FAMILY Golden Spike Tower, North Platte FOR RAILROAD FANS Trains, museums and a caboose “hotel” // 4 powered-up stops Satisfy your railfan obsession with a bird’s-eye view of the Bailey Rail Yard in North Platte that manages 10,000 Union Pacifi c railroad cars per day. Ride the Golden Spike Tower elevator to the seventh-fl oor, open-air observation deck and gawk at the sights and sounds of the trains below and panoramic views of the world’s largest railroad classifi cation yard. You can almost feel the fi re and grit of the pioneering spirit at Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island where history buffs will be pleased, and kids and adults alike will enjoy opportunities to get hands-on. Wander the complex of buildings to discover collections of Native American and Old West memorabilia, teepee replicas, bison that lived and grazed on the land, trai n cars from the 1800s and more. The Stuhr’s 1897 Railroad Town, open May 1 through Labor Day annually, features costumed interpreters working and living within this community fi lled with historic businesses and homes. In Omaha, the Durham Museum is housed in the city’s Art Deco-era Union Station, which once served as the Union Pacifi c Railroad hub. Today, this Smithsonian-affi liate museum is home to locomotives, train cars and a 1930s soda fountain, still serving treats. At the end of your perfect railfan day, retire to one of 10 Union Pacifi c cabooses that have been refurbished into cabins at Two Rivers State Recreation Area in Waterloo. ALL ABOARD Durham Museum Soda Fountain, Omaha Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, Grand Island 26 VisitNebraska.com CREDIT: RICK NEIBEL Pro Tip: More than a half-dozen children’s museums throughout Nebraska—including attractions in Omaha, Lincoln and North Platte— encourage creativity, play and discovery.
Nebraska Official State Travel Guide The Official 2020 Not-At-All What You Thought State Travel Guide: Page 26
