Front Street - Ogallala, Nebraska - Replica Town Featuring Crystal Palace Revue

Front Street is a replica town situated at East 1st Street in Ogallala, Nebraska and just half a mile north off Interstate 80. There is entertainment held every night here from Memorial weekend through to the middle of August. There is no admission charge to walk along Front Street and enter the museum here, although shows and restaurants will have their own charges.

Front Street is a replica front of some typical businesses that could be seen along streets in the old western towns such as Ogallala. Located in Keith County, Ogallala was a stop on the Pony Express and gained fame as a terminus for cattle drives traveling from Texas to Union Pacific Railroad, which reached the city in May 1867. These trails are known as the Western or Great Western trails.

At Front Street there is a saloon, restaurant with gift shop inside and a museum, which depicts an era when the town of Ogallala was often referred to as the "Queen of the Cowtowns.'' The museum has exhibits that are recreations of an undertaker's parlor, a jail and a barber shop. The interpretive displays here also recount the story of Ogallala when it stood at the end of the Texas trail on the Union Pacific Railroad.

The restaurant offers a variety of traditional American fare with specials including Rocky Mountain Oysters and Buffalo Burgers. Sandwiches, salads and other appetizers are served here as well as steaks and vegetarian food. In addition to the main menu, a children's menu and senior's menu are also available.

The entertainment at Front Street is served up at the Crystal Palace Revue from the end of May to the middle of August each year. Here there is a combination of vocal and instrumental music with a little bit of history with each song recounting a story from Ogallala in the late 19th century. In fact the show takes guests back to the 1870s with a Wild West feel and kicks off with a shootout on the street, before the cowboys and dance hall girls begin the stage show.

The Crystal Palace has swinging doors just like those in the old saloons, as well as a bar where guests can enjoy drinks such as a sarsaparilla. There is also the sound of the piano playing away in the background and pretty saloon girls just as depicted in some of the old western films. The shows tend to get the audience involved and are filled with much humor as well as singing, and whilst there is a fee for children and adults, kids under four can enter for free.

Reviews from past visitors to this attraction are generally very favorable with people enjoying the food and the show. There are several hotels less than a mile from Front Street including Best Western Stagecoach Inn and Grey Goose Lodge. Another attraction in the city is Boot Hill Cemetery at West 10th and Parkhill Drive, which was the city's only official burying ground from 1874 through 1884.