Rested here for a bit this morning with my coffee. Early on a Thursday morning, the place was…read morequiet. There were none of those elements here this early, but I have no doubt that D.W.'s comments about being next to the Sally Army are true. The park is tidy, well manicured and had no litter. There is a covered picnic area, large playground and an open multi-use space. Parking is shared with the Salvation Army or on the side streets. [Review 11362 overall, 1139 of 2019.]

The first thing you should know is that this is directly behind the Salvation Army shelter in…read moreLincoln, NE and that means what you think it does, with all the attendant elements. Lincoln is a fairly small city, as those go, so some of those elements are perhaps more limited and less pronounced, but are not absent. If you spend any significant amount of time there, expect to see a police cruiser or two. Second, you will have to drive for a ways inside the city to get to it. The street it is off of is quite goofy but does lead, after a bit, back to I-80. It does have open and somewhat clean restrooms and a very moderate play area, with parts of it covered, along with covered seating and benches. Overall, a fairly small park and anywhere else, would be a pretty enjoyable place to spend time, but given the proximity to the shelter, one begins to wonder if it is meant as an extension or to service that facility. Either way, probably will not be one I return to.

I'm not sure how the scenery is, I started to pull in the driveway and saw the no pets allowed sign…read moreand turned around. Seems like it's a good area though.

PRAIRIE PINES NATURE PRESERVE IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC EVERY SATURDAY(EXCEPT MAJOR HOLIDAYS) 9:00 AM -…read more5:00 PM (FREE. DONATIONS WELCOME.) This has become one of our favorite things to do on Saturday morning. In most seasons, this park is open and ready for exploring and the kids can't get enough. Each time we go we discover something different. The highlight is always the Nature Ninja obstacle course - we do several rounds. We also like to take a little hike out to the windmill to see frogs and play in the water. We usually end our morning hike with a picnic lunch on-site. The Prairie Pines Nature Preserve is a protected area of natural interest and habitat for diverse species. It is sustained for conservation, nature experience and understanding. Created by nature and endowed by the life's work and pleasure of Walt and Virginia Bagley, it exists on 145 acres of woodland, grassland, wetland and remnant prairie. Accompanied by the efforts of the University of Nebraska Institute of Natural Resources, Nebraska Forest Service and Prairie Pines Partners nonprofit it forever shall be, "a refuge for all living things". Learn more at www.prairiepines.org.

Spring Creek Prairie is a beautiful place to go hiking and also learn about prairie flora and…read morefauna. The Mission: The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center focuses on conservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem and the birds that rely on it. The trails are fairly easy to navigate and are open seven days a week from sun up to sun down, even if the visitors center is closed. The visitor center has bathrooms, often a necessity when children are involved. Besides nature displays, the visitor center also has a small gift shop with lots of books, apparel and other gifts. There are some accessible trails, but most are not. It's a beautiful place to appreciate the prairie- a rarity these days.

Visited on a warm Saturday morning, nearly had the place to ourselves!…read more The actual center is a hay bales and stucco building with a nice small gift shop, nice but pretty open hands on area, 'what did you see' board, and so on- all pretty consistent with a small nature center. The person working the desk was very nice and helpful, made sure we had binoculars (even loaned us some to save a trip back to the car), and discussed the lands and trails with enthusiasm. I did not hit the trails, but my wife did and saw the Oregon Trail ruts, deer, lots of birds, and more. She loved the mowed trails, although would have liked a little more help keeping track of where she was or what she was seeing on the trail. Great value and experience for a mere $4 per adult! (Free on Tuesdays.)

Absolutely beautiful, well maintained. It was a very windy day though, no tree coverage so if it's…read morewindy maybe pick another spot.

This place was much harder than it needed to be to find. Google maps took me a really odd way and…read moreeven then I believe I actually drove around it twice before I ignored the directions being given to kind of throw it off (mostly due to the construction that was also going on around it). I then accidentally found it. However, when I did find it, I was pretty happy. I do wish there was more of a resource for finding out about the trails. There was one trail that went kind of through a bunch of trees right to the left of the parking area and I could almost hear a waterfall? river but I could not figure out how to get to it and it was getting late and starting to rain, so I did not feel safe doing a lot of exploring. I absolutely loved walking along some of the trails and over the bridge (although with as strong as the smell was, I feared that I barely missed an encounter with a skunk). I did not do near the amount of walking I could have done due to the time of day and the rain storm coming, but man, I can't wait until I have a day to go back and do some more exploring - this place is fascinating.

I don't have a dog with me here today, but I did want to stop by and check out this dog park. Very…read morecool to see it and lots of canine activities today. There are two separate areas - a 2.5 acre space for large dogs and a 1.0 acre space for small dogs. The 15 inches or larger is their decider for small and large. The park was well kept but it's clearly summertime because the grass is growing quite a lot. Each park has an entry area where you can securely leash and unleash your dog. The parking lot is a large stone gravel. I'm sure that's needed because of the weather they get here in Nebraska but it's definitely uncomfortable for canine paws. [Review 11365 overall, 1142 of 2019.]

Awesome park! Smaller in size but still very well kept and great place for off leash fun!!read more

Lincoln is growing up, and becoming a city with some culture, flare, and good eats. The Lincoln…read moreCommunity Foundation Tower Square is an 18,000 square foot park highlighted by a 57-foot-tall, internally illuminated with over 4,800 LED lights, multicolor column, known as Ascent Tower, by artist Jun Kaneko, the world famous artist from Omaha. The ground pavers have circular waves around the tower, reminiscent of a Japanese zen garden. This project took 5 years to complete, and downtown Lincoln is better off for it. It adds beauty, space to hold small outdoor concerts, and countless conversations as people enjoy it day and night. At night, it is breathtaking and adds a lot of character and artistic pizazz to downtown Lincoln and it adds a little more pride to live in this great city of Lincoln.

After a long day touring Lincoln, we needed a playground break and found this completely huge…read moreamazing playground! This playground is for all kids ages with cushion mats throughout. There are lots of playground options to run through and a bunch of slides to try out. Plenty of parking available with covered pavilions and picnic tables.

Great place for all ages - lots of slides!! I appreciated…read morethe separate playground/slide area for toddlers and a larger playground for 5 and up. Took my granddaughter several times while I was in town and will go back.

Love going by, through, and in this historical park in Licoln Nebremaska. It's the original park in…read moreLincoln since 1867. Really beautiful and green when there is a lot of precipitation! A huge place to walk around. Not too far from my brother's current residence. If you are ever in the area, stop by this park for a visit!