This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you book or purchase through these links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Last spring, I completed a huge bucket list item of mine. I visited the last five states I needed to finish up all 50 United States. As I’m writing this article, I still can’t believe I have been to all 50 and that was almost a year ago! My last five were a big road trip through Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. As my friend Kim and I meandered our way through the Cornhusker State, we visited these Nebraska attractions that I highly recommend!Cornhusker Curiosity: Nebraska Fun Facts
- 16th largest state in the US but only the 37th most populous
- 1.9 million people
- 93 counties
- 89% of Nebraska’s cities have less than 3,000 people
- Cities are divided into classes:
- Populations > 300,000 are metropolitan class cities (Omaha is in the class by itself).
- 100,000-200,000 are primary class cities (Lincoln is in this class by itself).
- 5,000-99,999 are first class cities (30 cities qualify).
- 800-4,999 are second class cities (116 qualifiers).
- 100-799 are second class villages (382 villages).
- Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska by Edward Perkins
- State nickname was “Tree Planter’s State” before it was changed in 1945 to “Cornhusker State”
- Birthplace of the Reuben sandwich
- 9-1-1 was developed and first used in Lincoln, Nebraska
- Kearney, Nebraska is located exactly halfway between San Francisco and Boston
Read the entire 50 Nebraska fun facts list! HINT: There’s many more!
Nebraska Attractions
Recently, Nebraska released their new tourism slogan: “Nebraska…It isn’t for everyone!”
Clever? I think it’s brilliant. Think about that…Now let’s see if Nebraska is for you!
Welcome to Nebraska
Leaving South Dakota for Nebraska
One of the things I like most about traveling is just finding unusual things. This sign is one such thing. It’s just here in the casino parking lot in quite honestly the middle of nowhere. Well, on one hand, it isn’t in the middle of nowhere because it’s on the Nebraska/South Dakota line. But for all intents and purposes…it’s in the middle of absolutely nowhere!
Standing in two states is always cool!
Valentine, Nebraska
Now that I’ve welcomed you into Nebraska…please, let me welcome you to Valentine, Nebraska! ❤ The town with the loving name was our first stop. If I remember correctly, it wasn’t exactly on our way but we had a specific reason for putting it on our itinerary.
We wanted to visit the post office so we could mail ourselves postcards from Valentine. The post office will even mail out your valentines to your Valentine if you send it to them in advance.
They have a special Valentine cancellation stamp they use. Since we were there in April, we weren’t able to get this but we did use their regular stamps to put on our postcards.
The cancellation used the rest of the year
Make plans for next year to send your valentines cards and packages to Valentine, Nebraska in time for Valentine’s Day! 😍
Driving Through the Sand Hills
After we left Valentine, we drove through the Sand Hills on this red paved road on the way to Kearney. I thought this was a fun time-lapse to show you what it’s like!
Great Platte River Road Archway
How cool is this bridge? The Great Platte River Road Archway was a nice surprise as we were coming through Kearney ultimately on our way to Omaha!
The Archway, which crosses I-80 in Kearney, Nebraska, is a monument and museum to Nebraska’s and the Platte River Valley’s efforts towards expansion out west.
You might also like: MALL OF AMERICA ATTRACTIONS: THE HIGHLIGHTS + WHERE TO STAY
Omaha
Finally, we arrived in Omaha where we stayed for a couple of days. Although Lincoln is Nebraska’s capital, Omaha is the biggest city in the state at around 410,000. This is a pretty significant number considering the entire state only has 1.9 million people!
Holy Family Shrine Catholic Church
Kim had been to Omaha the previous summer and I saw her photo of the Holy Family Shrine Catholic Church and it was beautiful! It was decorated with gorgeous, colorful flowers and the path leading towards it looked like you were walking into a fairytale. So, naturally, I was excited to see it.
Instead of summer flowers, I was expecting pansies since it was still cold there in April or maybe even tulips. But, they apparently don’t keep it up in wintertime.
Left: View from the interstate Right: Side view
However, it’s still pretty cool to see because the architecture is quite unique!
Bob Kerrey Bridge
“Hi, I’m Bob. I’m a bridge.
Technically I’m a 3,000 ft pedestrian bridge, but actually I’m a 3,000 ft. magic trick – suspended in air by mere cables (and two really tall towers and a whole lotta something going on under the water), but other than that it’s all magic.”
As much as I would love to take credit for this humor, I can not. See, Bob the Bridge has a personality. And a website. His own social accounts (Twitter and Instagram complete with VAs to run them-please sign me up for that perk). His own custom hashtag. And his own action word “Bobbing“. His own VLOG. Dude has it all!
Stand in Two States Simultaneous-Take Two
So, Bob the Bridge allows you to stand in Nebraska and Iowa at the same time. So for the second time since I entered Nebraska, I have stood in two states simultaneously!
This is what “Bobbing” is! 😂
CHI Health Center Omaha
Formerly CenturyLink as you can see in my photo above, the convention center is now called the CHI Health Center Omaha. It has a capacity of 17,560 and holds concerts and sporting events.
