Recreation & Attractions

Lifestyles Kearney residents live life to the fullest, enjoying a wide range of recreational choices and cultural attractions.

Home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney and NCAA D-II Sports Teams and the USHL Storm Hockey Team, Kearney spectators can enjoy a high level competition in a variety of team and individual sports.

Nature enthusiasts from around the world enjoy the annual sandhill crane migration that takes place each spring. It is a spectacle to behold as nearly 500,000 cranes gather along the Platte River for rest and rejuvenation before they continue their journey to Northern Canada and Alaska.

The City of Kearney Parks and Recreation Department maintains 14 parks in Kearney which cover 357 acres. Park facilities include swimming pools, playground complexes, horseshoe pits, lighted softball and baseball diamonds, handball, tennis courts, multipurpose court, basketball court, outdoor stage, picnic facilities, soccer fields, rock and flower gardens and comfort stations in each park. Canoes, sailboats, and paddle boats are available for rent at Cottonmill Lake.

GOLF - Four golf courses (one private, one municipal and two public courses) including three 18 hole and one 9 hole courses. All have grass greens and clubhouses.
SWIMMING - Two municipal outdoor pools, one indoor, Olympic size pool at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and one indoor pool at the YMCA.
TENNIS -24 lighted and paved outdoor courts including 14 plexipave courts, and 5 indoor courts at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds.
FISHING - Sand pits, the Platte River, Kearney Lake, Cottonmill Lake, and Fort Kearny State Park provide excellent facilities for catching catfish, crappie, bass, wipers, and bluegill.
HUNTING - Excellent hunting for pheasant, quail, deer, ducks, geese, wild turkey, rabbit and squirrel.
SKATING - One roller skating rink and ice skating at Kearney Lake, Cottonmill Lake, and the Kearney Event Center.
BOWLING - One 36 lane bowling alley - The Big Apple Fun Center.
THEATERS - Seven indoor theaters and a classic drive inn.
BOATING - Boating facilities available at Cottonmill Lake, State Lakes, Fort Kearny State Park and area man made lakes.
OTHER - Fitness trails at Cottonmill Lake, racquetball facilities, 17 miles of hike/bike trail, nature barn, water slide, go-cart rides
Yanney Heritage Park is an eighty acre park located in southwest Kearney. Come and see one of the grandest public parks in the Midwest. The park is home of a 12 acre lake that is stocked with fish and attracts migrating waterfowl and offers a free zero-depth splashground/playground for hours of fun for children of all ages. The park is open to the public daily.

AREA ATTRACTIONS

The only museum that straddles an interstate highway, The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument celebrates the opening up of the west and the joining together of a bicoastal nation. The Archway is located where the great trails of the past converge with the highways of today and the technology of the future.

The Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA), one of only four of it's kind, contains the state's official collection of art work featuring works created by Nebraskans or focusing on Nebraska subjects.

Fort Kearny State Historical Park served as the most important Nebraska outpost protecting thousands of westward bound pioneers during the middle of the 19th century.

Fort Kearny State Recreational Area features a 152 acre camping area, fishing, sand beach swimming, and hike bike trails.

Trails & Rails Museum traces the history of transportation through Buffalo County. Located near the site where the original Mormon Trail passed.

Frank House is a three-story mansion built by industrialist G. W. Frank at the turn of the century. On the Register of Historic Places, it features a stunning Tiffany stained glass window and elaborate wood detailing.

Cookbooks by Morris Press is one of the nation's largest publishers of fundraising cookbooks. A showroom features hundreds of family and other organizational cookbooks from around the country.

Cabela's Showroom features wildlife displays and is the retail store for the nation's foremost outdoor outfitter.

Kearney Community Theatre is one of the few community theatres in the country which provides both dinner theatre and regular show seating. In addition to producing five main stage productions each year, the theatre presents a summer Kids Theatre production in Harmon Park.

Pioneer Village, one of Nebraska's leading attractions, plays host to people from all over the world. Live demonstrations and over 50,000 historic exhibits are featured.

For more information on recreation in the Kearney area contact: