Grand Island, Nebraska – America’s Beautiful Heartland!

Grand Island Parks Island Oasis Water Park Crane Meadows Heartland Event Center Public Shooting Park Grand Island Bike Hall County Courthouse Mormon Island

The fourth largest city in Nebraska and an oasis on the Platte River, Grand Island is a wonderful destination with unique tourist attractions, recreational areas, parks, golf courses and cultural and entertainment venues. Bounded by the Platte and Loup rivers, Grand Island offers a plethora of fishing, hiking and water sport activities. Experience the annual spring migration of 500,000 Sandhill Cranes along the Platte River, as well as live thoroughbred horse racing, living pioneer history, auto racing, a water park, and skeet shooting – all in Grand Island! Discover Grand Island’s rich history and beautiful scenery along Nebraska’s scenic byways. Enjoy an array of shopping and dining opportunities, including the area’s largest mall, downtown antique stores, art galleries, and festivals. Historic guides to downtown Grand Island, the overland trails, and historical sites are available through the Visitor and Convention Bureau. From the past to the present, Grand Island is alive with unique attractions, art galleries, community theatre, golf courses, water fun, and shopping.

Attractions.

Grand Island Parks. Grand Island’s 325 acres of parklands – 16 city parks and recreational facilities - provide numerous opportunities for relaxation and family entertainment. Parks feature ball diamonds, bandstands, basketball courts, bicycling, boating, fishing, horseshoe courts, ice skating, playgrounds, outdoor skate parks, sledding areas, swimming and wading pools, tennis courts, concessions, picnic areas and grills. The newly-built hike/bike trail offers 4 miles of scenic hiking and biking experiences, and the skate park at Pier Park features obstacle, ramps and jumps for diverse skill levels.

Fonner Park. Central Nebraska's entertainment destination, Fonner Park features live thoroughbred horse racing from February through mid-May, as well as special races and nationwide thoroughbred simulcast horse racing from the nation’s top tracks. The jewel of Fonner Park’s live thoroughbred racing is the $100,000 Fonner Stakes in April, when horses from across the country descend upon Grand Island for Nebraska's richest horse race. Fonner Park also hosts a number of events, craft and recreational shows, and family activities, including the Hall County Fair, Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Exposition, and REACT Craft Shows, as well as Antique, Home and Ag Expos. Fonner Keno Casino and Sports Lounge offers Keno, great food and drink seven days a week. Visit www.fonnerpark.com.  [Top]

Island Oasis Water Park. Grab your sunglasses, throw on your swimsuit and discover a day of summer fun at Island Oasis Water Park, which offers over six acres of refreshing family fun. Brave the waves in the 350 thousand-gallon wave pool or relax in our 750-foot lazy river. Adventurers can experience the force of gravity on the two six-story high-speed slides, tackle four giant 150-foot flume slides with a swimming pool splash down area and fly down the two enclosed tunnel slides. The Children’s Area features spraying fountains and a wacky wet otter slide. Kids can build castles in the sand play area, stroll across the lily pads, and test their skills on the Log Walk. Enjoy a match of sand volleyball then drop your anchor and feed the crew at the concession and patio area. Visit www.grand-island.com/oasis.

Mid-Nebraska Speedway. Heading into its 12th year, Mid-Nebraska Speedway is the fastest track in Nebraska. The race track offers weekly racing in five classes - Grand National Late Models, I.M.C.A. Modifieds, I.M.C.A. Hobby Stocks, Happy Hornets, and Awards Plus Wild & Wacky Cruisers, as well as test and tune practice sessions. Enjoy racing every Saturday night at 7PM April through September, and special vents throughout the summer months. For information and tickets, call (308) 381-0088 or visit www.midnebraskaspeedway.com.  [Top]

Crane Meadows Nature Center. Situated along the Platte River, Crane Meadows Nature Center is a beautiful place to experience the annual spring (late February through early April) migrations of 500,000 Sandhill Cranes - one of the largest congregations of migratory birds on North America, and sometimes the rare Whooping Crane. Hall County has been named the number one place in the world for bird watchers by Forbes FYI Magazine, and the Platte River Basin is the only ecosystem along the crane migration route that meets all of their requirements for roosting, resting, and restoring themselves. Crane Meadows provides programs, educational workshops, lectures, and tours throughout the year. Hiking and prairie trails meander through beautiful flowers and grasses, ramble over sandy knolls with cactus, and zigzag through fragrant groves of eastern red cedar. River-edge and riparian forest trails familiarize hikers with the Platte River. A thirty-five foot high observation tower located on the north bank of the Platte River offers a perfect vantage point to view the cranes and trails. Visit the Crane Meadows Interpretive Center and Gift Shop. Visit www.cranemeadows.org.

Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer. Nebraska's pioneer and Indian American heritage live at the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer. Praised as "one of the top 10 places to relive America's past,” Stuhr Museum offers a living history experience that portrays the inspiring story and lives of Nebraska’s pioneer town builders. Since 1961, Stuhr Museum has preserved historical objects and information relating to life in Nebraska's prairie from the 1840s through 1920. Artifacts, buildings and objects bring history to life and help us understand the development and diversity of plains communities. Stuhr Building offers exhibits of period rooms, tools, household articles and furnishings that trace pioneer lifestyles from 1880 to 1920, and houses the Prairie Treasures Gift Shop and changing exhibits. From May through October, you can visit the 40-acre Railroad Town featuring 70 original shops, three historic homes, a train depot, a log cabin settlement, and a railyard. Railroad Town comes alive with costumed interpreters, activities and celebrations. Explore the Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda, with Native American and Western artifacts, and the authentic Railroad Display. Visit Pawnee Earth Lodge, Runelsburg, Road Ranche, and the Antique Farm Machinery and Auto Exhibit. Visit www.stuhrmuseum.org.  [Top]

Heartland Event Center. Heartland Events Center is Central Nebraska’s newest venue for a multitude of events, concerts, shows, sporting events, recreational activities, trade shows, conventions, entertainment, meetings and banquets. The 180,000 sq. ft. multipurpose facility is the newest addition to a growing complex that includes the Island Oasis Water Park, Fonner Park Thoroughbred Race Track, soccer and softball fields, the Thompson 4-H Arena, and horse barns. The Center’s Eihusen Arena seats up to7,500 for concerts and events, and is equipped with a four-sided video scoreboard, 12 suites, concession stands, locker rooms, a gift shop, ticket office, and catering service. The 8,000 sq. ft. Bosselman Conference Center accommodates 600 - 800 people for meetings, conferences, and large banquets. Upcoming events include Golden Gloves Boxing and PRCA Championship Rodeo. Visit www.heartlandeventscenter.com

Kid’s Kingdom. This 17,000 square foot playground is bigger, bolder and wilder than any playground in the state and was designed from the imaginations of 1,500 Grand Island children. Kid’s Kingdom features swings, ladders, bridges, monkey bars, spider webs, rope climbs, slides, mazes, obstacle courses, nets, tunnels, cars, a pirate ship, firepole, tree house and a rock climb among the trees. Kid’s Kingdom is a great opportunity for the entire family to spend quality time together being kids. Visit http://www.grand-island.com/departments/ParksAndRec/kidskingdom.htm.  [Top]

Heartland Public Shooting Park. The Heartland Public Shooting Range is a 420-acre sport shooting facility featuring a skeet range, sporting clays range, trap range, activity center, registered targets, instruction/shooting clinics, ammunition - 12, 20, 28 and 410 gauge shotgun shells - eye and ear protection, Beretta shotguns, youth, lady, and regular 12 and 20 gauge loaner shotguns, a model airplane flying club, sanctioned retriever trials, rifle and pistol ranges from 25 to 600 yards, and shooting carts for easy access to the shooting complex. Future development will include a 7-acre lake, 25 miles of equestrian/pedestrian trails, a 60 site campground and outdoor recreation opportunities. Visit www.heartlandpublicshootingpark.com.

