Falls City: History, Art and Nature

Falls City offers a variety of ways to spend your stay: museums, historic buildings, an arboretum, the Falls City Aquatic Center and Stanton Lake each provide a distinctive experience. The topics that interest you most may help you choose your destination. You can explore the city’s history as well as art, architecture or activities on the water.

History Across Several Eras

Falls City was a Nebraska outpost on the Lane Trail, through which sympathizers from the state of Kansas could be brought in. Another chapter in the city’s history began with the arrival of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad, which ushered in Falls City’s real growth in 1871. The historic murals at Falls City Mini Park in the 1500 block of Stone Street depict the story from settlement in 1857 to the present. The trail, railroad and murals offer different perspectives: early political history, a major turning point in the city’s development and its long history.

Art, Collections and Architectural History

Along Stone Street in downtown Falls City, you’ll find galleries and museums, as well as restaurants and bars, clothing stores, home decor shops, antique stores and service businesses. A hotel that is both historic and modern is also among the types of businesses mentioned there. This mix makes the street a point of interest in its own right if you’re interested in the urban setting.

The Stalder Art Gallery is located inside the Falls City Library & Art Center. It offers museum-quality exhibitions, lectures and programs for visitors. The Library & Art Center also has a permanent collection of works by regional artists, including Miss Alice Cleaver and John Philip Falter. Both changing exhibitions and events, as well as a permanent collection, are featured there.

The museums focus on other aspects of history. The Richardson Military History Museum contains war memorabilia from World War I to the present. The Richardson County Museum features artifacts from pioneer days, Indigenous communities, and military and railroad history. The collection also includes an 1855 letter from Abraham Lincoln. These exhibits cover distinct topics, from military memorabilia and various aspects of regional history to a single historic document.

The city’s architectural history can also be seen in specific buildings. The Falls City Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. The Gehling Opera House and Theater is now a True Value Hardware store. The brick building was constructed in 1892–1893 to a design by Falls City architect M. N. Blair. Its ornamental facade features windows with brick arches, stone cornices, turrets and an elaborate crown molding. Visitors can also tour the home of former Nebraska Governor Arthur Weaver at 1906 Fulton Street. Weaver was the state’s 22nd governor.

Green Spaces and Activities on the Water

The Itha-Krumme Memorial Arboretum is a 2.2-acre site with native plants from Nebraska and neighboring states. It has about 70 different species. The grounds include a concrete path and six benches; the path, newly laid at the time, dates to the summer of 2007, and the benches were installed in 2009. The combination of plant diversity, a path and seating offers a different focus from the museums and historic buildings.

The Falls City Aquatic Center has a variety of pool areas and water features. Amenities include a tube slide, a flume slide, a turtle-shaped toddler slide, a lap pool, two diving boards and a zero-depth pool entry. There is also a splash area with tipping buckets, water cannons and ground fountains. The center’s offerings can be distinguished by their specific features, from the lap pool and diving boards to the splash area.

Stanton Lake adds fishing opportunities and picnic areas to this selection. If you’re considering Falls City for your trip, you can choose from city history, art and collections, as well as recreational activities on the water. The historic sites and collections tell different parts of the city’s story, while the arboretum, aquatic center and lake offer other kinds of experiences.

For the broader travel overview: Richardson County.