To obtain a sense of America and how it grew requires a drive to Pioneer Village in Minden which includes 28 buildings, showcasing more than 50,000 objects from the second quarter of the 1 9th century. It features household appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, washing machines and bathtubs, the development of lighting, firearms, money, radios and televisions.
The museum also features the largest collection of farm tractors and other farm machinery in the world, more than 350, beginning with a 1897 steam car. Other historic vehicles include an ox cart, a prairie schooner, a stagecoach, horse-drawn street car, electric trolley, and all varieties of buggies, carriages, coaches, and carts, along with bicycles and even airplanes!
Another exciting visit to be had is the Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, which brings you back in time to the 1890s. The museum is home to over 100 buildings devoted to this time period. You can view a 1901 steam locomotive, an 1871 coach and a 1912 caboose.
It also features some 200 antique horse drawn carriages, steam-powered engines, tractors, threshers and trucks that represent the birth and evolution of the state’s agricultural heritage. There are sixty 100 year-old shops, homes, and other structures and a seven-acre rail yard depicting the history of steam railroading in Nebraska. A real trip down memory lane!
Unique to North America is Nebraska’s Great Platte River Road Archway which spans high across the I-80, resembling a covered bridge between two towers. Within its towers you can revisit 150 years of American history.
Finally, it is worth mentioning some of the exceptional restaurants throughout the plains of Nebraska. The Coppermill Steakhouse and Lounge Restaurant in McCook is worth a visit to enjoy a great Nebraska steak dinner. Another incredible dining experience can be found at the Chances R restaurant, featuring one of the largest salad bars in Nebraska with a variety of cold meats and vegetables.
From bird watching to visiting unique museums and fine dining, Nebraska offers something for everyone. The annual Sandhill Crane migration, one of the ten great animal migrations in the world according to internationally famed naturalist Jane Goodall, who comes every year, is the perfect reason to make the trip.