Nebraska’s Scenic Byways. Instead of whizzing past the Heartland of Nebraska on I-80, turn off and see the natural treasures and rugged beauty of Nebraska along two of our scenic byways. Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway is one of the nation’s most spectacular roads. From Grand Island to Alliance, Highway 2 winds you through beautiful countryside, tiny villages and hamlets, and part of the Nebraska National Forest, the largest man-made forest in the country. Overlooks of the Dismal River will take your breath away. On the Sandhills Journey, you’ll see sprawling ranches, endless sky, miles of rolling grass dunes, windmills and the most beautiful landscapes in America. Loup Rivers Scenic Byway gains its name from the Loup Rivers that flow through central Nebraska. From the pristine, rolling farmland and hills to the immense solitude of the Sandhills, Loup Rivers Scenic Byway is a delight for the soul. Small towns, lakes, scenic beauty, local events, history and friendly people await you as you travel through one of the most beautiful landscapes in America. Anglers, hikers, campers, wildlife watchers and outdoor enthusiasts will discover memorable adventures.  [Top]

Grand Island Bike/Hike Trails. Grand Island offers more than 20 miles of beautiful, tree-lined biking and hiking trails through parks and neighborhoods, including On Street Trail, Cemetery Trail, Eagle Scout Trail, State Street Trail, Pier Lake Trail, Suck’s Lake Trail, Belt Line Trail, and St. Joseph Trail.

Historic Grand Theater. Located in historic downtown Grand Island, this art-deco style theatre opened in 1911 as the Lyda Theatre and was renamed the Grand in 1931. In 2004 a small group of dedicated business owners came together to save the Grand when it was slated to close. The Grand Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the last surviving movie palace in Grand Island as a home for film and local performing arts organizations. Today, run by all volunteers, the Grand Theatre offers second-run family films at discounted rates on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Grand frequently has live music, speakers and comedians. For shows call, (308) 381-2667 or visit www.grandmovietheatre.com  [Top]

Hall County Courthouse. Located at First and Locust Streets, the Hall County Courthouse is listed on the Nebraska Register of Historic Places. Designed by Thomas Rogers Kimball and built in 1904, the courthouse is an outstanding example of the Beaux-Arts style, rare in Nebraska. A Civil War Soldier's Monument and the cannon used at Fort O.K. in the 1860s is near the courthouse.

Nebraska National Forest. Called a forest planted in the desert, Nebraska National Forest is a ponderosa pine wilderness in the Sandhills of Central and Western Nebraska and South Dakota. The nation’s largest hand-planted forest and the dream of a University of Nebraska botanist, Nebraska National Forest encompasses 20,000 acres of hand-planted pines and cedars. An unusual combination of forests and prairie grasslands in the Sandhills, the Forest is comprised of 2 national forests, 3 national grasslands, and a tree nursery. The diverse ecosystem includes the mixed grass prairies of the Buffalo Gap, Fort Pierre and Ogallala National Grasslands and the native ponderosa pine forest of the Pine Ridge Ranger District. The Charles E. Bessey Nursery, the nation's oldest federal tree nursery, rounds out this interesting and challenging National Forest. A variety of recreation and natural resources makes this a perfect place to explore. Take time to enjoy the diverse surroundings with a leisurely hike or a picnic in these beautiful woodlands. Visit www.fs.fed.us/r2/nebraska/.  [Top]

Mormon Island State Recreation Area. One of Grand Island’s top attractions, Mormon Island State Recreation Area offers outstanding camping, picnicking, swimming on a marked beach, and fishing on a picturesque 46-acre lake that is part of Nebraska’s “Chain of Lakes.” Mormon Island SRA hosts a spectacular gathering each spring, as thousands of sandhill cranes stop to rest and pursue their colorful courtship rituals. The world's largest concentration of these magnificent birds draws thousands every year. A variety of geese, ducks and waterfowl also visit the area. Fishing with a permit and boating are permitted on the lake, and anglers find largemouth bass, walleye, channel catfish and bluegill. Grounds are open for day use from 6am to 10pm. Park permit required. Call (308) 385-6211.

Cheyenne State Recreation Area. Located in Hail County, Nebraska, off the Wood River Interchange, the beautiful and stocked 17-acre Cheyenne Lake and Cheyenne State Recreation Area is a popular boating and fishing destination with camping and picnic facilities.  [Top]