Love is in the air, literally, at Minor Park’s Old Red Bridge, where a charming, old-world tradition has traveled halfway across the world to the south side of Kansas City. High above the Blue River dangle more than 2,500 love locks. Couples—and sometimes entire families—engrave or mark their names on a lock, affix it to the steel railings, and throw away the key.
Heidi Markle’s locks were the first to appear: one pledged a bond with her then-fiancé and another with her puggle dog, Harley. Heidi, who handles marketing and events for Kansas City’s Department of Parks and Recreation, got the idea from the Pont des Arts Bridge in Paris. The bridge there is so popular that officials have removed nearly 45 tons of locks to relieve the bridge of the extra weight.
The Old Red Bridge can stand to hold many more locks. Even though it was decommissioned to a walkway after a new structure for vehicles took its place in 2013, Heidi says it was made for heavy traffic and has plenty of room for pledges of love.
The bridge has been rebuilt several times since it first spanned the river in 1859, but each version has been painted red. It’s now a popular place to get married, and around Valentine’s Day the parks department puts up twinkly lights to add to the romance.
Heidi’s love for her dog, Harley, remains true, though the fiancé didn’t work out. That turn of events, however, has given her another idea for the old bridge—an “Unlock Your Love” day six months after Valentine’s Day.
Whether it’s the key to your heart or an unwanted token of love gone wrong, if you’re tossing something, please use the trash cans supplied by the parks department. “Show some love for the river and the environment, too,” Heidi says.
