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Yes, here are some truly amazing things to see in Nebraska! Until recently, VisitNebraska’s tourism slogan was: “Honestly, it’s not for everyone.” While that phrase might catch you off guard, the accompanying images and ads showcased the state’s unique attractions—from floating down a river in a converted livestock watering tank to exploring Carhenge in Alliance, driving the scenic Sandhills Byway, or visiting the world-class zoo in Omaha. There’s so much more to discover, and this post will guide you through some of the best spots Nebraska has to offer, with helpful links and highlights to inspire your next adventure.
Let’s get to it! On a recent trip, I attended the Midwest Travel Network annual conference. (#MWTRAVELCON25.) Grand Island, Nebraska, welcomed us with open arms! In the next section, I’ll have more about Grand Island, followed by a stop in Kearney after the conference. After the conference, I was headed to Kansas for a couple of days. One of the posts covers a lengthy road trip to Denver and back. Six sub-posts are all or mostly about Nebraska. Here’s the link, but I’ll give individual links to each sub-post.
On a Personal Note
I’ve recounted my time in Nebraska in a post about my time spent in all fifty states. Link here – and I’m not trying to brag in that post! Early in my career, I spent about four weeks in each of Grand Island and North Platte, installing computer software in hospitals in both cities. Many years later, as I took on an interim assignment at the end of my career, I spent most of 2015 in Scottsbluff as the interim Chief Information Officer at Regional West Medical Center.
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Accumulating my time, I spent nearly a year in Nebraska. I especially enjoyed my time in Scottsbluff. It was an interesting and challenging capstone of my career.
- Grand Island
- Kearney
- Check out some earlier posts
- Entering Nebraska from Iowa
- More Nebraska – Kearney, North Platte, and Ogallala
- Back into Nebraska – Scottsbluff and Scotts Bluff National Monument
- Carhenge
- Nebraska National Forest
- Nebraska Sand Hills
- More – Amazing things to see in Nebraska
- Time to wrap it up!
Grand Island
The Grand Island tourism put on a great conference for us. Here’s the link to their website. Pre-conference activities occupied a day and a half, followed by the conference itself for a half day, a full day, and another half day. (More than you want to know.)
Another interesting fact about Grand Island: Forty-five years ago, nearly to the day we visited, the city experienced a horrific tornado, or actually, a series of seven tornadoes that took out much of the area south of downtown. The city and state took the right amount of time to decide how to rebuild the area. Fortunately, the planners “got it right” and Grand Island remains the third largest city in Nebraska with about 53,000 people within the town.
At the time, the damage was estimated at $300 million. That’s nearly $1.2 billion in today’s dollars.
Many Midwest towns either have a stagnant population or have shrunk over time. Grand Island remains a thriving community. Much of the growth and thriving is due to the decisions made following the tornadoes. Here’s a link to the story about the tornadoes.
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Case New Holland plant tour
Attendees had several options to attend. For example, I participated in a Case New Holland plant tour where they make combines for harvesting crops. (Why do they call them combines when they separate the desired product from the stalks and stems?)
The Grand Island plant continues to innovate by using automation for manufacturing and, at the same time, extending its manufacturing to parts instead of bringing them in from the outside. The plant manager explained that it helped maintain employment here and improved their bottom line. A win/win!
These combines are sold in the US and around the world. He shared an example of how machines were exported to Europe and South America. The top-of-the-line combine costs about $800,000! And that doesn’t include the “head,” which is mounted on the front end for gathering the crops. Of course, each head will only harvest certain crops! And that cost is another $400,000! Is that one of the reasons food is expensive?
The plant provides jobs for about 600 people in the area. The plant manager explained that many of their plants are in smaller towns in agricultural areas, employing people with a farming background. As travel writers, we like to tell our readers about an area, including industries that feed the people in town and around the county. Here’s a link to the company’s website.
What is a Runza?
Runza is a Nebraska phenomenon!
Founded in 1949, they are a Nebraska staple, and most Nebraskans will tell you how they are part of the state culture!
Nearly every town in Nebraska has these fast-food places.
A few of them are now found in the surrounding states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota.
Our host on the tour treated us to lunch at this iconic food place. The menu is primarily beef, similar to a sloppy joe, with cheese and a “secret sauce!” Very good! This is one of the amazing things to see in Nebraska!
