Things to Do in Nebraska

Sunken Gardens is a beautiful 1.5 acre romantic, fragrant garden built in 1930 as a project for unemployed men, which grew into one of the favorite Lincoln parks. Every spring, an army of volunteers plant more than 30,000 plants following a particular theme and inspiration.

During springtime, visitors walk between miles of colorful tulips and daffodils and celebrate the rebirth that occurs after winter. In the summer, thousands of blooms greet visitors until fall chases them away with colorful leaves. The garden also has a cascading waterfall and two reflecting pools. There is a number of sculptures scattered among the blooms and a dome designed by architect Jeffrey Chadwick, which is made of laser-cut panels which represent the four seasons of Lincoln.

27th & Capitol Pkwy, Lincoln, NE 68502, Phone: 402-441-7847

North Platte, Col. William F. Cody's hometown, was where “Buffalo Bill” started with a show, similar to a rodeo, that he called the “Old Glory Blowout” in 1882. This was before he brought his famous Wild West Show to the East Coast in 1883 and to the world in 1889.

Cody built his home on the 4,000 acres he owned there, and in 1886, after becoming rich and famous, he built the opulent Second Empire mansion. His sixteen-acre ranch, called “Scout's Rest,” is now a historical state park with many original everyday items from Cody's life. The farm is open to guided tours for large groups.

Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, 2921 Scouts Rest Ranch Rd, North Platte, NE 69101, Phone: 308-535-8035

Lauritzen Gardens is a magnificent urban oasis insouthern Omaha, which is spread over 100 acres of riverfront hills.The gardens offers a four-season botanical garden and an arboretum whichoffers peace, tranquility and unparalleled beauty.

Visitors can explore this living museum and escape the hustle and bustle of the city while strolling through the fragrant rose garden, romantic Victorian garden, children's garden, unique model railroad garden and the spectacular Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory. The conservatory is home to indoor tropical and temperate plants that need protection from harsh winter. When you get tired of walking, take a comfortable garden tram that provides tours of the garden.

100 Bancroft St, Omaha, NE 68108, Phone: 402-346-4002

Starting its life in 1894 as Riverview Park Zoo, Henry Doorly Zoo grew into one of the world’s best and largest zoos with more than 950 animal species and some of largest exhibits in the world. The Lied Jungle occupies 80-foot tall building covering 1.5 acres. You can peek behind a curtain of water of a 50-foot tall waterfall and watch animals in the largest indoor jungle in the world. Walk along a trail on the jungle floor or on a raised walkway and see blue monkeys, common squirrel monkeys, black howler monkeys, pygmy hippopotamuses , scarlet macaws and many others.

An enormous geodesic "Desert Dome" contains examples of geologic features from some of world’s biggest deserts and is home to many animals that are well suited to an arid environment such as central bearded dragons, collared peccaries, greater roadrunners, desert cottontails, swift foxes and others. There are two rides that can take you around the zoo and the attached Walter and Suzanne Scott Kingdoms of the Seas. There is also a carousel for kids and a Skyfari, an aerial tram that takes visitors from the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion to the lion exhibit.

 3701 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68107, Phone: 402-733-8401

Memorial Stadium is known for providing some of the most exciting experiences on game day in college football - it is famous for holding a NCAA record of 349 consecutive sellouts since 1962. The stadium, located on the campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, is the home of the Nebraska football team Cornhuskers. It was completed and dedicated in October 1923.

When full on game days, which happens often, the stadium is called the "Sea of Red" because all the University of Nebraska fans wear red. The stadium originally got its name in honor of all Nebraskans who served in the Spanish-American and Civil Wars, as well as the 751 Nebraskans who perished in World War I. It was later added that the stadium also honors the Nebraskans who were lost in World War II, in Korea; and in Vietnam.

One Memorial Stadium Drive, Lincoln, NE 68588, Phone: 402-472-4224

The Kearney Archway is a unique museum that honors the role Nebraska and the Platte River Valley played in America’s expansion to the west. The Archway spans about 300 feet directly over the very busy Interstate 80, about three miles east of Kearney. The visual and audio journey through the Archway takes about one hour and takes visitors through the country’s history beginning with Fort Kearney in the 1840s, where the Oregon Trail crossed paths with California Trail and the Mormon Trail.

The story continues with the Iron Horse rumbling on the transcontinental railroad. Watch the story of a Pony Express rider as he makes a stop to change horses racing to deliver mail from one side of the country to the other. You can listen to the first transcontinental telegraph as it transmits the news that the Civil War had begun. Before finishing your journey, stop at the drive-in theater and have a look at the passing traffic below.

3060 E 1st St, Kearney, NE 68847, Phone: 308-237-1000

Located in the beautiful marble Art Deco building in downtown Omaha, the Joslyn Art Museum is Nebraska’s main fine arts museum. It was completed in 1931 in honor of businessman George A. Joslyn. Its permanent collection of artwork focuses on nineteenth and twentieth centuries American and European artists such as Renoir and Bouguereau.

It also contains major works of Veronese, El Greco and Titian as well as collections of Greek pottery and American Western art. The museum’s Joslyn Sculpture Garden, which opened in 2009, features artwork from local and national artists. The garden, which features a beautiful reflecting pool and waterfall, hosts the annual Jazz on the Green festival.

2200 Dodge St, Omaha, NE 68102, Phone: 402-342-3300

Located in the magnificent 1931 Art Deco former Union Station in downtown Omaha, the Durham Museum displays and preserves the history of the United States' West. The museum's permanent exhibits include meticulously restored train cars, reconstructed 1940s store fronts, thousands of original historic artifacts from the region, and the exquisite Reed collection of some of the world's rarest documents and coins.

The museum often presents impressive traveling exhibits thanks to its affiliation with the Smithsonian and ties with the National Archives, Library of Congress and Chicago's Field Museum. The museum organizes a range of programs, classes and tours for Omaha's school children.

801 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68108, Phone: 402-444-5071

The closest you can get to a real wildlife safari in Nebraska is by visiting Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari near Ashland. You can drive through the park for four miles, watching native North American animals in their real life habitat. You can meet elk, bison, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope and much more.

There is a recreation of the Platte River which houses 24 Sandhill Cranes and four Trumpeter Swans. The 10-acre wetland is home to 19 American white pelicans, turtles and frogs. There is also a Wolf Canyon, where you can get out of your car and wander around,which houses six gray wolves.Bison Plains, a 40 acres habitat for American Bison, boasts a mix of woodland, hills and open grasslands.

16406 292nd St, Ashland, NE 68003, Phone: 402-944-9453

Children are never satisfied just to watch animals. They want to pet them, play with them, feed them and become friends with them. The Lincoln Children's Zoo is designed to provide that experience. The zoo is a10-acrehome to almost 400 animals, about 40 of which are endangered. By far the most popular activity in the zoo is The Animal Encounter Stage, where kids, and their parents, can get really close to many animals and their keepers, and learn about them and their habitat.

There are four shows a day with over 20 animals that rotate during the day, so the kids can meet Apollo the Bobcat, Fez the Armadillo, Renzo the Porcupine, Scout the Owl, ZanDaam the Boa Constrictor, Elliot the Macaw, Crosby the Two-Toed Sloth, Calvin the baby Alligator, Liv the Wallaby and others.The zoo has a range of programs and hosts activities with local schools and children's hospitals all over the country.

1222 S 27th St, Lincoln, NE 68502, Phone: 402-475-6741