Nebraska (NE)

Nebraska State Flag

 

"Cornhusker State"

"Bug Eaters", "Cornhuskers", "The Tree Planter State" and "Tree Planters" 

Why visit Nebraska?

Travelers seeking an Old West destination to enjoy agate fossil beds, biking, birdwatching, boating, chimney rocks, fishing, canoeing, golf, hiking, historic structures, hunting, indie music, kayaking, museums, prairie farmland, rodeos, small towns and wildlife. 

Crawford, NE. Photo Credit: Thomas Fields/Unsplash

At a Glance

• Capital: Lincoln
• State Bird: Western Meadowlark
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Goldenrod
• State Gemstone: Blue Chalcedony 
• State Mammal: White Tailed Deer
• State Rock: Prairie Agate 

“Sometimes dreams are wiser than waking.” ~ John G Neihardt

Fremont, NE. Photo Credit:  David Mark/Pixabay 

Fun Facts

• The only state in the country with a nonpartisan and one-house legislature.
  
• A major producer of beef, corn (maize), pork, sorghum and soybeans.
  
• One of our nation's top ten producers of honey.
  
• Has the world's largest train yard, Union Pacific's Bailey Yard (North Platte). 
  
• Created in his mother's kitchen (Hastings), Edwin Perkins (1889-1961) invented the classic childhood powder drink Kool-Aid (1927) from a liquid concentrate, Fruit Smack.
  
• The only state in our country where all electric utilities are publicly owned.
• There are more than 500 Historical Markers throughout the state.
• Features 87 State Parks.

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Daniel Lawrence Whitney "Larry the Cable Guy" (Actor), Fred Astaire (Actor), Gabrielle Union (Actress), Hilary Swank (Actress), Malcolm Little "Malcolm X" (Activist), Marg Helgenberger (Actress), Marlon Brando (Actor), Swoosie Kurtz (Actress) and Warren Buffett (Investor), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach (2009), Boys Don't Cry (1999), Children of the Corn (1999), Election (1999), Heaven Is for Real (2014), Mr Woodcock (2007), Nebraska (2013), Night of the Twisters (1996) and Peacock (2010), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in Nebraska: A Guide to the Ghosts of Lincoln (written  by Alan Boye), History of Nebraska (written by James C. Olson), Local Wonders (written by Ted Kooser), Nebraska Folklore (written by Louise Pound), Nebraska Moments (written by Donald R Hickey), One of Ours (written by Willa Cather), just to name a few.

“Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings or roots their children?” ~ John G Neihardt

Scottsbluff, NE. Photo Credit:  pirndom/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Expect long commutes between destinations.
• More than 500,000 Sandhill Cranes are seen (March-early April) in the Platte River Valley annually.
  
• Native Americans Tribes Omaha, Ponca, Santee Sioux and Winnebago invited visitors  onto Indian Reservations for Powwows.
  
• Wilber is referred to as the National Czech Capitol.
  
• Sandhill Cranes are protected.
  
• Beware of rattlesnakes in grassy areas.
• Along Interstate 80, the time zone changes from Central and Mountain Time between Sutherland and Paxton Exit.
  

Subject to blizzards, heatwaves, snowstorms, thunderstorms and tornadoes.

• Best Time to Visit: Late May - October
• Coldest Month: January
• Hottest Month: July
• Peak Season: June - August