Downtown Grand Island
My tours in the afternoon and the next morning included much of the downtown area. We toured shops and restaurants, including a desert place!
As we toured downtown, we stumbled upon a “shop” that specialized in anything that could or might sell! As someone who enjoys quirky places, it was a fun stop.
After some time in the 1980s when it was closed, Jay French and Juan Portillo rescued the theatre and restored it to a first-rate show house. After changing hands several more times, the theater is now operated by volunteers and is the last remaining theater in Grand Island. Check out the link for history and operating hours.
The Railside Business Improvement District (BID) in Grand Island, Nebraska, is a vibrant hub dedicated to revitalizing and supporting the local business community along the historic railroad corridor. This district focuses on enhancing the area’s economic growth by fostering collaboration among businesses, improving public spaces, and promoting the unique character of Grand Island’s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Through community events, beautification projects, and strategic development initiatives, the Railside BID plays a crucial role in creating a welcoming environment for residents, visitors, and entrepreneurs alike. Whether you’re exploring local shops, dining spots, or innovative startups, the Railside Business Improvement District offers a dynamic glimpse into Grand Island’s commitment to growth and community spirit.
Sherry Siwinski, Director (director@arriverailside.com), spent time with me to explain how the district works while we took a walking tour around the downtown, starting and ending at City Hall.
Nebraska State Fair
State fairs celebrate agriculture in the state. Nebraska moved its state fair to Grand Island in 2010 after more than a century in Lincoln.
Every year, the Nebraska State Fair lights up Grand Island with a lively celebration that brings together communities from across the state and beyond. This beloved event showcases the best of Nebraska’s culture, agriculture, and entertainment, offering something for everyone. From thrilling carnival rides and live music performances to livestock shows and delicious fair food, the fair creates a festive atmosphere that captures the spirit of the Midwest.
Visitors can explore exhibitions highlighting Nebraska’s rich agricultural heritage, enjoy competitions, and take part in family-friendly activities throughout the fairgrounds. Whether you’re a longtime Nebraskan or a first-time visitor, the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island is a must-experience event that celebrates tradition, community, and fun every summer.
Beyond the Nebraska State Fair, the Nebraska State Fairgrounds in Grand Island buzzes with activity year-round. This versatile venue hosts a wide range of events, from lively concerts and thrilling rodeos to exciting tractor pulls and demolition derbies. Fans of bull riding can catch the Ultimate Bullriding Tour and Ultimate Bullfighters competitions, while the fairgrounds also serve as a gathering place for numerous agricultural and community events throughout the year. Whether you’re looking for adrenaline-pumping entertainment or a chance to connect with Nebraska’s rich agricultural traditions, the fairgrounds offer something for everyone.
For more information about Grand Island, check out my travel blogger colleague. Veronica operates the Hip Grandma Life website. Here’s the link to Veronica’s work from Grand Island.
Kearney
Kearney, Nebraska, is the fourth-largest city in the state. Although there is nearly as much to see here as in Grand Island, my visit took in The Arch, a museum “arching” over Interstate 80.
I’ve driven under this museum about a dozen times, but haven’t stopped. This time was the charm! Once, I was “snowed in” here and spent two nights, but, of course, the museum was closed due to the storm!
The iconic arch over Interstate 80 in Kearney, Nebraska, marks the entrance to the city and welcomes travelers with a distinctive landmark. This unique structure symbolizes Kearney’s rich history as a key stop along the historic Oregon Trail and the modern cross-country highway.
Why is there a heading in the middle of The Arch?
Fortunately for me, on the day I stopped, The Arch was celebrating 25 years since its opening. The attendance cost was reduced, and a special event was taking place. I stopped to talk with author Bill Hill, who has written about the history of many places in the American West. Below is a gallery of pictures that I took! I’ll just show you the gallery and only the captions. You’ll get the idea!
Several historic wagon train trails passed through Nebraska, including the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Mormon Trail. These routes were vital pathways for pioneers heading west, shaping the state’s early settlement and development. Nebraska played a crucial role in westward expansion, and today, many historical sites and remnants of the Oregon Trail can still be seen throughout the state. These preserved landmarks offer a glimpse into the journey pioneers undertook as they moved westward.
