Great Platte River Road Archway Monument

The Great Platte River Road Archway is an interesting place. I was a little surprised at the museum entry fee at first but once I experienced the full range of the museum it made more sense. It was a really nice look at transportation, focusing primarily on pioneers to the West including 49-​ers and early Mormon migration. They have a high quality audio exhibit here and good visuals as well. It was very interesting, if a little rushed toward the latter parts. I happen to be married to a History expert who gives me additional & entertaining information throughout any historical exhibit, so we were continually removing and replacing our headphones throughout our visit in order to communicate with each other. I think this would be ideal for a solo traveler, honestly. The exhibit would not be a great place, in my opinion, for young children, unless they have a different set of stories set up for them (they may, I have no idea). I think it would be a little creepy and very difficult to follow for most kids under ten years old. They do make some pretty good attempts at accommodation for individuals with disabilities, which should be noted. There’s a neat looking playground outside too. One benefit we fully enjoyed was the adjacent hike and bike trail. While it’s not the most scenic (looking at utility facilities during part of it), the trail was a paved, cleared (in snow and ice) area for us to get some much-​needed exercise on our winter visit, so that was great. There were a couple of interesting outdoor exhibits as well, including a Native American dome habitat built to highly accurate specs.

Amazing for all ages. We visited with people 6 – 44 years old and everyone learned something new, enjoyed exploring and taking it in! The maze in the parking lot was a big hit with the kids!
Took us an hour to visit.

On our annual trip out west, my wife and I finally decided to pull over and check out the Archway. Going in, my expectations were pretty low. I expected something like a gimmicky tourist trap for those suckers that decide to actually stop and check it out. Once we pulled in to the parking lot though, it was obvious that it was much more than that. Everything from the building to the semi-​guided tours were awesome. It’s an interesting and unique exhibit that documents the travel to the Western United States. I couldn’t help but feeling that the tour ended somewhat abruptly and could have been 15 – 20 minutes longer. But the period covering the Oregon trail through the highways and interstate system was well done. All-​in-​all, it was pretty cool and definitely worth the $ 12 admission for adults and $ 6 for kids.

SO worth the stop! The headsets are set to a story per «scene,» so make you stay till the end of each story. What an awesome depiction of American history. Great artifacts and displays, and the sod house outside is really neat. Don’t miss this hidden gem in Nebraska!

Not sure this place is worth $ 12 ($ 6 for kids) a person to see. If you do decide to go, walk slow.

Don’t be fooled by the size of the place from the outside. What an unexpected gem!
A fun, engaging and educational museum. Spectacular displays and worth the stop.

I have visited this place every year for the last five years. I’ve been in the museum four times and I’ve walked around the entire thing including all of the outside attractions every single year. My favorite part is the bridge. I absolutely love how special you can feel and how small and how are connected to history you can feel in one little place. Their gift star is definitely overpriced and it’s hard to buy memorabilia from there. I love the coloring book because it’s inexpensive and lasts for fun the whole rest of the way. I can imagine highway I 80 without this place.

Just stopped by 5 minutes ago while on the way back home to the east. 12 bucks to go up into the arch… don’t waste your money. It might be worth 5 bucks but even that is a stretch. Also if you want an 8×10 pic of yourself in the lobby, that is 16 dollars. ALso over priced concession stand with three dollar bags of potato chips — 3 oz — with a pic of Larry the Cable Guy on the bag. I also found offensive the plaque they have hanging in the main lobby that states that anyone who died on the pioneer trail was not a true pioneer and only those who survived were the true were pioneers. I had a GGGG uncle who died at Fort Laramie on the pioneer trail in 1849. Does that mean my GGGG uncle was not a true pioneer? Also offensive — the plaque states that those whom did not go west were cowards. Lastly offensive was a plaque from supposedly the local pawnee tribal leader thanking the State of Nebraska for giving the Pawnee a very small sliver of land back to native Americans — after the well known genocide of native Americans for 100’s of years by the Europeans. This place is clearly a highly over priced tourist trap run by the state of Nebraska with offensive and a skewed and highly propagandized version of US History. Not even worth the stop during your vacation. If I were in charge of the arch I would donate it entirely to the Pawnee and allow them to use it any way they see fit — such as giving their version of westward expansion, rather than the propagandized one suggested presently. It is plainly clear that those in charge of this monument are extremely ignorant and narrow minded about US history. Either that or they believe the majority of Americans are dumb and will buy into this false presentation of American History and westward expansion and pay money for the state sponsored propaganda. Even if the fee for the arch was a dollar I would not pay it to a group of people who suggest that anyone who died on the pioneer trail was not a true pioneer.

Decided to stop in on our way from Omaha to Denver. As the other reviewers have mentioned, this is a museum spanning over the highway detailing the plight westward, starting with covered wagon trains, to train, to cars. The staff was attentive and very friendly. You have headphones that provide a dialogue of the different exhibits. It was actually quite interesting (maybe not for our 7 year old) and definitely worth the break from the road.
Overall it was an interesting way to spend 30 – 60 minutes, and definitely should be a stop on a family road trip.

