Great Platte River Road Archway Monument - Kearney, Nebraska

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Great Platte River Road Archway Monument - Kearney, Nebraska
1,500-ton, 309-foot structure built to show the lifestyles and hardships of the pioneers crossing Nebraska. According to the Maimi Herald it is one of the top 10 cool museums for kids…adults like it too.

All great events in history deserve to be recognized in a special way. A governor in Nebraska decided the best way to recognize the pioneers that traveled across their great state in covered wagons, in search for a better life out west, as well as also celebrating the advances in the world of travel and communication during this time, was with the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument.

In the fifteen year period between 1845 and 1860, hundreds of thousands of people traveled the distance between Missouri and the West Coast. No matter the hardships they faced, the pioneers refused to give up. The journey changed these people’s lives but not necessarily in the way that was expected, as they faced adversity such as Native American tribes, Pony Express riders, and everything in between. Along the way, rail travel was begun, as well as the Lincoln Highway, America’s first transcontinental road, and I-80, the nation’s first interstate. Advances in communication took place as well, such as the telegraph.

It was former Governor of Nebraska Frank Morrison that believed a monument would be the best way to commemorate those that traveled the route, and the transportation and communication that was born during and after the great trek. Although he first developed this idea in the 1960s, it wasn’t until thirty years later than his idea began to take shape. It was on July 16, 2000, that the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument was dedicated to the “Strength of the Pioneer Spirit – Courage, Hope, Heroism, and Vision.”

Such elaborate means were used to construct and erect this great monument, a 1,500 ton structure, as it crosses over 308 feet of interstate. The exterior was treated with electrically charged acid to create the hues of yellow, orange, and red that are found in a sunset in Nebraska. After the structure was built to the side of the road, an eight-day long jacking process was used to slowly move the structure forty-two inches at a time, until it was placed up on its permanent home and welded into place.

The Great Platte River Road happened to play an integral role in the developing west, as it was the one place where the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail met up, causing it to be referred to at one point as the Route of Manifest Destiny. These trails are commemorated at the Archway Monument, along with the transcontinental roadways, such as the Overland Stagecoach and Pony Express, travel along the railways and Lincoln Highway, and the communication breakthroughs of the telegraph and fiber optics.

The Archway Monument makes for a great place of learning for schoolchildren and scout troops. Talented reenactors are employed to teach schoolchildren “firsthand” accounts such as the birth of the railroad, the lives of Eliza Donner and Emily Post, and the Pony Express Riders. Overnight programs are offered to Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, where the boys will learn about such things as Indian Lore, the Civil War, and “Wolf Night.” The girls learn about such things as Local Lore and Brownies in the Roaring 20s.

The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument is open in the fall, September 5 through October 31, everyday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. In the winter months, November through February, the Archway Monument is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10:00 AM through 5:00 PM. No matter the season, adults 16 and up pay $10.00, seniors pay $8.50, youth 12 to 15 pay $6.00, children 6 through 11 pay $3.00, and children 5 and under are free.

The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument
3060 East 1st Street
Kearney, NE 68847
(877) 511-ARCH

Great Platte River Road Archway Monument - Kearney, Nebraska