Nebraska's First Water Museum! The Lake McConaughy Visitor/Water Interpretive Center is on the south side of the lake, nine miles north of Ogallala on Highway 61. Nebraska’s first water museum interprets the significance of water to Nebraska’s past, present and future. The center includ

Visit Bailey Yard - the World's Largest Railroad Classification yard In 1995, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard as the world’s largest railroad classification yard. It has since grown by 25 percent. It stretches eight miles and covers nearly 3,0

Photo by Steve & Bobbi Olson Stockades, Buffalo Bill Cody Memorabilia and Wild West Show!   While approaching North Platte from Interstate 80, one of the first landmarks seen is Fort Cody Trading Post. When viewed from the outside it looks like a frontier log stockade complete with aut

Protecting the Railroad in Sidney from Attack! Sidney Barracks was established in 1867 to protect Union Pacific Railroad track layers from attack. In 1869, the post was relocated to the present site at Sidney. The following year it was renamed Fort Sidney and was active through the Indian wars. At

North Platte Canteen Display and Prairie Village The North Platte Canteen is commemorated at the Lincoln County Historical Museum. The World War II canteen met every train and fed the service men and women who passed through the depot – about 6 million in all. The museum also features a villa

Tallest Flagpole in Nebraska! Twenty-nine Sidney buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. Sidney is the only Western Nebraska city with a “Historic District” designation. When a local man suggested erecting a flagpole for the War Memorial in Legion Park and Memorial

Breakfast, Burgers and Big Game Mounts Ole’s Big Game Steakhouse began as a bar in downtown Paxton. Through the years, owner Ole Herstedt decorated it with more than 200 big game trophies. Great food and drink accompany the menagerie. (308) 239-4500.

Train Depot, Railroad Museum and History in Lodgepole The Lodgepole Depot Museum, on the corner of McCall Street & Bates Boulevard, displays horse buggies, antique furniture, pony express items and historical clothing inside the an old train depot. Open by appointment. (308) 483-5353. For mor

Fine Art in Chappell The reproductions at the Chappell Memorial Art Gallery are so good that they were long thought to be Rembrandt originals. The gallery is part of the Chappell Public Library, 289 Babcock. For more information, call Chappell Tourist Information at (308) 874-2401 or visit ww

The Cowboy Capital of Nebraska Ogallala was the “Gomorrah of the cattle trail,” wrote Andy Adams, a trail driver who first saw the community in 1875. In the 1870s and 1880s, Ogallala was the end of the trail as cowboys drove herds of longhorns up from Texas to be shipped east on the U

Hiking Big Springs and the Union Pacific Train Robbery Heading west from Ogallala on I-80, you’ll come to Big Springs. The first and largest robbery of a Union Pacific train happened here in 1877. Texas outlaw Sam Bass and five companions made off with $60,000 in gold and currency. Some say

Pioneers Built and Lived In Sod Houses Western Nebraska is sod house country. The Waterman Sod House is among the last of the old-time sod houses still standing. It is five miles north of Big Springs on Day Road. For more information, contact the Big Springs Chamber of Commerce at (308) 889-3

Celebrate Military Men and Women Located just south of I-80, America’s 20th Century Veterans’ Memorial honors all military men and women of the past century. A brick bas-relief sculpture depicts major wars from World War I to the Persian Gulf. Larger-than-life-size bronze statues depi

Mountain Biking in Western Nebraska IT’S A BEAUTIFUL fall Sunday afternoon at Potter’s Pasture. Four riders on mountain bikes are lined up, adrenaline pumping, ready to begin the Ride-Run-Ride biathlon. Steve Potter, the honorary starter with two cracked ribs, hoarsely calls BIKERS

Longest Creek In the World? Three miles east of Potter on U.S. Highway 30 is the historic Point of Rocks, where railroad crews laying the Union Pacific line east of Potter clashed with Indians.  The altercations provided the impetus to establish Fort Sidney. The track here, called Buffalo Ben

Buffalo Bill State Historical Park While approaching North Platte from Interstate 80, one of the first landmarks seen is Fort Cody Trading Post. Fort Cody is an old-fashioned roadside attraction. Outside it looks like a log stockade; inside it is a combination gift shop and museum, with Buffalo

See How Pioneers Lived in Harrisburg Turning north from Kimball, State Highway 71 will take you past the little village of Harrisburg.  The Banner County Museum is an 11-building complex that includes a 19th-century log schoolhouse, sod house, log cabin, 1910 barn, pioneer church and the old

Wine Tasting in Nebraska The area’s geological history is part of the flavor of Feather River Vineyards, where the mineral-rich soil produces distinctive grapes for its new wines. There’s a tasting room for sampling each variety, and the purchase of bottles of your favorites and other

Cabela's - Connecting Sidney with the USA The community of 6,900 residents is best known as the home of Cabela’s, a locally-owned business that began on a kitchen table and now bills itself as the “World’s Foremost Outfitter.” Visible for miles, the green-and-gold water to