Discover Rural Nebraska
Home of the one-finger wave, four-legged traffic jams, back roads packed with scenic views and your next Great American Road Trip.
This is Northwest Nebraska and There’s No Better Direction.
See What Other People Are Saying!
“The hospitality was very friendly and welcoming and helpful whenever we had questions. I enjoyed every event we did; the museums are very informational and interesting.
–NW Nebraska Visitor
Explore Our Attractions
Nineteen million years ago, strange creatures roamed the savanna that is now western Nebraska. The ancient mammals included tiny, two-horned rhinoceros, the Moropus—a horse/giraffe/tapir/rhinoceros/bear-like creature, and the ferocious 7-foot-tall large tusked pig. Though well known for decades by the Lakota, the first fossils were discovered by Captain James H. Cook in 1878. Cook and his son, Harold, developed a headquarters at Agate Springs Ranch for fellow paleontologists. Skulls and complete skeletons were found in the early 1900s, many of which were housed at the Carnegie Museum and the American Museum of Natural History. Over the years, Cook and his family fostered friendships with Chief Red Cloud and other members of the Oglala Lakota Sioux. During their visits, the parties would exchange gifts, which Cook concluded should remain with the ranch. The National Park Service Visitor Center houses two rooms of collectables, such as buckskin suits, gloves, one of Red Cloud’s shirts, pipebags and whetstones. Historic photographs accompany several of the artifacts.
Phone: 308-665-4113
Located on the campus of Chadron State College, the Mari Sandoz Heritage Center is dedicated to the life and literature of one of Nebraska’s most important female authors and historians. Considered an authority on Native American culture, Mari Sandoz published numerous essays in defense of the persecuted groups of Cheyenne and Oglala Sioux, proclaiming their high-qualities and championing for just laws and government aid for them. Inspired by the wild frontier where she was born and raised, her short-stories also reflect an interest in homesteading, the harsh landscape, conflict and the importance of women in the West. Exhibits at the High Plains Heritage Center include writings and memorabilia from Mari’s lifetime, paleontology and fossil displays, botanical and wildflower collections and more.
Phone: 308-432-6401
In 1954, while attempting to dig a stockpond, Nebraska ranchers Bill Hudson and Albert Meng uncovered a large pile of bones. During the 1970s, Dr. Larry Agenbroad of Chadron State College began excavating the site which is believed to be the bonebed of nearly 600 Bison antiquus, an extinct relative of today’s modern bison which perished more than 10,000 years ago. Considered to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries in North America, the Hudson-Meng site has been enrolled on the National Register of Historic Places. Scientists and student excavators have been working with the Forest Service for decades to try to understand the exact nature of this mass kill site and the role that ancient Paleo-Indian people may have played. In 1997, a climate-controlled enclosure was completed to cover the central portion of the bonebed.
In 2025, Hudson-Meng will be open Fridays & Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone: 308-665-3900 or 308-432-0300 (off-season or during closed hours).
Enjoy family “glamping,” group retreats, bird watching, geocaching, mountain biking, hiking and hunting in this old-west frontier village surrounded by rugged badlands. Rejuvenate your spirit with family glamping get-togethers or group retreats for the day or overnight. Church or school camps welcome; tent and RV camping available.
Phone: 308-665-2592
The Post Playhouse, located at historic Fort Robinson, showcases local and national talent on the stage at one of the top venues for live theatre in the West. Each summer, the Playhouse presents a repertory schedule of concerts, musicals and plays featuring talented and creative professional performers. The Wizard of Oz, South Pacific, Always….Patsy Cline, and Oklahoma! are just a few of the famous shows that have performed at the Post Playhouse.
Phone: 308-665-1976
Chadron Downtown Historic District
Chadron, known as the Magic City, blossomed in pioneer days after the railroad arrived. Homesteaders who originally settled about five miles west picked up and moved all their homes, businesses and possessions in one day in 1885 after the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad announced its intentions to build its depot and town to the east. In 2007, the city’s downtown district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A self-guided walking tour takes visitors to the downtown to more than 40 sites that display the architectural features that earned the district its spot on the National Register.
