Lincoln is the capital city of Nebraska. It’s one of the most important areas in the state and has at least one location for visitors of every age to enjoy no matter what they’re looking for.
Lincoln has a rich history that it shows off through a wide range of museums and long-standing government buildings. It also offers beautiful natural spaces to rest in and exciting districts to walk through. Even children will enjoy its zoos, wildlife sanctuaries, and museums.
Like and subscribe to ViewCation for more on everything this unique capital city and other destinations like it have to offer. Watch our video to learn about the best things to do in Lincoln, Nebraska.
National Museum of Roller Skating
Antonio Pirrello invented jetpack skates in 1956. They were worn like a backpack with a handheld clutch and reached speeds of 40 miles per hour. They were even featured on TV shows and magazines like Popular Science but never went on the market.
This design marvel is only one of the items on display at the National Museum of Roller Skating. It features highlights of inline skating, artistic skating, roller hockey, speed skating, and roller derby. Its most popular items include power skates, elevator skates, and a historic pair from 1814.
Nebraska State Capital
The official Nebraska State Capitol was built after three attempts that cost $10 million and took ten years to complete after construction began in 1922. All of that effort resulted in a beautiful building with astounding architecture.
The exterior is fashioned from limestone and is covered in unique, memorable designs. Its carvings depict over 3,000 years of democracy.
Its beautiful rotunda floor mosaic, known as Earth as the Life-giver, was designed as a celebration of the natural elements. Birds and insects represent air, fish and sea animals represent water, land animals represent earth, and desert elements represent fire. It even includes four species of dinosaurs and two extinct birds.
New York artist Hildreth Meire, the Capitol building’s architect, and a professor at the University of Nebraska worked together to create the mosaic. Erwin Hinckley Barbour, director of the University of Nebraska State Museum, provided sketches of extinct animals and plants for them to work from.
The mosaic floor is only one of Hildreith’s artistic contributions to the capitol building. She also created murals on the ceilings and floors of the vestibule, foyer, Senate Chamber, and entrance doors to the House of Representatives.
The final unique feature of the building is the 19-foot bronze figure of The Sower that sits at the very top.
Pioneers Park Pillars
30 columns were originally built as part of Washington DC’s Treasury Department building in 1908. In 1916, 4 of them were moved to Pioneer’s Park outside of Lincoln to honor politician, William Jennings Bryan. The other 26 were blown up to clear a site near the National Academy of Sciences building. The pillars are made of sandstone and show their age with pockmarks and blackening, but that only makes them seem more ancient and important.
Robber’s Cave
This 5,600-foot-long network of caves used to serve as Lincoln’s first brewery before being shut down and destroyed in 1885. It was sealed for decades, but a dedicated Lincoln resident recently purchased and reopened it. Visitors can now come for tours, parties, and other gatherings. Its sandstone walls are full of mysterious names, initials, dates, and symbols. It’s open year-round, and admission costs $14 for adults and $7 for kids. It maintains its brewery history by offering drinks for visitors to purchase.
The University of Nebraska State Museum
This small on-campus museum is also known as Morrill Hall. It displays dinosaurs, minerals, Native American artifacts, and more. It also dedicates an entire level to Nebraska wildlife as a way to preserve the natural history of the area. Elephant Hall at the front of the museum has several prehistoric elephants on display, including the world’s largest articulated mammoth. The museum is open every day except Friday. Admission is affordable, and it often offers free admission days throughout the year.
International Quilt Museum
Another unique museum can be found on the University of Nebraska campus. Even the outside resembles a quilt, with its glass windows, brick exterior, and glass-walled reception hall. It has the world’s largest quilt collection with over 3,000 items from over 30 countries, including China, India, Japan, and Central Asia. The museum adds to its already extensive offerings by exhibiting quilts from other collections, such as when they showed off the private collection of Ken Burns in 2018. One of their most famous pieces is the Reconciliation Quilt, created by Lucina Ward Honstain in 1867 in Brooklyn, New York.
The piece chronicled her life after the Civil War and held the record for the highest-selling quilt at auction in 1991. If there’s a piece you love, you’ll want to see it quickly because preservation efforts mean they’re only put on display one year out of every 10. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, but you’ll need to check its hours and admission prices before you arrive as they can fluctuate.
