Great Platte River Road Archway Monument
Encyclopedia
The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument is a museum of and monument to Nebraska
's and the Platte River
valley's role in westward expansion. The Archway Monument is directly over Interstate 80
three miles (5 km) east of Kearney, Nebraska
.
Frank B. Morrison
. In 2000, the Archway Monument opened to the public; however, overly optimistic visitor projections forced the monument to cut expenses and refinance its bond payments. A shift of focus to educational and group tours has given the monument a more stable financial footing.
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
's and the Platte River
Platte River
The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to...
valley's role in westward expansion. The Archway Monument is directly over Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in Nebraska
In the U.S. state of Nebraska, Interstate 80 runs west from Omaha to the Wyoming state border, ultimately terminating in San Francisco, California. When it completed construction of the stretch of Interstate 80 spanning the state on October 19, 1974, Nebraska was the first state in the nation to...
three miles (5 km) east of Kearney, Nebraska
Kearney, Nebraska
Kearney is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 at the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska-Kearney....
.
History
A monument and tourist attraction highlighting the Platte River valley was a goal of former GovernorGovernor of Nebraska
The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...
Frank B. Morrison
Frank B. Morrison
Frank Brenner Morrison served as the 31st Governor of the U.S. state of Nebraska from 1961 to 1967, representing the Democratic Party. He also ran for United States Senate in 1958, 1966 and 1970 but lost all three elections. He lost to Roman L. Hruska in 1958 and 1970 while in 1966 he lost to Carl...
. In 2000, the Archway Monument opened to the public; however, overly optimistic visitor projections forced the monument to cut expenses and refinance its bond payments. A shift of focus to educational and group tours has given the monument a more stable financial footing.
Features
- The lobby escalatorEscalatorAn escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
is the longest in the state of Nebraska.. of fiber opticsOptical fiberAn optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
is utilized in the entry movie. - 24 life-size cast figures appear in the show.
- Faces on the cast figures were cast from real people.
- Total of 89,000 blades of grass appear throughout the show.
- An authentic 1914 Ford Model TFord Model TThe Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
is featured in the Lincoln Highway scene. - An authentic 1927 OldsmobileOldsmobileOldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
is showcased in the Lincoln Highway scene. - An authentic 1961 CadillacCadillacCadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
convertibleConvertibleA convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
is showcased in the drive-in theaterDrive-in theaterA drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
scene. - The Archway Monument is featured in the movie About SchmidtAbout SchmidtAbout Schmidt is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne, starring Jack Nicholson in the title role. It is loosely based on the 1996 novel of the same title by Louis Begley. Many of the scenes were filmed on location, especially in Omaha, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado...
.
- This wagon shows the size and contents of the typical Conestoga Wagon on the Oregon Trail.