"Poetry is indeed the supreme form of human expression." ~ John G Neihardt

Nebraska Prairie. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Chimney Rock Museum, Fort Robinson History Center, John G. Neihardt  State Historic Site, Neligh Mill State Historic Site, Senator George Norris State Historic Site, Thomas P Kennard State Historic Site and Willa Cather State Historic Site.
• Museums: Alliance Knight Museum, Bemis Center For Contemporary Arts, Chimney Rock Museum, Civil War Veterans Museum, Clarkson Historical Museum, Edgerton Explorit Center, El Museo Latino, Florence Mill, Fort Robinson Museum & History Center, Frank H Woods Telephone Museum, General Crook House Museum, George Norris Home, Great Plains Art Museum, Great Plains Black History Museum, G.W. Frank Museum of History & Culture, Hastings Museum, Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles, International Quilt Museum, Joslyn Art Museum, Kearney Area Children's Museum, Kregel Windmill Factory Museum, Larsen Tractor Museum, Legacy of the Plains Museum, Lincoln Children's Museum, Lincoln County Historical Museum, MONA, Museum of American Speed, Museum of the Fur Trade, National Museum of Roller Skating, Nebraska Firefighters Museum, Nebraska History Museum, Nebraska Prairie Museum, Omaha Children's Museum, Pioneer Village, Plainsman Museum, Pony Express Station & Museum, Sheldon Museum of Art, Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, Stuhr Museum, The Archway, The Durham Museum and University of Nebraska State Museum.
• Popular Attractions: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Arbor Lodge State Historical Park, Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park, Black Hills, Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Borsheims, Branched Oak Lake, Buffalo Bill Ranch, Calamus Reservoir, Carhenge, Classic Car Collection, Cody Park, Eugene T Mahoney State Park, Fort Atkinson State Historical Park, Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park, Fort Kearny State Historical Park, Fort Robinson State Park, Freedom Park, Fun-Plex Waterpark & Rides,Golden Spike Tower, Harlan County Reservoir, Haymarket, Heartland of America Park, Henry Doorly Zoo, Homestead National Monument of America, Island Oasis Water Park, Joslyn Castle, Kenefick Park, Lake McConaughy, Lauritzen Gardens, Lincoln Children's Zoo, Merritt Reservoir, MoPac Trail, Niobrara River Valley, Oak View, Oregon Trail, Platte River Valley, Riverside Discovery Center, Saint Cecilia Cathedral, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Sand Hills, Smith Falls State Park, Smith Lake, Seward County Historical Society, Star City Shores, Sunken Gardens, Suzanne & Walter Scott Aquarium, Westroads Malls and Wildlife Safari Park.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Aurora, Bellevue, Columbus, Fremont, Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney, Lexington, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha Papillion, Scottsbluff and Seaward.
• Special Events: (January) Avoca Duck Races, (February) Groundhog Day, (March) Crane Watch Festival, German Smorgasbord, Omaha Film Festival,(April) Annual Country Bluegrass Festival, Arbor Day Celebration, Nebraska Prairie Chicken Festival, NE SciFest, (May) Cinco de Mayo Festival, Country & Western Jamboree, James Arthur Vineyards Renaissance Festival, Jazz on the Green, (June) Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival, Fort Robinson Intertribal Gathering, Grundlov Fest, International Thespian Festival, Kolach Days, Midsommar Festival, NCAA Men's College World Series, NEBRASKAland Days, Sand in the City, Scandinavian Midsummer Festival,  Shakespeare on the Green, Summer Arts Festival, Taste of Omaha, Testicle Festival, Wahoo Country Music Show, (July) German Fest, John C Fremont Days Festival, Native Omahan Days, Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, Oregon Trail Days, Peabody Hale Fiddle Contest, Railroad Days, Solid Rock Music Fest, Wayne Chicken Show, (August) Capital City Ribfest, Greek Festival, Kool-Aid Days Festival, Lost Creek Music Festival, MAHA Music Festival, National Country Music Festival, Nebraska Balloon & Wine Festival, Nebraska Star Party, Nebraska State Fair, O Comic Con, Omaha Fashion Week, Oregon Trail Wagon Train Bluegrass Festival, Wilber Czech Festival, (September) AppleJack Festival, Big Bottom Blues Festival, Blue Water Blues Festival, Husker Harvest Days,Intertribal Powwow, Miles of Memories Country MusicFest, Omaha Restaurant Week, Omaha SeptemberFest, Sports Car Club of America Solo National Championship, (October) Nebraska Country Music Festival, Oktoberfest, (November) Anime NebrasKon, Holiday Lights Festival,(December) Glories Stream from Heaven Afar and Santa Lucia.

Carhenge, Alliance, NE. Photo Credit: RJA1988/Pixabay 

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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.