I loved the sculptures around the outside of the center. They are by different artists and have different names and meanings.
They all looked SO real!
TD Ameritrade Park
Right across the street from CHI Health Center Omaha is TD Ameritrade Park which is home to the Men’s College World Series. It opened in 2011 and replaced the old Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Capacity is 24,000 but it has the ability to expand to 35,000.
MLK Jr Pedestrian Bridge
The Martin Luther King Junior Bridge is a pedestrian connecting the CHI Health Center Omaha with Lewis & Clark Landing. Along the bridge, you can find information about MLK Jr and the Civil Rights Movements.
The Protector
Not too far from CHI Health Center is The Protector or Omaha Firefighter’s Memorial Monument, a bronze sculpture that honors Omaha’s fallen firefighters. Each of the 55 men who lost their lives in the act of duty has a plaque somewhere in the park.
Memorial Bench
Omaha Front Gate
On the northeast corner of the Ameritrade Park campus, there are 4 columns with Omaha on them. They are considered the city’s “front gate” which is why I have titled them as such. They don’t have an official name.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
Omaha is certainly known for its Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium. I’ve always heard that it was different and it is. Not only does it have an insane amount of open room for its animals, but it is big on conservation, green initiatives and preservation and protection of animals. It is still a zoo and not a sanctuary though.
I couldn’t believe how gigantic and open it was!
I think bats are so cute…anyone else or am I flying solo on this one?
Left: Smiling for my closeup! Right: Who said stick ’em up?
Left: Squirrel Monkey Right: Black-Headed Spider Monkey
The Amazon
Walking into the Amazon Rainforest! This area was absolutely amazing. Again, it was so open and so huge I forgot I was in a zoo.
Left: Napping Center: Someone’s watching me Right: Saying Hiiii!!
This Blue and Yellow Macaw eats better than I do!
The Desert
I realize now that I’ve been to the desert in Morocco how much the desert here at the zoo truly resembles its actual counterpart.
Meerkat says “I’m the pretty boy in town…oh yeah, take those photos!”
Boo! Black Mamba here!
I’m a Centralian Python and I got my eyes on you!
So glad there was a net between the Bobcat and me! Don’t confuse him with Bob the Bridge. The latter is much friendlier! 😜
Left: Swift fox Right: Red Panda
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Visit the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. Also referred to as Nebraska or NU (even though it’s U of N-must be a midwest thing as the University of Oklahoma is also referred to as OU), it is the oldest university in Nebraska.
It was founded in 1869 and is a land-grant university and a member of the Big Ten Conference. We even attended part of their spring game!
MAP IT!
Want to try Uber? Get your first ride free here or use code: heathert7463ue!
PIN IT!
Nebraska may not be for everyone, but it was definitely for me. What say you?
If you are driving through like we did, definitely stop at these Nebraska attractions. They were really fun and Nebraska is a pretty state. Look for my Nebraska food guide coming soon!
Been to Nebraska? Have an opinion about their slogan or something to add to my list? We didn’t have a lot of time there so I’m always looking for new things to do. As always, let me know below!
‘Til next time…
Trimm Travels,
Would love to check out this state (my aim is to check out all the states in the country) and Nebraska looks wonderful. But question..what is a Cornhusker? (Sorry, I am from over the pond in London, UK). Would love to know your definition of this. 🙂 Love the video of the drive, would love to do this while I am there.
Hi Danik-I hear you on wanting to visit all of the States. On this very trip, I did just that and Nebraska was #49 out of 50 for me. Conversely, I would like to visit all of the UK which I will do soon! So a Cornhusker…here it refers to Nebraska’s nickname (all of the states have nicknames or the “fill-in-blank” state. Nebraska is known for it’s cornfields and a cornhusker refers to someone who removes the husks off the ears of corn! It’s the nickname of the University of Nebraska’s athletic teams too! Hope that helps. I’m glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for reading! 🙂
Nebraska will always be for us because Bill had all his children birn there. We even visited his old home! Plus Biys’ Tiown!
Hi Carol-That’s really net! I’m not familiar with that location though, where is it? Thanks for reading! 🙂
she means Boys Town, NE
Hi Sarah-Gotcha, thanks for clarifying! 🙂
That python looks ominous! Other than that, it seems like Nebraskans have a good sense of fun. I especially liked Bob the Bridge, and I must send a Valentine from Valentine one of these days.
Hi Cindy-He did look ominous for sure! Bob the Bridge was my favorite too! I mean, someone has a really creative mind and sense of humor! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I have to admit that following my brief experience of Nebraska, I was not particularly enthused. We were on a road trip and cut through the south west corner; the road was long, straight and featureless. However, when I read your article and see the fabulous colours in your photos, I realise that I need to visit properly. The Omaha area in particular seems to lots to interest. I love the street sculptures and the quirky bridges! I shall also bear in mind the Valentine’s Day potential!