Johnson Museum of the Odd
This is the place to go if you want a museum experience you’ll never forget. It contains the variety of objects that Nebraska citizen Charlie Johnson has spent his lifetime gathering. He displays his many strange collections in his home. They include doll heads, plastic jack-o-lanterns, Betamax videocassettes, religious memorabilia, toy tops, miniature animals, and so much more. If seeing this wall-to-wall collection of oddities sounds like one of the best things to do in Lincoln, Nebraska, be sure to get an appointment first. Charlie doesn’t allow just anyone into his home to see his collections.
The Haymarket District
University of Nebraska students give this district a lively vibe, especially in the summer when it hosts festivals and farmers markets. Despite this, you still have the freedom to take a relaxing stroll and gaze at its unique buildings. You’ll find restored 19th-century brick warehouses, a large water tower, retro clocks, and more. Be sure to find your way to Lincoln Station, a former railway depot that now houses a visitor center and restaurant.
Enjoying this video so far? Like and subscribe to ViewCation for more visitation recommendations. Keep watching to learn about more of the best things to do in Lincoln, Nebraska, including more museums, historic landmarks, and entertainment options for your young ones.
Memorial Stadium
Crowds of nearly 90,000 fans come from all over to watch the Cornhuskers play football at this famous stadium. If you don’t arrive on a game day but still want to see what it has to offer, you can explore the Hall of Fame. Explore it as a free self-guided tour, or you can take a guided tour on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. You’ll see the Bob Devaney statue, historic columns from 1892, a trophy case, and a Huskers store where you can buy team memorabilia. College football fans have nothing to lose and everything to gain if they choose to stop by.
Sunken Gardens
This natural wonder was established in 1930, renovated in 2004, and contains three connected gardens.
All the plants in the Healing Garden bloom white. The Perennial Garden has flowers that bloom multiple times per year. The Annual Garden has over 30,000 plants used to create new designs and themes when they bloom each year. All 3 of them only take up 2 acres combined, but their beauty may convince you to trek through them again and again.
Museum of American Speed
Founded in 1922, this museum now contains a large collection that takes up 135,000 square feet. Its archives are extensive, and its three major exhibitions are Automobobilia, Cars and Engines, and Toys and Models. It’s easy to miss as part of an industrial park but worth the effort of putting it into a GPS to guide you. It’s only open for 2-hour tours on weekday afternoons, so be careful not to arrive too late to enjoy it.
Pioneers Park Nature Center
This free 668-acre park is a must-see for animal lovers of all ages. Its exterior includes 8 hours of hiking trails that offer a glimpse of bison, white-tailed deer, elk, red-tailed hawks, barred owls, wild turkeys, and other local wildlife. If you want a less-strenuous experience, can also visit the Nature Center building for a closer look and the chance to touch turtles, snakes, and other animals. Children will enjoy the play area with climbing structures and dirt to dig in.
Sheldon Museum of Art
Over 12,000 pieces from a wide range of media are housed in this building that sits outside the Unversity of Nebraska State Museum. It includes over 30 unusual sculptures, such as the big head by Jun Kaneko. Its main focus is American Art by artists such as Mary Cassat, Georgia O’Keefe, and Andy Warhol.
Lincoln Children’s Zoo and Museum
Both of these adjacent sites justifiably belong on the list of best things to do in Lincoln, Nebraska, if you need to keep your children entertained.
The zoo has over 400 animals. Children and adults will enjoy feeding the giraffes and getting closer to the animals at the Animal Encounter Stage. Even transportation is exciting in this zoo; you can ride the model train or take a guided horseback ride.
The Children’s Museum has 20,000 square feet and three floors of interactive exhibits. It regularly changes what it offers, so be sure to check that your favorites are still available.
The Governor’s Residence
The grounds alone are enough to make you want to visit this site. They include beautiful trees, manicured lawns, and colorful gardens. The actual building was built in 1958 and remodeled in 1997. It has 31 rooms but only five bedrooms. You can book a free 40-minute guided tour on Thursdays.
Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum
This museum on the East Campus of the University of Nebraska is small but has a wide range of exhibits. They feature restored tractors dating back to 1915, farm implements, and more. They all honor the area’s extensive agricultural history. Consider hiring a guide and visiting other nearby museums to get the most out of your trip.
Lincoln, Nebraska, is a historic town with plenty of museums and landmarks to educate you on its past. It’s also a place where you can have fun by soaking in natural beauty or walking through its lively districts.
Do you have a favorite site in Lincoln, Nebraska? Let us know in the comments below. And like and subscribe to ViewCation for more videos on the best places to visit in every state.