Kearney, Nebraska: The Archway

Great structure and surprisingly high-tech informative museum about the pioneers crossing the plains to California, etc. The museum audio tour is worth the entry fee.

If you pull off at Exit 272 and follow the signs to the arch, there's a stretch of road parallel to I-80 where you can get a really good photo of the arch. It is only a short detour, and much less expensive than getting a ticket for stopping on the interstate!

Just a word about parking on I-80. The reason there is a sizable fine for parking to take pictures of the monument is because in the month immediately after it was installed, multiple accidents were happening daily from people stopping to take pictures. It was only a matter of time until someone got killed due to this activity, so the state wisely put up the signs and imposed the fines for parking. The law has to be enforced for public safety. The signs are small and unobtrusive so as not to detract from the monument, but they are regulation size.

WARNING: I-80 parking scam. We were on our way home from Chicago to Denver and were going to stop in Kearney to have breakfast and see the monument. We stopped along I-80 to take a picture of the archway, didn't see the "No Parking" signs posted about a 1/4 mile out in both directions. They are little signs that say "NO PARKING $100 FINE." We stopped and my husband barely got the passenger door open before a cop came out from behind somewhere and gave us a ticket for $144.00 ($100 plus $44 court costs). We explained that we were tourists from another state, had never been there before and didn't see the signs (no excuse I guess). Ruined our day...didn't bother to go to the museum and sure didn't eat in Kearney. Will never go there now on principle. He could have given us a friendly warning instead of the arrogant attitude.

Spanning I-80, in Kearney, Nebraska, is The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument. I believe there are some souvenir shops and some other little stores inside of it. It's quite a sight. Warning: the state of Nebraska prohibits people from stopping along I-80 to take pictures of the monument. Photograph at your own risk.

The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, is scheduled to open this week. An 8-story "log bridge" spans I-80 just east of Kearney, Nebraska....