Hi Jane-I can totally see how you felt that way as almost any state can be really boring when driving through and not in the city. Omaha was very surprising with how much it had going on. And I haven’t even posted on all the yummy food…yet! And yes the Valentine thing is just so cool! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Haha bobbing! Nebraska looks beautiful – although I wouldn’t visit in the winter (snow isn’t for everyone!) Love your tour of the different cities, especially valentine – had no idea this little town was based in Nebraska! & what cool facts, 911? Thanks for sharing these tips to visiting Nebraska! Great post.
Hi Yara-That is a very true statement. Snow isn’t for everyone. Although heat and humidity aren’t for everyone either (ahem, me). I’m glad you like the post and aren’t those the coolest facts? Who knew!! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I never Nebreska would be so much interesting pkace to visit. I would love to stand on the border line of 2 states at same time. Also those sculptures are very cute and interesting.
Hi Yukti-It is a fun place and the sculptures were really cool! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Wow, I love the idea of your stop in Valentine, Nebraska. I don’t really get how it’s done though… they store the cards/gifts until close to Valentine’s Day, or do you send off-season Valentines? The stamp is lovely even if it was the “regular” one 🙂
Hi Mirela-I thought the stamp was cute too! You send your valentine to them before Valentine’s Day and they send it to the address with their special Valentine cancellation stamp! From my understanding, they don’t store them, they just receive, stamp and send out. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Well, I am impressed that you have been to all 50 states. I have not even been to all the Canadian province and territories although I plan to! I also love standing with one foot in one place (state or country or province) and one foot in the other! I like the sound of Nebraska. A pretty small population and lots of open spaces to grow all the corn! Bob the Bridge is quite the character!
Hi Alison-Bob is quite the character for sure! Someone definitely has a creative mind! I also love the idea of standing in two places at once. It’s just a cool thought! I have the goal of visiting all of the Canadian provinces too but I’ve only been to half of them (I think) at this point so I have a long way to go. Thanks for reading! 🙂
First of all congrats on visiting all 50 United States. That is quite an achievement!! Nebraska sure seems like a fun place . Loved going through those fun facts like Kool Aid was invented here and it’s the birthplace of the Reuben sandwich. And I would love to get a letter from Valentines. That’s so cool. The Holy Family Shrine Catholic Church is indeed very beautiful. I would love to visit someday!
Hi Karie-Thank you! Aren’t those really cool and fun facts?? I love learning stuff like that! I highly recommend visiting Nebraska if you ever get the chance! Thanks for reading! 🙂
A bridge with its own social media feed and personality? That is too funny … and inspired. So, it is Nebraska humor or Iowa humor or a bit of both? Just wondering. Love the Holy Family Shrine Catholic Church … that architecture is stunning and I can imagine how amazing it would look with a splash of flower color. And congrats on all 50 states! That is quite an accomplishment.
Hi Michael-It is definitely Nebraska humor for sure! The photos my friend has of Holy Family Shrine Catholic Church in spring and summer are absolutely gorgeous! I definitely want to go back then to get them! And thank you, I was excited to finish all of them off. Huge bucket list! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Did anyone know that Nebraska spelled backwards, Ak-Sar-Ben, was named after a racetrack, where they raced horses for many years. It has since been torn down and now is a part of the University of Nebraska – Omaha (UNO) and has been turned into a beautiful little piece of our town with many small shops, a movie theater, places to eat, a small area for concerts, etc..
Sorry, should have added this too, the whole state has many attractions in each city that are fascinating to see. Our Kearney Arch expands over the interstate. When you are inside it, you go up an escalator to the top, put on earphones. Every time you enter into a different area, the recording tells about what has happened. The dinosaur fossils in Agate Fossil Beds in western Nebraska along with Ashfall Fossil Beds near Royal Nebraska where our University of Lincoln along with the Nebraska Game and Parks commission, features well preserved skeletons of prehistoric animals, Chimney Rock, our worlds largest hand planted National Forest, The Mutual of Omaha’s Corporate office in Omaha, is open to the public, has 7 floors built underground, Bailey Yards in North Platte is the largest rail classification complex in the world, . The Lied Jungle in Omaha at the zoo is the largest indoor rain forest in the world, so is our geodesic Desert Dome. In Lincoln there is a state law that says no building can be built larger than our State Capitol. Lots of fun facts and many things to see. Unfortunately it is not all in one city, but stretched across the whole state. May take some time to get out west, but definitely a site to see. Thanks for visiting our state and showing some of the exciting attractions we have to offer.
Hi Leah-I did know about the largest indoor rain forest and that thing was AWESOME! I had never seen anything quite like it at a zoo before! I did know about not allowing any building to be bigger than the capitol but I thought it was taller vs larger! Thanks for reading! 🙂
Hi Leah-Super cool facts! I did not know about Ak-Sar-Ben…I love to learn stuff like that! I will also be sure to tell my friend who just moved there…she hasn’t mentioned that part to me so I’m not sure she knows. Her boyfriend is an Omaha native so he probably knows. I enjoyed Nebraska. I will have a food post coming at some point soon too! Thanks for reading! 🙂