Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Videos
  • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2021

      Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2021

      Read More
    • Best Midwest Family Vacations

      Best Midwest Family Vacations

      Read More
    • 25 Top Easy-Care Plants for Midwest Gardens

      25 Top Easy-Care Plants for Midwest Gardens

      Plant these low-maintenance perennials and shrubs—including hostas, peonies, yarrow, daylilies, catmint and switchgrass—for a carefree Midwest garden. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    50 Midwest Resorts We Love

    50 Midwest Resorts We Love

    Our favorite Midwest resort destinations range from cozy lakeside lodges to indoor water park behemoths. Dive in to check out our top picks for a fabulous Midwest getaway.
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Around the Region
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Midwest Living March/April 2021 Recipes

    Midwest Living March/April 2021 Recipes

    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    30 Ideas to Dress Up Your Deck

    30 Ideas to Dress Up Your Deck

    Furnish your deck or patio with accessories and designs that add comfort and style to outdoor living. Here are 30 suggestions to get you started.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    10 Trendy Plants for Midwest Gardens in 2021

    10 Trendy Plants for Midwest Gardens in 2021

    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See All Holidays & Entertaining
    50 Easy Spring Decorating Ideas

    50 Easy Spring Decorating Ideas

    Add pretty spring flair to your home with our ideas for centerpieces, table settings, door decorations, Easter egg displays and more.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine's Day
    • Christmas
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
  • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

    Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

    See All Spring Getaways Sweepstakes
    • Best Vacation Sweepstakes
    • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

LIVE
  1. Midwest Living
  2. Travel
  3. Nebraska
  4. Top Free Things To Do In Nebraska

Top Free Things To Do In Nebraska

By Editorial Assistant: Ashley Smith
June 29, 2016
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Carhenge
Visit Boys Town, explore art museums, learn about pioneers and see the Midwest's version of Stonehenge. It's all free in Nebraska!
Start Slideshow

1 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Omaha

Joslyn Art Museum

Joslyn Art Museum (pictured) The 1931 building wows with its Art Deco design and interior constructed of 38 kinds of marble from around the world. The 11,000-piece collection runs from Greek pottery to modern art. joslyn.orgBoys Town Immortalized in a classic  1938 film, Boys Town is still a refuge for troubled youth. Tour the garden, chapels, Hall of History and the museum about the founder, Father Flanagan. boystown.orgMormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters Learn about the difficulties Mormons encountered during their westward migration in the mid-1800s. See a full-size log cabin, covered wagon, artifacts and a handcart (try your hand at pulling it!). lds.orgSt. Cecilia Cathedral Gawk at the architecture, stained-glass windows and pipe organ during guided tours of this 1905 Spanish Renaissance-style cathedral. stceciliacathedral.orgBob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge Spanning 3,000 feet across the Missouri River, the footbridge links Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, and connects to trails and parks. visitomaha.com

1 of 5

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Beatrice: Pioneers across the prairie

Homestead National Monument

Homestead National Monument of America, Beatrice Get an in-depth look at the  1862 Homestead Act that granted more than 270 million acres (about 10 percent of the United States) to pioneers. Check out interactive exhibits and videos at the heritage center, then see a homesteader's cabin surrounded by restored prairie. nps.gov

2 of 5

3 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Wildlife near Valentine

Valentine Wildlife Refuge

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge (pictured) Grasslands surround sand-bottom lakes at this designated National Natural Landmark 20 miles south of Valentine. Don't miss the prairie chickens' famed springtime mating dance. fws.govFort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, Valentine Six major plant communities converge on 19,000 acres, perfect for hundreds of bird species, bison, elk and 48 other mammal species. Drive the 3 1/2-mile auto tour; maps available at the visitors center. The refuge is about 5 miles east of Valentine. fws.gov

3 of 5

Advertisement

4 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Free attractions in Lincoln

Nebraska State Capitol

Nebraska State Capitol (pictured) Completed in 1932, the ornately decorated Capitol in Lincoln was the first to depart from duplicating the U.S. Capitol. A 15-story office tower anchors the building. capitol.nebraska.govSheldon Museum of Art Inspired by ancient Greek temples, this midcentury modern building designed by Philip Johnson holds 12,000 pieces spanning Mary Cassatt to Andy Warhol. sheldonartmuseum.org

4 of 5

5 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

More free attractions in Nebraska

Carhenge

Carhenge, Alliance (pictured) A ghostly assemblage of gray metal- 39 automobiles mimicking the rocks of Stonehenge-rises in Alliance, 57 miles northeast of Scottsbluff. carhenge.comMuseum of Nebraska Art, Kearney Nearly 6,000 artworks in MONA's collection in Kearney focus on the state's heritage through paintings, photos, quilts and sculptures. mona.unk.eduFrank House, Kearney Volunteers lead tours of the 1889 mansion at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. A 10-foot-tall Tiffany window brightens the red sandstone building. www.unk.eduAgate Fossil Beds National Monument Learn the history of the area's Native Americans and about past and present wildlife (47 miles north of Scottsbluff). nps.gov

5 of 5

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Editorial Assistant: Ashley Smith

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 5 Omaha
    2 of 5 Beatrice: Pioneers across the prairie
    3 of 5 Wildlife near Valentine
    4 of 5 Free attractions in Lincoln
    5 of 5 More free attractions in Nebraska

    Share options

    Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

    Login

    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Other Meredith Sites

    Other Meredith Sites

    • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
    • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
    • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
    • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
    • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
    • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
    • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
    • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
    • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
    • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
    • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
    • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
    • Health this link opens in a new tab
    • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
    • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
    • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
    • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
    • More this link opens in a new tab
    • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
    • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
    • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
    • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
    • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
    • Parents this link opens in a new tab
    • People this link opens in a new tab
    • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
    • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
    • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
    • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
    • Shape this link opens in a new tab
    • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
    • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
    • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
    • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    View image

    Top Free Things To Do In Nebraska
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.