Love
Abounds
on Yankton’s
Meridian Bridge
A nearly century-old tradition among
European couples has slowly made its way
across the Atlantic Ocean - and half way
across the US to the Missouri River’s Meridian
Bridge in Yankton, South Dakota.
When the Meridian Bridge opened as a
pedestrian bridge in 2011, padlocks known
as love locks bearing the names of couples
began appearing on fencing along the
bridge’s decks.
A love lock or love padlock is a padlock
which sweethearts lock to a bridge, fence,
gate, or similar public fixture to symbolize
their love. Typically the sweethearts’ names
or initials are inscribed on the padlock, and its
key is thrown away to symbolize unbreakable
love.
The story of love locks dates back to the
Serbian town of Vrnjacka Banja. The tale
recounts a romance between a school
teacher and a Serb soldier who, upon the
fall of Serbia, married a local Greek woman
instead. The teacher eventually died alone
and heartbroken. In an effort to avoid the
same fate, young girls in the town took to
placing padlocks symbolic of their love on
area bridges.
Yankton Parks and Recreation director
Todd Larson said he’d become aware of the
growing trend before the bridge’s closure to
motorized transportation.
“We’ve had some people that traveled to
Europe and come back that have told me
about it even before Meridian Bridge had
opened up to pedestrian traffic,” Larson said.
“Once it opened up to pedestrian traffic, the
word kind of spread. Basically people take a
padlock, write in permanent marker names or
initials of the person that they love, lock the
padlock onto the bridge and toss the key into
the river.”
We invite you to take a walk across the
Meridian Bridge to Nebraska and back! You
can view the
Love Locks
as you stroll
across the
majestic
Missouri River. You’re in
For your
Graham Country
convenience
you can park
by the Dakota GREAT SELECTION
GREAT SERVICE
Territorial
Museum
2704 Fox Run Pkwy
(located in
Riverside Park)
just east of the
bridge, or you
can park at the
Waterworks
Park (located
at Levee Street
& Walnut
Street) on the
west side of
the bridge.
605-665-4406
Yankton, South Dakota – 25