8 Of The Most Eccentric Towns In Nebraska

Nebraska forms a key geographic and cultural part of the American Midwest. A member of the United States since 1867, following the Civil War, the state is also known as the Cornhusker State, after its main historic crop and the workers who harvested it. Nebraska has for generations drawn settlers and travelers, yet beyond its big cities like Omaha and its capital, Lincoln, Nebraska's smaller places deserve a visit, too.

Towns like those below, which often reveal an eccentric side to their essential character, illustrate the reasons why friends or family passing through Nebraska should make a stop. Beyond the sometimes quirky attractions, the state's true, vibrant character awaits discovery.

Alliance

Tucked in northeast Nebraska, the small town of Alliance has one very odd attraction: Carhenge, an outdoor, public art installation featuring old automobiles stuck vertically into the ground. The total effect is meant to resemble Stonehenge, the grouping of ancient stone slabs in southern England. Nebraska's Carhenge has a visitor center and a gift shop, which operate during the summer.

Alliance also offers a mix of interests for the traveling visitor. The Carnegie Arts Center, set in a 1911 building, showcases local and regional art. Dobby's Frontier Town, which is actually a reconstructed pioneer village, features a real schoolhouse from 1889 and other vestiges of Nebraska's territorial (pre-statehood) days. Both the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center in Alliance honor the pioneering spirit of Nebraska's early years. The museum has a celebrated collection of Native American objects.

Elgin

The town of Elgin, in Nebraska's rural northeast, promises the visitor another eccentric point of interest: Bells of the Prairie. This collection of bells, from churches, schools, and other regional buildings, is the collection of local resident Jim Mies. With more than 150 bells gathered here on his front lawn, Mies, and Elgin with him, celebrate these artifacts and "things of the past," as his yard signage says. For a further taste of small-town life in Elgin, head to the Coffeehouse Cafe in the north of town. Elgin City Park, an excellent place for a stroll or a break from time in the car, sits in Elgin's northeast corner and has a full playground for kids.

Gretna

The larger town of Gretna, in Nebraska's southeast, holds out an attraction that few towns can best. The Holy Family Shrine, built as a house of worship for the Roman Catholic tradition, features glass-and-wood sides, a 40-foot cross, and a stream of water flowing through the lowest floor. The site is free to enter and open to visitors of all faiths.

Gretna lies along Nebraska's fascinating I-80 highway, providing access to the diverse parts of Nebraska's culture. Visitors traveling with families tend to like the Schramm Park State Recreation Area and Recreation Center, which has an aquarium and interactive exhibits for nature fans of all ages.

Monowi

The smallness of Monowi, in northeast Nebraska, brings in tourist volumes many times the local population. That is because the town only has one official resident: Elsie Eiler, who lived here with her husband, Rudy, until his death in 2004. Monowi is considered the least populous incorporated village in the United States, according to national census data. The town lies along Highway 12, also called the Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway, a beautiful drive that runs parallel to the Missouri River just north of here.

Monowi offers visitors the chance to visit a truly tiny place — and a shrine to true love. Mrs. Eiler maintains Rudy's Library, with some 5,000 books, in honor of her late husband's affection for reading. Monowi Tavern offers a quiet place to rest, but a visitor may need to bring their own conversation partners. Mrs. Eiler, who took over the town's mayorship from her husband, runs the tavern for visitors. Mindful of following Nebraska law, Monowi Tavern has a working liquor license, which Mrs. Eiler issued to herself.

Ogallala

Ogallala, in southwest Nebraska, embraces its eccentricities and calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of Nebraska." The town's singular past as a cattle-raising hub endures at the Front Street and Cowboy Museum, featuring live re-enactments of the cowboy culture in the town and region. Outdoors fans should try Lake McConaughy — Nebraska's biggest body of water, lying north of Ogallala. The town itself sits on the northern bank of the South Platte River, an outdoor attraction of its own, with fishing, picnicking, and other waterside activities.

For a quirky, free-of-charge experience, Ogallala's Boot Hill cemetery serves as the final resting place for cowpokes, ranch hands, pioneers, and others. A life-sized cowboy statue sits atop the burial site of a real-life character named “Rattlesnake” Ed. As the local legend goes, the man was killed over nine dollars during a card game in town.

Seward

In eastern Nebraska, the town of Seward honors the name of William Henry Seward, the Civil War-era politician and Secretary of State under President Abraham Lincoln. Seward is regionally popular for its extravagant July 4th parties, which bring in visitors for all-American fun. (Seward calls itself "Fourth of July City.") On this year's Fourth, the town opened a time capsule from 1975, containing more than 5,000 objects and preserved under a pyramid-shaped edifice in town.

The town offers a collectible-stamp-style passport for its Creative District, encouraging travelers to see its many galleries, theaters, and other colorful sights across town. For fans of historic architecture, the Seward County Courthouse Square Historic District has park areas, a Carnegie Library, and a limestone courthouse.

Taylor

In tiny Taylor, in the center of the state, this small town sets itself apart with an unusual attraction. Life-sized cutouts of townspeople — portrayed in period dress from between 1890 and 1920, when Taylor reached its peak population. Today, the place has fewer than 200 residents, but Taylor was once a larger farming community.

Conceived by local artist Marilyn Sandoz, the series of cutouts, called The Villagers, has delighted and drawn in tourists for years. Dozens of figures now stand across the community, sometimes with a strong resemblance to living locals. For a break from Taylor's signature quirk, head to Calamus Reservoir, northeast of town, for a picnic, swim, or both. Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park also sits east of town.

Wahoo

The name Wahoo might sound silly for a town, but its points of interest are a seriously good time. Sitting west of Omaha in east-central Nebraska, goings-on here include the Wahoo Country Music Show, as well as the Saunders County Historical Society Museum. The latter has exhibits from its more than 25,000 artifacts, all of which emphasize local lives and stories. Also in Wahoo, the Howard Hanson House, once the home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning music composer of the same name, welcomes visitors by appointment only.

This town is also popular among sportsmen. Boaters, fishermen, and other outdoors types come here for nearby Lake Wanahoo and other draws. Local eateries, like Chip's Restaurant and Bar or the Branding Iron Cafe, offer American food, beer, and the chance to unwind after a day of Nebraska fun.

Nebraska's Best Quirks Live In Its Small Towns

Small-town Nebraska says a lot about the state's appetite for odd and unusual attractions. Eccentric expressions of Midwest culture abound here, from Carhenge in Alliance to Elgin's Bells of the Prairie. Gretna offers a unique Catholic chapel, complete with a stream running through it, while Monowi redefines what a map-dot Midwestern town really is. Seward's July 4th extravagance, Taylor's real-life cutouts, and Wahoo's name alone suggest that Nebraska has eccentric destinations in spades. For a taste of the truly different and the chance to bring home a colorful story or two, small-town Nebraska is a great place to go.