During your visit to this Nebraska attraction, discover 170 years of history, including information about the Archway and roles Nebraska and the Platte River Valley played in the westward expansion. Be sure to stop by the Platte River Trader Gift Shop, one of the best gift shops on the entire I-80 route.
The Pioneering Experience at the Archway
As you enter the Kearney Archway you will see statues of Lewis and Clark era guides along both sides of the lobby, pointing the way toward the two story lobby escalator that leads up into the Archway’s multi-media experience. The impressive entrance also features a moving video display of the prairie. An interactive adventure that will transport you into a window in time when covered wagons, buffalo, hand-pulled carts and trains first criss-crossed the prairie awaits you in the Archway. Brought to life through film, computer graphics, life-size dioramas, reenactors and classic cars such as the authentic 1914 Model T Ford, the authentic 1927 Oldsmobile and the authentic 1961 Cadillac convertible, the Archway’s interactive show is truly one-of-a-kind.
What You Will Witness
As you make your way through the three-dimensional walk through that spans from the days of oxen and covered wagons to the creation of the Lincoln Highway, you will witness: the thrill of an arriving Pony Express rider, a buffalo stampede, the words and faces of those that lived and died on the route, the building of the railroad and the creation of the first transcontinental road, known today as the Lincoln Highway.
Shopping in the Platte River Trader Gift Shop
Stop by the Platte River Trader Gift Shop. Considered one of the best gift shops between Omaha and Denver, the premiere gift shop offers a variety of Nebraska-made products and a selection of themed items that will appeal to all including a wide variety of patriotic, western and Archway merchandise and hand-made, home-made and home-grown products.
- Don’t forget to check out the Archway Monument’s new movie highlighting the construction of the Archway.
- In addition to the Archway’s museum and gift shop, it is also home to a concession stand that serves snacks, light lunches and cold and hot drinks. Munch on popcorn, enjoy a selection of sandwiches, or grab an ice cold soda or hot coffee.