Summer is a time when many of us travel, or people travel to visit us. When guests drop in, what are we going to do with them, especially if we don’t have a lot of money? We live in an area with endless possibilities, and most are free!
Carhenge, of course, is the big tourist attraction just north of Alliance on Highway 87, and we’ve all taken friends and family to see this replica of Stonehenge. Carhenge consists of the circle of cars, three standing trilithons within the circle, the heel stone, slaughter stone, and two station stones. Also on the property is a Car Art Reserve, which includes sculptures like Spawning Salmon, the Fourd Seasons, and a dinosaur. A visit includes meandering through the cars, seeing the car art sculptures, and stopping in the Pit Stop gift shop. Be sure to take your camera!
Dobby’s Frontier Town is another great place to spend a few hours. Dobby Lee wanted to preserve a piece of history by creating a town much like the Alliance of his childhood. He was a handyman and an avid collector of antiques, so after his retirement, he began to rehab buildings to house his collections. Over the years several donations have been given to the town by area residents. This historical attraction has open displays in 27 buildings for guests to browse. Dobby’s Frontier Town is located at 320 East 25th Street/Nance Road in Alliance and is open 10-6, May through September. Dobby’s does request monetary donations to help maintain the buildings.
Carnegie Arts Center at 204 W 4th Street is a fine arts facility committed to offering everyone opportunities for cultural expression and enjoyment of the arts. Carnegie displays nineteen rotating exhibits a year in their three galleries, hosting artists from different states and cultural backgrounds. All forms of media are represented. Visitors gain exposure to artworks that are diverse in concept as well as content. Annually, Carnegie hosts fund raising events, humanities events, exhibit tours, and receptions for artists. An expansive educational outreach program includes numerous workshops for youth, artists, and elders. The Studio Gallery showcases local artists as well as provides a comfortable and accommodating space available to the public for rent. The Sculpture Garden features endowed sculpture pieces, a nostalgic Memory Walk created with engraved bricks, and lovely plants and flowers. This space is a perfect setting for outdoor workshops, special events, and musical performances.
The Knight Museum and Sandhills Center is an innovative historical museum featuring five areas of local history: Life in the Sandhills, Native American Life, Life in the Country, Life in the Town, and The Railroad. The secondary theme of Rogues, Rascals, and Visionaries gives you a look at the personalities that settled the area. Pioneer memorabilia, Native American artifacts, and Railroad history are some of the highlights of the Museum’s vast collection. Visitors to the museum can get a glimpse of the life lived by the people who settled in the Nebraska Sandhills. The Knight Museum and Sandhills Center is located at 908 Yellowstone Avenue, Alliance.
1100 Niobrara in Alliance is where you’ll find the Sallows Military Museum. The Sallows Military Museum’s purpose is to “Remember, Honor, and Educate”, and is dedicated to the men and women who served our country in times of conflict. Weapons, uniforms, accessories, memorabilia, pictures, and written documents are available for viewing. Displayed items and information come primarily from individuals with some connection to the western Nebraska area. This unique quality provides the visitor a microscopic view of our nation’s conflicts and sacrifice through the eyes of those men and women.
Partnering with Sallows Military Museum to honor our veterans is the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Alliance. It is located three miles southeast of Alliance on CR 57 (1/4 mile from the Alliance Municipal Airport) on 20 acres of ground which was used in WWII as an Army Airbase. Many of the troops trained on this land participated in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. Today, veterans are laid to rest here in the peace and tranquility of the prairie.
In this area southeast of Alliance in the beautiful rolling Sand Hills we’ll also find the golf course. Skyview Golf Course is an 18-hole championship course located at 2613 CR 57. The course measures 6845 yards from the championship tees and 5500 yards from the forward tees. The gently rolling fairways are perfect for those golfers who choose to walk rather than ride. There are fees, based on your needs.
If you haven’t seen all these impressive locations, why not be a local tourist for a day or two? Next week we’ll take a look at Alliance’s beautiful park system. Enjoy your guests and the activities offered in the community!