Check out some earlier posts
Let’s take a look at other posts about Nebraska. Following these posts will be a few more ideas to visit in the state. The next six sections will show a picture from the posts, a sentence or two of description, and a link to the posts about the other places to visit.
Entering Nebraska from Iowa
The link takes you to a post of the eastern section of Nebraska after Omaha. The main Nebraska item here is the Strategic Air Command (SAC) museum on Offutt Air Force Base. SAC was the Air Force command that had the large bombers during the Cold War years. Initially, the B-52s and later the B-1 bomber.
Following the Cold War, SAC became part of another command in the Air Force, as the world changed. A good place to stop for you military history buffs.
More Nebraska – Kearney, North Platte, and Ogallala
Another of the amazing things to see in Nebraska, the Buffalo Bill Cody museum along I-80 in North Platte.
North Platte also has the Buffalo Bill Cody Ranch, named the Scouts Rest Ranch, on the north side of town. It’s called the Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park and is on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Buffalo Bill’s contribution to Wild West entertainment is recognized and celebrated there. Here’s the link to the site.
Back into Nebraska – Scottsbluff and Scotts Bluff National Monument
In the West, there are also amazing things to see in Nebraska! After leaving Colorado on this trip, my travels took me up to Scottsbluff, its both a small city and a rock formation. But the rock formation is named Scotts Bluff and stands 400 feet above the surrounding land.
Nearby is Chimney Rock and wagon travel tracks from “back in the day.” Well, not actually tracks, but markings indicate the wagons came through here. Here’s the link.
Carhenge
Do you think Carhenge is one of the amazing things to see in Nebraska? If not amazing, at least we’ve found a quirky stop!
Check out this link for the story and more information on the attraction.
Nebraska National Forest
You likely didn’t think Nebraska had a National Forest. It’s in the northwestern corner of the state and not far from the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Driving through it is an experience I’ll never forget! It had rained recently and I nearly got stuck in mud!
Check out the link to see what my car looked like!
Nebraska Sand Hills
The Nebraska Sand Hills is a beautiful drive. I drove through there in late April, so it wasn’t yet green. The late Charles Kuralt of the CBS “On the Road” segment, famously described the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway in Nebraska as “one of the last unexplored frontiers”. He highlighted the vast, gently rolling landscape of grass-covered sand dunes and the area’s unique ecosystem, which includes the largest underground water supply in the nation and the migration of hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes. Here’s the link to learn more about the byway.
More – Amazing things to see in Nebraska
If you need to know about more amazing things to see in Nebraska, here’s a non-exhaustive list.
- Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, celebrating the automobile history and American’s love affair with cars.
- Sunken Gardens – constructed during the winter of 1930-31 in Lincoln, Nebraska. It is the only garden in Nebraska listed in the National Geographic Guide to Public Gardens
- Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln
- Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on the University of Nebraska campus. Nebraskans take their football seriously and on game days, this could become the third largest city in Nebraska!
- Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge spanning the Missouri River between Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa.
- Toadstool Geologic Park – in the Oglala National Grassland in far northwestern Nebraska. It contains a badlands landscape and a reconstructed sod house. The park is named after its unusual rock formations, many of which resemble toadstools.
- Sandhill Crane Migration is already alluded to in the part about Grand Island.
- Kool-Aid Museum in Hastings – Yes, Kool-Aid was invented there.
- Boys Town in Omaha
- Fort Robinson State Park in Crawford
That’s not an exhaustive list, but it contains more things to do in Nebraska. For even more places to see and things to do, here’s a link to Nebraska tourism.
Time to wrap it up!
As we finish up, just keep in mind that Nebraska (or any state) has much more than your initial thoughts about the state. Of course, there are many small towns. Lincoln is a college town and the state capital. Omaha is a metropolitan area with a population of nearly 1 million, which accounts for nearly half the population of the state. Do I have to repeat that there are amazing things to see in Nebraska?
Just keep in mind, Nebraska is so much more than you will see from Interstate 80!
Classic Rock Recollection
“Wildfire” by Michael Martin Murphy
She comes down from Yellow Mountain
On a dark, flat land, she rides
On a pony she named Wildfire
With a whirlwind by her side
On a cold Nebraska night
Songwriter: Gary Wright
#thedrivebytourist #the-driveby-tourist #minnesotablogger