Wanted to stop here about 9 years ago — I was out numbered by 3 to 1! However, this trip there were just 2 of us, me and my dad.
It was interesting, I had come down in the hotel and he was sharing with me about this bridge up the road about 90 miles that some people had told him about that morning. I ask, it the bridge over a river or something? He wasn’t sure much more than that. At that point I had forgot about the bridge that we had passed under so long ago.
I was surprised to see the bridge that I wanted to check out before. This time it was his idea so of course we stopped. I would agree it’s a bit of a tourist trap — food is served there but on the higher cost side. We tend not to eat in these places so I can’t comment on good the food is.
The bridge is actually a museum that is self-​guided tour that takes you through the history of settling the west. It is worth the time and cost $ 12 adults /​$ 10 seniors.

I was in Nebraska for a funeral and was hoping to give the trip a happy memory too. So I went to my ‘1000 things to see before you die — US and Canada version’ and flipped it open to Nebraska. Sadly, I had just missed crane season, but the next thing on the list was the monument. Turns out even the locals hadnt seen it — and we had 2 little ones in our group so it seemed family friendly. It was a cold and windy day, but we bundled up and headed over.
Upon entry, we were greeted by a wild haired cowboy with a rustic sense of humor, who directed us to the counter to buy our tickets. We returned to him and his helpers got us set with our audio tour getup and a photo op before we went up the escalator into a different time.
We learned of the first settlers and the paths they took. We saw cabins and tents and wagons and so many fabulous things from the period. We went up another level and were transported into a newer time, one with cars and cottages and diners. In the diner you can actually look outside and see the big rigs flying at you at 70 mph… talk about a culture clash!
It was great fun, a learning experience and something you can do in just a few short hours. I’m with the book though, a must-​see before you die. Im so glad that I did!

I really didn’t know what I’d find inside this mammoth structure that spans I-​80, just outside of Kearney, NE. I thought it would be some kind of hokey museum, filled with displays of old wagon wheels and vintage pioneer junk. Yeah, there’s some of that stuff to be seen, but the self-​guided tour takes you through the history of the Western Expansion in a very unique and interesting way. I was impressed.
My pioneer ancestors came to Nebraska in the late 1800’s, by covered wagon, and actually lived in a sod house (or soddy) until the late 1930’s. This terrific interactive museum gave me a real sense of what it was like for them to make that trek and provided a great history lesson about the experiences of those who ventured on to Utah, Oregon or California. However, the best thing about the Archway Monument had to be the good folks who work there. I was greeted at the door by an Old West character who clearly takes his role seriously – he had some impressive whiskers. After crossing the Platte River via footbridge, I discovered a real Pawnee hogan. The communal house is an awesome structure, and the young docent working inside was extremely enthusiastic and informative.
If you ever find yourself in this corner of Nebraska, cruising down I-​80, the Archway is definitely worth a stop.

I am so neutral about the Archway Monument.
As I drive back to visit family, the I-​80 drive between Colorado and Nebraska has become a normal venture.
More curiosity than hype brought me to visit for the first time. I just had to stop and see what this monstrosity landmark building bridging over the Interstate was all about.
The history and tour was actually very interesting. Being from Nebraska, I already was spoon fed this information and continued on. As for visitors, travelers and the other curious passer-​byes, I’m sure this stop was much more an event for them than I.
What I really wished to see more of was the experience of being in a building that sat above the Interstate. What a really cool concept? A building over a busy Interstate. Not just a bridge, but a building. I was really excited to sit and count cars, wave at the semis, wait for a Volkswagen Beetle to drive by so I could slug my girlfriend. Nope! There is only one stinking window with a radar gun that didn’t even work pointing down at traffic. What a waste of a great experience. Where else can you be in a building above an Interstate? None that I know of in the United States at least. I think the designers missed big time on this opportunity. Maybe a renovation idea? Think about it. A glass box restaurant above the Interstate! EVERYONE WOULD STOP FOR THAT!
Please send design idea and large check or cash to Andrew Wright, Denver, CO.
Just sayin’.

What a fun surprise while traveling down I-​80. The exhibits were fun and interesting.

Though it will come as no surprise to native Nebraskans, this is the geographic center of the US. The museum has good waxworks and dioramas, even better live characters, an excellent audiotour create an interactive lesson in American history and culture. Nice outdoor paths, too.
BTW, where did Mark Twain not go? (It seems he has preceded us to California, Hawaii, and every place else, by freaking stage coach!) Back then it took 3 weeks to get from Missouri to Sacramento and cost $ 500, then came rail which took 10 days and cost $ 50.
Based on what we learned here, we got off I-​80 and drove home on the Lincoln Highway, apparently the original auto route between NY and Sacramento for people wanting to see the US by car. It was a good experience, no construction, no «screaming road,» every 10 miles or so a small town with a grain elevator, Sinclair gas station, bar, and beauty shop. Want to go back to Grand Island and to Columbus and explore.

If you are cruisin on I-​80 (hauling ass across the Great Plains) near Kearney, Nebraska, and see this huge arch across the freeway you might be prompted to say: looks like the mother of all tourist traps. But amazingly it isn’t. It’s a very cool, interesting museum, somewhat high tech, in the archway!
They have a number of exhibits inside that not only are educational but fun. There is a series of exhibits that proceed in chronological order. One exhibit, a sort of diorama if you will, is of a drive in movie site. Right there is this cool ’61 Cadillac convertible!
Well worth the entry fee. On the way there stop at a rest area with a Nebraska info. station and you can get a coupon for some $ off the entry fee.
A nice break from the monotony of I-​80. Even better yet check out one of Nebraska parks. I’m a fan of the Sand Hills area.