Great Platte River Road Archway Monument — Attraction in Kearney

If you've driven through Nebraska, you've probably seen signs for it or driven under it: The Nebraska Archway. I honestly expected this to be a bit of a tourist trap, and I have never been so wrong.

There are plenty of things to see outside, before you even get into the building, and I wish it hadn't been so blasted hot. I know I missed a lot of cool things by escaping from the daystar immediately. Inside, before you get to the exhibit, there's a Nebraska-heavy gift shop (where you buy your ticket and receive the audio device for the tour), an art gallery well worth the look, and clean washrooms (behind the escalator).

Once you get your audio thingie, worn around your neck on a lanyard and listened to like an old-fashioned phone receiver, you get a brief tutorial and off you go on a self-guided tour. There is SO MUCH to see (and hear); plan to spend at least an hour, and preferably two, so you can listen to all of the narrated stops.

The history is very well-presented with varied narrators, costumed mannequins, murals, and a few large video screens. There are full-size vehicles in the exhibit, which I really didn't get a scale of driving under this archway. It definitely feels bigger on the inside! There are elevators for folks with accessibility concerns, but I think that means they will miss some of the experience.

The gift shop is stocked with plenty of sandhill crane merch (Kearney, NE is on the spring migration path for these amazing birds), so if you're a birder you may find some beautiful original local art there (I did!).

This was well-worth the stop, and a delightful surprise. I look forward to going back someday and visiting the grounds on a cooler day, and listening to some of the stops I'm sure I missed on the audio tour.

Just a note regarding children: Since this is a self-guided audio tour, I don't know how much small children will get from the experience. If they can work the device and listen patiently to narration, they'll be fine, but there are no animatronics to entertain them.

For the photosensitive: One portion of the tour (toward the beginning) has simulated thunder and lightning in a fairly dark room. The flashes aren't steady or long lasting, very much like actual lightning. If strobes are a concern, there's...

It is just about what you might expect. But as part of the national Park system your America the beautiful park pass should be accepted and the audio tour should be available for download on your phone to use with your ear buds for no cost. If you can't download them the audio unit rental would be a back up

🛻 Parking was good. Spaces for about 20 semis or bigger RV/ trailers and parking for about 80 cars on the west side and smooth 25 on the easy side. No cost for parking.

There was a guy dressed up as a pioneer to greet you and explain how this history museum works. Basically you go pay $15 in the gift store, get an audio device and then proceed up the escalator to the exhibits that go across the interstate stopping to hear the tour. It takes about 45 minutes to do but if you skip the audio it can take less but costs the same.

A very well stocked gift shop with all kind of stuff including snacks. There also looked to be a restaurant but it didn't open until lunch

There are a few exhibits outside too. You will get a good idea of the tour from the exhibits you can access on the ground floor. We might have taken the tour if we had more time but thought we could just show and browse through on our own after getting in with our national Park pass.

This might taste higher if you are really into this history and tell the pioneers made West. But we just stayed in an RV park less than 1 mile away and it was on the road back to the interstate. Anyhow give this review a like 👍♥️ if you decided to stop and check out the exhibits or give it a big like if you decided to skip this either due to cost, park pass, or time. Also please comment if you think a guide along your or a national Park downloadable phone your would be a better option then let the national Park know it's time to upgrade technology and save the taxpayer money to spend on maintenance and improvements or adding more national parks with...

This is a great place to learn about the westward expansion of the United States. In fact, just before my sisters and I decided to stop at the Archway, I'd been thinking about all the pioneers who braved the elements to come out West. I couldn't imagine the trials they faced and what they went through to bring their families to a whole new way of life. Well, I found out about some of those trials as I walked through the Archway, listening to recorded stories and learning the history of the pioneers and frontiersmen who came before us. The tour lasts about an hour, but can be as long as you like if you stop to read all the extra information on side displays (pictures, etc.) Recorded information is played on a devise carried on a lanyard around your neck, which you then hold to your ear to hear. The devises are supposed to work at each numbered station along the tour by tapping the numbered placard on each display, except I had to manually input almost every number for the sound to come up. It was okay, but a little cumbersome, especially if you have a purse or anything else in your hands. You have to take an escalator several stories up to begin the tour. I looked back as I neared the top and got a little dizzy, so if you're afraid of heights, you might ask to take the elevator. Also, make sure you bring a sweater/sweatshirt during the summer months, because they have the air conditioner on "FREEZER" mode, for some reason. All in all, it's a great stopping place along the I--80 corridor; you'll find a lot of interesting items in the large gift shop (food items, popcorn, toys, books, etc.) and the restrooms are neat and clean. The Archway is a wonderful monument to the brave pioneers who made it possible for us to live and travel as we do today, and I am grateful for all the...