Chadron’s Art Alley was created in 2019 as part of the Paint the Town Project to showcase #Chadronmade art. The alley is located on the west side of Main Street and now has several public art murals for residents and visitors to enjoy and use as the unique backdrops for all those selfies! The project has several more murals planned so come back often to see what they’ve added. And if you happen to be in Northwest Nebraska on a weekend they are painting, come join in. This is truly a public art effort, and the steering committee welcomes members of the public to help paint the murals, regardless of age or skill level. It’s a great way to create a unique Northwest Nebraska experience!
No Better Direction - for rest and relaxation
Golfing
This nine-hole course is located at the base of the picturesque Legend Buttes west of Crawford, providing beautiful scenery to enjoy while you traverse its 3,178 yards of golf. The course is rated at 125 and has a par of 36. Legend Buttes Golf Course is open April 1 through Oct. 1. Reservations not required, but are appreciated. Phone: (308) 665-2431; Address: 3440 Highway 20
This nine-hole golf course south of Chadron is home to the annual Don Beebe Golf Classic Tournament every Memorial Day weekend. Driving range, cart and club rentals are available. Typically open from May to October, depending on weather. Phone: (308) 432-4468; Address: 16611 US Highway 385
Swimming
When you're ready to cool off, visit one of Northwest Nebraska's many pools
This indoor facility is open year-round and includes all sorts of features to keep swimmers of all ages entertained, including a 15-foot slide, a children’s slide, dump buckets and splash pad. The pool has a zero-depth entry, six lap lanes and a one-meter diving board. The facility also includes a therapy pool with warmer water temperatures and a walking track space around the pool deck. Classes at the Aquatic and Wellness Center include water aerobics, swimming lessons for all ages, and physical therapy. A multipurpose room is also available for rent for parties.
Passes are sold for families, couples and individual adults and youths at daily, monthly, quarterly and annual rates. Lap swim and water aerobics passes and walking passes are also available. Phone: 308-432-0524; Address: 540 E. 10th, Chadron
Chadron State Park’s swimming pool offers visitors a beautiful view overlooking the pines. The pool is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, with reduced hours beginning in mid-August. Lifeguards are on duty. Phone: 308-432-6167; Address: 15951 Hwy 385, Chadron
This outdoor swimming pool on the west edge of Crawford provides a view of the buttes while you’re relaxing deck-side. Open only during the summer months, the pool offers lap swimming/aerobics and open swim. Passes are available for the season and are also sold at a daily rate. Phone: 308-665-3940; Address: 1005 First St., Crawford
The indoor, Olympic-size Lindeken Pool, complete with outdoor wading pool and sun deck, is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Phone: 308-665-2900; Address: 3200 Hwy 20, Crawford
This outdoor pool is open only during the summer months and is conveniently located near at the city park in Harrison, which provides tennis and basketball courts and picnic areas to make the day complete. Passes are available for the season and are also sold at a daily rate.
Chadron State College
For more than a century, Chadron State College has helped students build their futures. Founded in 1911, it is the only four-year, regionally-accredited college in the western half of Nebraska. As a public institution with its roots in teacher education, Chadron State takes pride in its accessibility and affordability. More than 3,000 undergraduate, graduate and online students currently attend Chadron State, and its curriculum has grown to offer programs and courses in 65 majors and endorsements and eight master’s degree programs. Chadron State is located in the scenic Pine Ridge of Northwest Nebraska, where outdoor recreational activities abound. With impetus from the college, the town offers many cultural opportunities, and its charm makes it a desirable place to attend college and live. The Eagles belong to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and NCAA Division II.
For more than three decades, students, residents and visitors have enjoyed the beauty of the Chadron State College campus, which is an affiliate site of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. The CSC Arboretum fulfills multiple missions: providing a teaching landscape, water and energy management and the development of wildlife habitat. All of those missions combine to provide a beautiful, peaceful environment for visitors to wander through and enjoy.
At the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, the Heritage Gardens feature a collection of Sandhills plants collected near Mari’s grave and planted in Sandhills soils. An orchard with the same variety of apples Old Jules grew on his homestead is also featured on campus.
Botany, taxonomy and history students study plum trees, buffalo berries, chokecherries and currents, and how plant growth changed when the region was opened for permanent settlement. A pollinating garden attracts butterflies, bees and flies near the Eagle Ridge student housing complex.
