Always a great place for families/couples/kids. Just all the way around a great experience. Clean…read moreand very well maintained play equipment.

Wow what a diamond in the ruff! We were passing through stopping off highway 80 for a break from…read moredriving and we found this gem. To our surprise when we arrived there was a miniature train running around the park. We bought 4 tickets, $1 for kids, $2 for adults. There was even a man dressed as the train conductor, tooting the horn and getting the kids excited for the ride! Once we were done with our train ride we headed over to the playground that was fairly large insize. Lots of bridges, ladders, hideouts and slides. Was a blast for my kid. We finished the stop up with a popsicle from the concession stand. Also worth noting there are indoor bathrooms, although extremely dated and poorly designed. That is about the only negative on this fun stop. Highly recommended detour if you are headed down 80.

I stayed the night at Mormon Island State Recreation Area in Nebraska on 8/22/1993. It was my 1st…read moretime there. The camping fee was $12.00 with electricity. We stayed at site #6 in our 1986 Winnebago Le Sharo.

Several lakes with beaches and waterfront access. Campgrounds available on the river or lake. Good…read morebathroom facilities. Noise from the interstate is audible. I've had relatives use the RV facilities, but commented on the high price.

Good place to go. It's its been raining(a lot) we go elsewhere as it can get kinda deep some places…read moreand are not as usable but then there's usually more available spots cuz most want to go when it's clear and sunshine. We have gone there over the past 20 years always a great place and plenty of breathing room between campers.

This is a beautiful park. The office was closed when we got there, but they have instructions on…read morewhat to do and how to pay for the services you want. We only needed to stay one night since we were just passing through, but we hope to get a chance to visit again.

Aurora's Bark Park is an amazing, free dog park for those in Aurora! There is a smaller dog run for…read moreless active dogs, and a large dog run for active dogs. Each run has benches for humans to sit on as well. They also have bags for waste removal and a doggy drinking fountain. Our dog absolutely loves going here!!

Pioneer Park is one of the best attractions in Nebraska…read more This park has it all (puts on SNL Stefon voice): -History (the pillars that were part of the original treasury building) -Culture (the statue and story of Red Cloud) -Nature (the beautiful scenery and ponds) -Wildlife (the buffalo/deer/etc) And it is just a few minutes from Lincoln and a short drive from Omaha! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a relaxing, but still adventurous, activity!

I was looking for another fun park to do some exploring. I found this and decided to check it out -…read morethere is so much here to see. I really wish I had known and found the older exploratory part of the park earlier in the day - I spent too much time on the picnic-y parts of the park, but I enjoyed it. The signs were a little bit misleading - there are parts of the exploritory area that are closed to the public but there was no warning of that when you were heading that way. I actually really enjoyed the bird observatory and the bridge. It was such a hot day but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Great place for my family and I to make a visit and highly educational! Worth a visit to learn…read moreabout American pioneers and homesteaders as they settled farther west.

When I visited this site, there were about 100 elementary school students having a field trip at…read morethe same time. Talk about chaos! Despite this, the rangers were all very cheerful and able to answer our questions. Daniel Freeman was one of the first people to file a claim under the Homestead Act of 1862, and the NPS site is built on his claim site. The visitor's center is expansive, with two floors. The bottom floor has the lion's share of the exhibits, and even has a window into the preservation arm of the museum where relics are stored. There is also a gift shop on the ground floor. The outside has a prairie with trails, and a small example cabin. The NPS did a good job cramming as much as they could into this site, as even the barb wire surrounding the prairie has different variations to showcase the wire used back then. Don't miss the Homestead Education Center, which is a short drive away from the visitor's center. There's a whole room with old farm equipment, and a small path that goes on a small suspension bridge. Across the Education Center is the the Freeman School, which was closed unless we wanted to call a ranger to open it up. I could peek through the windows though!

Pretty park located next to Hastings College! This park consists of trees and grassy areas…read moresurrounding a long pond with fountains. The sidewalk runs between the water and a street lined with historical homes. I was told that one circle around the park is approximately one mile. Heartwell park also features a couple bridges, plenty of benches, swings, a playground, a small swimming pool, and pet waste stations. Cute place to walk, bike, or feed ducks!

We visited The Archway and came away with mixed feelings--mostly because this just isn't a great…read morefit for families with very young kids. Ours are aged 8 and 2. When you enter, you're given a handheld device to scan exhibit numbers and listen to narration. In theory, it's a cool idea. In reality, it was tough to manage while chasing kids who were already 10-15 steps ahead. The device didn't always work smoothly, and trying to troubleshoot it mid-visit was frustrating. I eventually gave up and just narrated what I could myself. I expected we'd move through quickly because of the kids' ages, but the bigger issue is that the museum really isn't designed for younger audiences. Lots of stuff to read, pictures, very few artifacts, and of course, the handheld narration. That said--the displays themselves are beautifully done. You start by riding a very tall escalator "up a mountain" into the exhibit, which is a memorable entrance. I also went in thinking it would focus mostly on pioneers, but it's actually a broader (and well-done) journey through transportation history--pioneers, the railroad, automobiles, road trips, and more. One of the coolest features is that the museum spans over Interstate 80, and there are windows where you can look out over the traffic below. Where it fell short for me was in representation and storytelling. There was very little inclusion of Black history--only a brief mention of a Black pioneer. When covering the rise of car travel, it felt like a missed opportunity not to include the history of the Green Book. The exhibits often present travel as carefree and joyful, but that wasn't the reality for everyone. There's also a mining activity area (the typical "buy a bag and wash rocks" setup), which felt overpriced. One unexpected highlight: seeing people fishing outside the building. You can actually buy poles and bait inside, which my son was very interested in (we skipped it this time, but maybe next visit).

I've driven past The Archway more times than I can count, and every single time it's a moment of…read more"I've made it to Kearney!" It's one of those landmarks that immediately catches your eye and gives you that sense of arrival. Even though I haven't had the chance to go inside yet, the view of the arch from the highway is absolutely stunning, especially when the light hits it just right. I can already tell that the next time I'm in town, I'll definitely be stopping in to explore what's inside. If the exterior is this impressive, I can only imagine what the inside has to offer.

What a beautiful park! We went to take the dog for a walk and a little swim. Lovely walking and…read morebiking trails. Beautiful trees, plants, grassy areas, and artwork/sculptures. Several areas for picnicking and children to play. There's a gorgeous flower garden with a winding path through it. Part of that area included troughs with vegetables growing in it. The produce is used by schools and a community food pantry. There were some buildings in the park, but I'm not sure what they are for. It was well-maintained. Plenty of parking in several spots.

Had a mini reunion with family near the splash pad, everything was wonderful! Highly recommend for…read morefamily, friends, kids, and pets!