Is Kearney worth visiting? (Minden: good hotel, houses, college)

[Tom Tom]

Traveling thru Nebraska, is Kearney worth visiting? I know the Archway is there, should we visit it? Thanks for any info.

[tpabes]

Kearney is a great stop for eating and staying overnight (lots of hotels and restaurants), not a great vacation destination, but you can spend some time here. I say go ahead a visit the arch, especially if you like history. It kinda gets a bad rap sometimes, but it is worth visiting at least once. Here is the site for it:
Great Platte River Road Archway: Home
Here is a list of attractions from the visitors bureau:
Visit Kearney - Attractions (http://visitkearney.org/VisitKearney/Attractions/attractions.asp - broken link)
Other historical places to visit are Ft. Kearney, Pioneer Village (in Minden, about 13 miles south of Minden exit on I-80), and on a smaller scale Trails and Rail Musuem.
Thunderhead brewery is a fun place to go, even just to eat and the Big Apple would be a great place to go if you are traveling with kids.

[Chris19]

I have stopped in Kearney and would recommend the previously mentioned archway. I have been to the museum twice and see it when travelling to Colorado and points further west. The museum is very interest and is an interactive museum about history of the west and the settlement of the west. I am a history buff, so I love the museum.

The city has other fine attractions and it has a variety of motels and a reasonable selection of restaurants and gas stations. The people are friendly there too.

[Ahhnrey]

One thing that must be said is the town has a flavor to it. So many towns are simply bland. A very modest but potent gateway to a little discussed past. Visit but don't stay too long.

[HarveyRabbit]

I would also recommend the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) and the Kearney Area Children's Museum, both located in Downtown Kearney. MONA is on the National Register of Historic Places and usually has 4 or 5 large name exhibits rotating through the galleries as well as an outdoor sculpture garden. If you are into cars, the Downtown also hosts the Nebraska Car Club show, Cruise Nite, there every year. On July 19, they will have hundreds of antique and classic cars on display.

[skoro]

Kearney is a nice small city out on the plains. It's a good stopover place as others have mentioned.

[Buckeye5338]

yes yes yes The arch is great. Lots of good "live Band" places and good hotel and eating places. Shoppings not that bad either. Good place for a stay over on your way through Nebraska

[Gunluvver2]

Tom Tom,
Kearney is OK just about any time of the year. It is a college town if you are the right age to enjoy that. However mid March to mid April when the Sandhill cranes and other migratory birds are in the area is a sight you will always remember.

The Fall migration in October can be pretty impressive also.

Dennis

[roots'nbulbs]

For Art afficionados, the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney, houses the Nebraska art collection and features world class displays. I think you will be pleasantly surprised if you have not yet visited this art museum.

For us boomers, the Archway museum is fascinating as it takes you through the history of American vacations and travel. Remember Mom making baloney sandwiches at a picnic site on your way through or to the West? I also learned, there, that a ticket for a stagecoach ride to San Francisco from here, cost about 500 dollars, in the 1800s. Lots to think about.

Carlos Poche, the chef at Bourbon St. Blues, which is inside Kearney's Ramada is an artist. No doubt about it. But, the great music is being played down at the Roman.........

And-----------If you are in Kearney, May 2nd, Do Not Miss! the Wine and Jazz festival, located on the No. side of MONA, 25th and Central. Starts at 4 PM. Tickets are 20 bucks and include tastings, music--Thalkin, Tesdall and Thalkin, Wes Hird, etc etc--food from Chartwells and The Venue a-y-nd the first 1000 visitors get to keep their souvenir glass. All inside a tent.

[laserdisque]

What is the perminent collection at the MONA like? I love museums and have never been there. Is it based on Nebraska themed art or Nebrasken artists, or is it more of a general art musuem with a little of this and a little of that?