The Planetarium at Chadron State College frequently features special Eclipse and Comet Shows. These special events are free to the public. Public programs are generally offered during the CSC Academic year. Tickets must be purchased from the CSC Conferencing Office in advance of the show unless otherwise stated. All planetarium shows are presented by CSC students and/or faculty.
Hours: open by appointment Aug. 1 – Dec. 1 and February – May, and can service groups of 5-35 people. They can provide multiple shows for your audience if it is a larger group.
For more information, or to schedule your group, please call (308) 432-6483.
Founded in the early 1960s, the High Plains Herbarium is the second largest herbarium in Nebraska and the primary repository of plants from the Nebraska panhandle with a significant representation of the plants of southeastern Wyoming, southwestern South Dakota, as well as all of Nebraska and Kansas. More information on its holdings is available at the Index Herbariorum website (http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/). The herbarium is located on the lowest level of the Math & Science building in room 001. The herbarium can be accessed by appointment by email (srolfsmeier@csc.edu) or by phone (308 432-6385). Normal working hours are 7:30-4:30 weekdays with exceptions for teaching, lunch and school holidays.
The Eagles belong to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and NCAA Division II. Intercollegiate competition is available in football, basketball, wrestling, track and field and cross country for men and volleyball, basketball, track and field, cross country, wrestling, golf and softball for women. For season releases, schedules and tickets click here. The college also has rodeo and e-sports teams.
Chadron State College’s labyrinth is a recent addition to campus, built through student and staff volunteer efforts in an abandoned water cistern used by the City of Chadron in the early 1900s. Whether you view it as a piece of land art, a quiet walk among native grasses, the ideal spot for a panoramic view or a place to refocus your mind and reduce your stress, the labyrinth is a unique spot. It’s accessible through the Thompson Nature Preserve, established in 1974. The preserve features a concrete trail that winds past Briggs Pond and is popular with walkers, runners and cyclists.
Libraries
Mention the word library, and most folks think of nothing more than shelves of books. But as the world has changed, so too have our local libraries as they have become centers for makerspaces, educational classes, access to computer programs and the internet. If you’re visiting Northwest Nebraska and need internet or computer access or want to research the region, our local libraries are a great place to start.
The Chadron Public Library was founded in 1913 as a Carnegie Library and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The library hosts yoga classes, virtual reality events, craft sessions, has an in-house makerspace and more. Its signature event, however, is the Trading Stories Native American Film Festival each October. For three days, the library screens documentaries and films, hosts speakers and offers traditional Native American food to pay tribute to the often-forgotten stories of the people who called this region home before European settlement.
The library has nearly 79,000 items in its collection, and provides access to online catalogs. Staff also host frequent events, including preschool story time, a Game/STEM Club, and a Lego Club. The Friends of the Library also opens the annex next door to the library during the second weekend of each month with great bargains on books of every genre.
Library cards are available to residents of Dawes, Sioux and Sheridan counties, as well as residents of Hemingford.
Phone: 308-432-0531; Address: 507 Bordeaux Street: Website: chadronpubliclibrary.com.
Research history of the area or use the library’s printing, copying, fax and WIFI services. The Crawford Library was originally constructed as the Christian Science Reading Room before being donated to the city by the prominent Hall family. There are separate adult and children’s areas, five networked public access computers and a collection that includes a wide variety of non-fiction works, periodicals and newspapers, a separate children’s collection and young people’s section, a large collection of general and mystery fiction, a large circulating paperback collection, and many videotapes, DVD’s and books-on-tape. Regular story hour activities are provided weekly during the school year.
Phone: 308-665-1780; Address: 601 2nd St., Crawford
Children and adult collections, as well as access to online catalogs through Libby and Overdrive. Summer reading programs, seasonal activities and three public access computers.
Phone: 308-668-9431;
Address: 182 3rd St., Harrison
Located at Chadron State College, the King Library is primarily for use by students, staff and faculty at the college. The library does, however, offer three public use computers near the reference desk for research and educational purposes (no gaming, videos, etc.). Sign-in at the reference desk prior to using the public access computers. Hours may vary by semester. Phone: 308-432-6271; Address: 300 East 12th, Chadron
