Discover Lincoln: Nature, Gardens and Museums

Lincoln offers a variety of reasons to stay: natural areas and trails sit alongside landscaped gardens, museums and planetarium shows. You can plan your trip according to whether you are more interested in habitats and outdoor activities or in exhibitions and collections. The themes of each attraction can provide a starting point when planning a hotel stay.

Natural Areas and Trails

Pioneers Park Nature Center covers 668 acres. Its habitats include woodland, wetlands and prairie. The different habitat types give the nature area a variety of landscape features. The Nature Center also maintains more than 8 miles of hiking trails—a useful measure for anyone looking to include nature and hiking in their trip.

The Bison Trail has its own specified length: it runs west from 10th and Van Dorn to Pioneers Park and is 1.7 miles long. The two figures describe different offerings: the 1.7 miles refer to this named trail, while the more than 8 miles cover the Nature Center’s hiking trails. This distinction helps you choose between a clearly defined route and a more extensive network of trails.

Cycling is another consideration when planning your trip. Lincoln’s bicycle trail network provides access to more than 131 miles of trails, with access points throughout the city. This figure describes the bicycle trail network as a whole and complements the hiking trails as another way to explore Lincoln.

Gardens and Water Features

The Sunken Gardens feature more than 30,000 different annual plants in floral displays that change each year. Two lily ponds and a cascading waterfall add water features and another striking design element to the gardens. This sets the Sunken Gardens apart from the larger natural habitats of Pioneers Park Nature Center: here, the focus is on landscaped floral and water areas.

Admission to the Sunken Gardens is free. Check the latest visitor information before your visit.

Museums and Shows

Morrill Hall offers interactive exhibits on dinosaurs, anthropology, insects and other topics. The exhibits appeal to a range of interests, and their content may change over time. If a particular topic is a deciding factor for your visit, check the current exhibits in advance.

Mueller Planetarium offers public shows on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Shows are not held on home football game days. Check the show schedule before your trip. The planetarium is also historically notable: it was the first planetarium to open in Nebraska.

The Museum of American Speed focuses on physical objects significant to racing and automotive history. The museum preserves, interprets and presents these items. Its expanded exhibits include Land Speed, NASCAR, the SCCA Hall of Fame and GM factory displays; exhibits may be updated. The International Quilt Museum offers a different kind of collection: it houses the world’s largest publicly owned collection of quilts.

Choosing a Focus for Your Stay

The offerings differ in both subject matter and planning requirements: for a planetarium show, the specific days of the week and the exception for home game days are important, while exhibit content may change. Nature trails, gardens and museums each offer a different starting point for exploring your interests. If you are looking for a hotel in Lincoln, consider which of these themes matters most for your stay, and check time-sensitive visitor information before you travel.

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