These are the best places to travel this summer

Nebraska

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, Nebraska

© zrfphoto/Getty Images

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Nebraska

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

The Cornhusker State (they do grow a lot of ears) has beautiful river valleys and an often stark bleakness that is entrancing. Its links to the past – from vast fields of dinosaur remains to Native American culture to the toils of hardy settlers – provide a dramatic story line. Alongside the state's sprinkling of cute little towns, Nebraska's two main cities, Omaha and Lincoln, are vibrant and artful.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska.

    Riverfront

    Nebraska

    The riverfront along the Missouri River celebrates the waterway's past and present. Highlights include the architecturally stunning Bob Kerrey Pedestrian…

  • Bengal tiger at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

    Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

    Nebraska

    The world's largest indoor desert? Check. The world's largest nocturnal exhibit? Check. America's largest indoor rainforest? Check. An aquarium showing…

  • Scotts Bluff National Monument.

    Scotts Bluff National Monument

    Nebraska

    Scotts Bluff has been a beacon to travelers for centuries. Rising 800ft above the flat plains of western Nebraska, it was an important waypoint on the…

  • The Union Pacific Railroad Museum, a train museum in Council Bluffs across from Omaha, Nebraska.

    Union Pacific Railroad Museum

    Nebraska

    Just across the river from Omaha in the cute little downtown area of Council Bluffs, IA, this highly interactive museum tells the story of the world's…

  • Dinosaur skeletons in the visitor center of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska.

    Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

    Nebraska

    Some 20 million years ago, this part of Nebraska was like the Serengeti in Africa today: a gathering place for a rich variety of creatures. Today the…

  • Great Platte River Road Archway Monument in Kearney, Nebraska.

    Great Platte River Road Archway Monument

    Nebraska

    Arching unexpectedly over I-80 east of Kearney, the multimedia light-and-sound exhibits here tell colorful tales about the people who've passed this way,…

  • Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center

    Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center

    Nebraska

    Upstream of Grand Island, the Platte River hosts 500,000 sandhill cranes (80% of the world population) and millions more waterfowl during the spring…

  • Durham Museum

    Durham Museum

    Nebraska

    The soaring art deco Union Station train depot is a sight to behold with its cathedral windows, geometric chandeliers, ornate ceilings and reliefs of…

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Nebraska