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Great Platte River Road Archway Monument

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Coordinates: 40°40′11″N 99°02′18″W / 40.669747°N 99.038342°W / 40.669747; -99.038342
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40°40′11″N 99°02′18″W / 40.669747°N 99.038342°W / 40.669747; -99.038342

The Archway

The Archway (also known as The Great Platte River Road Archway or Kearney Arch) is a museum of and monument to Nebraska's and the Platte River valley's role in westward expansion. The Archway is directly over Interstate 80 three miles (5 km) east of Kearney, Nebraska.

About

The Archway spans more than 300 feet over Interstate 80 east of Kearney, Nebraska and weighs nearly 1,500 tons.[1] The Archway takes visitors along the trails, rails, highways and superhighways in a self-guided audio tour that includes stories of the travelers along the way.[1] The show starts in the 1840s with the Mormon Trail, Oregon Trail and California Trail that converged at the nearby Fort Kearny before heading west. As visitors progress through the exhibit, the displays of different time periods feature a buffalo stampede, the Mormon Handcart Expedition, gold seekers, the Pony Express, the telegraph, the transcontinental railroad, the Lincoln Highway, a drive-in movie and a 1950s cafe.[1] A new exit (Exit 275) immediately east of The Archway provides easy access. Exit 272 (to Kearney) also provides access to The Archway.

History

A monument and tourist attraction highlighting the Platte River valley was a goal of former Governor Frank B. Morrison. In 1997, $60 million in bonds were issued and purchased by investors. On 16 July 2000, the Archway opened to the public, with 223,013 and 249,174 visitors in the attraction's first two years, respectively. First-year visitors included then-president Bill Clinton.[2] These numbers were far short of projections. The monument had to reduce expenses and refinance its bond payments in 2002, reducing the amount owed to $22 million, repaid by 2013.[3]

While a shift in focus on educational and group tours briefly presented the monument with a more stable financial footing, attendance subsequently dwindled, counting only 49,960 visitors in 2012.[2] The Archway filed for bankruptcy protection on March 7, 2013.[4] In September 2013, U.S. federal bankruptcy judge Thomas Saladino approved a debt plan, ordering museum organizers to pay $100,000 as a settlement for more than $20 million it owed to bondholders, creditors and vendors.[5][6] Wells Fargo Bank of Minneapolis was the trustee for the bondholders.

As part of the resolution of the bankruptcy filing, The Archway is managed by the City of Kearney.[7] A second I-80 interchange was completed in August 2013 directly east of the museum at a cost of about $20 million, and is expected to boost attendance.[8] Previously, eastbound motorists who missed the exit two miles west of the museum needed to travel 12 additional miles to get to the Archway.[2] The lack of such an exit had been long blamed for part of the Archway's troubles.[6]

In December 2013, the museum announced a two-month closure to re-brand itself following its debt ruling, scheduling its grand re-opening for March 1, 2014.[9]

The Archway re-opened on March 1, 2014. Changes include a revamped gift shop, a new theater showing a short video detailing the building of the structure and its placement over the interstate. Also, a new mascot, Archie the Buffalo, was introduced.[10]

This wagon shows the size and contents of the typical Conestoga wagon on the Oregon Trail.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Archway". RoadsideAmerica.com. April 8, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Joseph Brennan; Mike Konz (March 7, 2013). "Kearney Arch files for bankruptcy protection". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  3. ^ "Kearney Arch files for bankruptcy". Lincoln Journal-Star. March 6, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  4. ^ "Great Platte River Road Memorial Archway". Kearney Hub. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  5. ^ "Judge approves debt plan for Kearney archway". Lincoln Journal-Star. September 19, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  6. ^ a b Joe Duggan; Mike Konz (September 19, 2013). "Kearney Arch bankruptcy plan wins approval; attraction may remain open". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  7. ^ "County Kearney Give Archway Second Chance". Kearney Hub. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  8. ^ Cassandra Hager (September 12, 2013). "New Exit Boosts Business For Kearney Archway". KGIN. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  9. ^ "Kearney archway museum to close for 2 months". Associated Press. December 27, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  10. ^ "Archway reset, revamped, ready to reopen". Kearney Hub staff. February 24, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
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