8 Nebraska Towns With A Slower Pace Of Life
Nebraska is a state that many travelers overlook for more well-known locations, including those along the coasts, like New York, California, and Florida. However, to truly understand and appreciate the beauty in the Midwest and rural America, the Cornhusker State is where to begin. Beyond the hubs like Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska has nearly 2 million residents in small towns stretching to every corner, and more than 70% of those small towns have fewer than a thousand residents. What results are destinations for Nebraskans and travelers to slow down and appreciate the small communities that maintain their distinct feel and traditions, from the arts-minded community of Alliance to the annual celebration of the Oregon Trail in Gering. Let's visit eight Nebraska towns with a slower pace of life.
Alliance
Places like Alliance are popular because they combine modern living with a rural environment far from the influences of major metropolitan hubs. Even with several things to do and see in the community, Alliance is known for its slower pace, which is rooted in its rich history and the preservation of traditions. One of the best examples of this is the popularity of the Carnegie Arts Center and its many events and shows throughout the year. The community has long come together to support the arts in all forms.
The slower pace of the community really shines with its blend of history and natural attractions. People come from all over the country to visit the Alliance Army Air Field, the site to train the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment before they deployed to Normandy in World War II. The region’s residents also find Alliance for the tranquility of Laing Lake and Park, a docile landscape loaded with walking paths, fishing spots, and plenty of places to enjoy a relaxing picnic with family or friends.
McCook
When you take a small town, and you fill it with people who look out for one another and promote each other’s small businesses, you might be talking about McCook. Everything about this town points to slowing down with your neighbors, like the popularity of the Sehnert’s Bakery and Bieroc Café, where countless residents flock week to week for a taste of comfort dishes like cabbage rolls or fresh baked goodness.
A stroll through the historic structures of the downtown area can lead you to one of McCook's most popular attractions, the Museum of the High Plains and Carnegie Library. This museum is a way to look back at the county's rich history and features some unique artifacts worth seeing, like scrap believed to be from a 19th-century UFO crash.
Heritage Days is an annual celebration for McCook and one of the only times this slower-paced town livens up to match the energy of the masses pouring in from the region for vendors, live entertainment, and all of the events typical of Oktoberfest.
Gering
Gering is a town best known for its hospitality and slower way of life, which is why so many of its attractions focus on nature. When people visit this community, many look to the popular features of the region, like the Scotts Bluff National Monument, a prominent landmark that helped steer settlers and pioneers through the arduous Oregon Trail. More natural wonder is displayed at the Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area & Nature Center, boasting eclectic wildlife species, miles of trails and paths, and memorably beautiful terrain.
Life in Gerig is slow and easy, like a good home-cooked meal. Runza Restaurant, a long-standing staple of the community, serves traditional comfort food.
When you want to see Gering go from quiet and calm to busy and bustling, plan some of your visit around the nationally popular Oregon Trail Days, featuring food, parades, and live entertainment. The festival has been going on since 1921.
York
At the convergence of US Route 81 and Interstate 80 lies York, an unassuming stop on the path to or from Lincoln, only 50 miles away. Those who take this brief detour from the highways can discover that a slow-paced lifestyle predominant in York has its appeal. This begins with exploring the region’s history, showing that hard work in the soil allows for the relaxed feel of the community for its residents. The Wessels Living History Farm shows the vast farming history of Nebraska, predominantly its key role in helping America through the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s.
Nature plays a big role in the slower pace of York, so those able to tear themselves away from the local favorite eateries on the main thoroughfare like Chances ‘R’ Restaurant & Lounge can indulge in the true natural beauty of the Cornhusker State. Start your scenic tour with the Overland Trail Recreation Area for its serene environment and abundance of hiking trails. You can also take a separate trip to Kirkpatrick North Wildlife Management to view the massive migration habits of geese and ducks in the spring on the wetlands here.
Gretna
With a population of just under 10,000, Gretna remains a stark contrast to Omaha, the bustling cultural epicenter, only 20 miles northeast. Some who make the short drive to the town do so to take advantage of the deals on brand stores at the Nebraska Crossing Outlets.
Those willing to explore further will find the quaint community of Gretna has become a close-knit haven for those commuting to the city but wanting a firm escape from its faster pace, evident in many of its laid-back attractions and popular features. The best examples are Schramm Park State Recreation Area and Education Center, a hub of nature exploration and discovery with trails, displays, hiking paths, and gorgeous picnicking spots, and the beautiful Holy Family Shrine.
Gretna is also happy to house one of the most famous and largest fall festival locations in the Midwest, with Vala’s Pumpkin Path & Apple Orchard. Spanning 400 acres and featuring over fifty attractions, this fall-focused farm is open for all autumn joy and spooky season splendor from September through Halloween.
Chadron
This community of Chadron embodies the feeling of living off the land, which has been the region's custom for centuries. Nearby visitors can take time to see the Museum of the Fur Trade, a site dedicated to the long-standing tradition in North America of trading furs for goods and making the most of the land's offerings. Another excellent example of nature's bounty is Chadron State Park, which offers miles of hiking trails, camping sites, and incredible overlooks of Pine Ridge.
The slower pace of life in Chadron allows for a lot more mingling and rubbing elbows with the residents, especially at community hotspots like Bean Broker Coffee House & Pub, which offers much more than just warm brewed java, or the restored Eagle Theatre, which shows films night after night.
Minden
Being only 15 miles from Kearney, Minden has become a quick and accessible retreat for those getting away from the larger city for a quaint way of living at a much slower pace. Minden has long been known as ‘Nebraska’s Christmas City’, and that comes to life in the winter months with a town square boasting more than 12,000 lights and a community that decorates with equal fervor. This time of year makes you slow down, sip cocoa, and stroll among the illuminated historic downtown center.
The slower pace of living in Minden leads to more time spent enjoying the finer arts, such as the events and performances gracing the stage at the restored Minden Opera House. When you want to take a leisurely afternoon away from the village, many take the short drive to Harlan County Lake for fishing, boating, and a network of beautiful trails.
Ashland
Maintaining a quaint size of only 2,500 people, Ashland is almost perfectly centered between Omaha and Lincoln, the two largest cities in Nebraska. With the full spectrum of accessible entertainment and amenities a short drive in two directions, Ashland could become a slow-paced and relaxed community focused most on small businesses, natural attractions, and annual festivities like Stir-Up Days. This festival happens in July and features games, music, food, and fun for everyone who makes the drive.
Despite its size, Ashland offers many reasons for travelers moving between urban centers to take a break and explore the town. The best place for those interested in a mix of science and history is the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, home to the most extensive assortment of Cold War-era aircraft and related artifacts.
Nature is also a big part of Ashland's slower, relaxed feel. This shines most at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, which is open year-round for hiking, wildlife viewing, and more.
Small towns in Nebraska provide us with an authentic look at life in the plains and demonstrate the rich history of the Cornhusker State. The eight Nebraska towns with a slower pace of life that we've documented here are perfect examples. From the agricultural dependence that navigated the country through the Great Depression, like you’ll see at the Wessels Living History Farm in York or the community of Gering paying homage to the struggles of the pioneers on the Oregon Trail, each town has its own reason to slow things down and appreciate the nature, history, or traditions happening around you.
