Avoid gnome-terminal close after script execution?

As I understand you want gnome-terminal to open, have it execute some commands, and then drop to the prompt so you can enter some more commands. Gnome-terminal is not designed for this use case, but there are workarounds:

Let gnome-terminal run bash and tell bash to run your commands and then run bash

$ gnome-terminal -e "bash -c \"echo foo; echo bar; exec bash\""

The exec bash at the end is necessary because bash -c will terminate once the commands are done. exec causes the running process to be replaced by the new process, otherwise you will have two bash processes running.

Let gnome-terminal run bash with a prepared rcfile which runs your commands

Prepare somercfile:

source ~/.bashrc
echo foo
echo bar

Then run:

$ gnome-terminal -e "bash --rcfile somercfile"

Let gnome-terminal run a script which runs your commands and then drops to bash

Prepare scripttobash:

#!/bin/sh
echo foo
echo bar
exec bash

Set this file as executable.

Then run:

$ gnome-terminal -e "./scripttobash"

Alternatively you can make a genericscripttobash:

#!/bin/sh
for command in "$@"; do
  $command
done
exec bash

Then run:

$ gnome-terminal -e "./genericscripttobash \"echo foo\" \"echo bar\""

Every method has it's quirks. You must choose, but choose wisely. I like the first solution for its verbosity and the straightforwardness.

All that said, this might be of good use for you: http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/151340

Finally this one works for me:

gnome-terminal --working-directory=WORK_DIR -x bash -c "COMMAND; bash"