Posted in Nebraska Attractions July 13, 2015 by

Here Are 25 Awesome Things You Can Do In Nebraska… Without Opening Your Wallet

Have you ever heard someone complain that there’s nothing to do in Nebraska? They don’t know how wrong they are! There’s a never-ending list of fun stuff to do in the Cornhusker State – and these are 25 of them that you can actually do for free, so you have no excuse not to get out there and enjoy Nebraska!

1. Your Local Park - Just About Every Town Has at Least One!
Wikimedia
2. Hike or Bike One of Nebraska's Many Free Trails
Wikimedia
3. Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Valentine
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
4. State Capitol Building, Lincoln
Wikimedia
5. Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Sioux County
National Park Service
6. Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center, Grand Island
Visit Nebraska
Walking around the grounds on your own is free, but there's a cost for tours.
7. Walk the Grounds of Arbor Lodge, Nebraska City
Wikimedia
There's an admission fee to tour the mansion, but you can walk around the magnificent grounds for free.
8. Dobby's Frontier Town, Alliance
Journey to Western Nebraska
Accepting goodwill donations.
9. Take an Auto Tour Alongside the California, Lewis & Clark, Mormon Pioneer, Oregon, and Pony Express Trails With the National Park Service's Auto Tour Routes
National Park Service
10. Fort Cody Trading Post, North Platte
Visit North Platte
When you're done, hop on over to Cody Park to feed the (live, non-stuffed) animals for free!
11. Homestead National Monument of America, Beatrice
National Park Service
12. Historic Boys Town
Wikimedia
13. Carhenge, Alliance
Carhenge
14. Fort Sidney Museum and Post Commander's Home, Sidney
Visit Nebraska
15. Holy Family Shrine, Gretna
flickr/Edith OSB
16. Museum of Nebraska Art, Kearney
Wikimedia
17. Tour Red Cloud, Hometown of Author Willa Cather
The Willa Cather Foundation
The self-guided walking tour is free, but you won't get to enter any of the buildings without an admission fee.
18. Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha
Wikimedia
19. Petrified Wood and Art Gallery, Ogallala
Visit Nebraska
Accepting free will donations.
20. The National Museum of Roller Skating, Lincoln
National Museum of Roller Skating
21. Lewis and Clark Trail Headquarters, Omaha
Wikimedia
22. Sunken Gardens, Lincoln
Wikimedia
23. Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters, Omaha
LDS.org
24. Nebraska National Forest, Chadron
Wikimedia
You'll have to pay a fee if you want to camp, but there's no cost to visit for the day.
25. Pony Express Station, Gothenburg
Facebook/Gothenburg Pony Express Station

Bonus tip: if you buy a Nebraska State Park annual permit (only $25 in 2015), you can visit any state park, state recreation area, and state historic park all year long for no additional fees. If you visit often enough, it feels like you’re visiting for free!

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.