's history came from former Governor Frank B. Morrison. The Archway officially opened its doors to visitors on July 16, 2000. In its first two years, many people came to see it, including then-President Bill Clinton.

At first, the Archway faced some challenges because not as many visitors came as expected. To help, the monument made changes to its plans and how it managed its money. By 2013, it had successfully paid off its debts.

The City of Kearney now helps manage the Archway. A new exit (275) was built on I-80 right next to the museum in August 2013, making it even easier for people to visit.

In December 2013, the Archway closed for two months to get a fresh new look. It reopened on March 1, 2014, with exciting updates! These changes included a new gift shop and a theater that shows short videos about the exhibits. They also introduced a fun new mascot named Archie the Buffalo! In January 2018, the Archway announced that it had earned a profit for the first time ever in 2017, showing its great success.

A Journey Through History

For thousands of years, the path along the Platte River in Nebraska has been a major route for travel across America. This path became known as the Great Platte River Road. The Archway museum shares the stories of the brave pioneers, adventurers, and creative thinkers who traveled this road since the mid-1800s. These travelers helped build the United States as we know it today.

The exhibit begins in 1848 at Fort Kearny. It features sections on famous trails like the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail. These trails all met near Fort Kearny before heading west.

As you walk through the museum, you'll see displays from different time periods. You can explore a prairie schooner wagon from the Oregon Trail and imagine a buffalo stampede. There's also a display about the Mormon Handcart Expedition and a campsite from the California Gold Rush.

The exhibit also shows the history of communication and transportation. You'll learn about the Pony Express, the Transcontinental Telegraph, and old stagecoaches. Then, you'll see how the Transcontinental Railroad changed travel. The journey continues with the first transcontinental highway, the Lincoln Highway, and ends with today's transcontinental highway, I-80.

The exhibit finishes with a cool replica drive-in and a 1950s-style cafe. From here, you can look out the windows and see the actual Interstate 80 below! All the exhibits are in order, showing how the Great Platte River Road developed over time.

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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