The Archway: The archway spans 309 feet over I-80 just east of Kearney, Nebr. The 1,500-ton structure was lifted into place in one piece in August 1999 during an 8-hour closure of the highway. The archway houses a two-story museum featuring Nebraska and Platte River Valley history and America’s migration west beginning in the 1800s. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
A Closer View: A closer view of the Great Platte River Road Archway reveals how the structural framework of the arch is on the exterior while the wall of the arch is inside of the structural components. The colorful exterior shines as travelers pass by on the Interstate below. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
As we travel from point A to point B in various states and regions of our great country, we are always amazed at the serendipitous events along the way. We try to plan time for such events but sometimes we may think an hour or so would be sufficient when in reality we wish we had all day.
On our travels in Nebraska earlier this year, we came across one of those stops where we could have spent a day rather than an hour. We read about the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument on the internet while planning our trip, which is near Kearney, Nebr. on I-80. Since we rarely travel by the Interstate highways, we detoured a few miles to check out this archway.
Times were not always rosy for the huge monument that was constructed at a cost of $60 million and opened in July 2000. After about 250,000 people toured the facility during the first couple of years, dwindled to less than 50,000 by 2012 and the archway was bankrupt. The organization was able to escape closing the doors permanently and remained open after a short closure. The archway re-opened in March 2014 following bankruptcy.
A major improvement, which has aided in the recovery is Exit 275 on I-80 that allows travelers easy access to the facility. This exit was constructed and opened in 2013. Prior to the exit, travelers had to exit and drive a few miles off the interstate to reach the arch.
It turned out that this was much more than we anticipated, and we did not get to experience all there was to do and see due to time constraints. The Great Platte River Road Archway has a wonderful museum depicting the lifestyle and migration west in the 1800s leading up to modern travel and transportation.
The museum features pioneers who traveled by horse and wagon in the early days to car travel on the Lincoln Highway in the early 1900s to the Interstate, which runs under the archway today. Other exhibits include the history of Nebraska and the Platte River Valley that was considered a major route to the west in the early days.
Additional features at the archway include a visitors center, a picnic area and pavilion, hiking and biking trails and a lake, which allows people with powered and electric power boats.
A 1914 steel truss bridge over a portion of the lake was installed in 2005 after it was relocated from Pierce, Nebr. A shop at the visitors center offers souvenirs, snacks, as well as locally made foods, crafts, gifts and toys. Outside the center are several art pieces including a sculpture of a “Giant Bison” by Gary Ginther and a bronze sculpture “A Narrow Escape” by David Biehl.
There are probably other features of the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument facility that we missed but we will return to explore more of the archway facility and grounds. The excellent museum certainly requires another visit. If you are traveling I-80 in mid Nebraska, take Exit 275 and be prepared for a treat. Most areas of the facility are free but there is a charge for visiting the museum.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Big Bison: A 10-foot-tall bison statue stands in front of the Great Platte River Road Archway near Kearney, Nebr. The fiberglass bison is the work of Gary Ginther. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
A Narrow Escape: A large bronze sculpture entitled ‘A Narrow Escape’ created by David Biehl features a ride by two brothers in 1864 who were escaping Indian attack. An arrow pierced through both brothers but the two managed to survive. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Interstate View: A view of the Great Platte River Road Archway from the I-80 overpass shows the overall size of this huge monument. The arch spans 309 feet across the highway and 60 feet above the roadway. The log and stone towers on each end are six stories high. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com