Here Are The 10 Coolest Small Towns In Nebraska You've Probably Never Heard Of
By Delana Lefevers|Published April 15, 2016
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Delana Lefevers
Author
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
Nebraska is teeming with tiny towns and small cities, but since there are so many of them, a lot of them go unnoticed. That’s a real shame since every town has its own personality and its own set of positive attributes to offer both residents and visitors. It’s time to right that wrong and put the spotlight on some of the communities that don’t get enough attention. There’s probably no one out there who has never heard of any of these towns, but if we can introduce you to even one Nebraska town you didn’t know before, that sounds like a win.
Alma (population 1,133) describes itself as a progressive community with great schools, safe streets, clean water, and an enthusiastic community spirit. We can't argue with that.
With a population of 953, Benkelman is the County seat of Dundy County. Located in the Republican River Valley, the air is crisp and clean and the farming is good. The tight-knit community enjoys several festivals every year.
Brewster has the distinction of being the country's smallest incorporated county seat with a population of just 17. This is where the infamous "Doc" Middleton set up shop with his saloon in 1887.
Champion is the site of a restored water-powered flour mill that's part of the Champion Mill State Historical Park. This town of just 103 is located in a beautiful setting in far southwest Nebraska.
This village of 315 is rich in Nebraska history, boasting a Prairie Schooner Museum, a Log Cabin Museum, and (nearby) the Mud Spring Pony Express Station historical site.
Lewellen, with just 224 people, is home to The Most Unlikely Place, a vibrant cafe, arts center, and music space. And WOW, are the surroundings beautiful.
With about 800 people, this town in northeastern Nebraska boasts a strong sense of community and a commitment to family values. This place is definitely the very picture of small-town Nebraska.
Sweet little Pawnee City, in southeast Nebraska, is the only town with that name in the entire U.S. It's also where Larry the Cable Guy is from...whether you see that as a positive or negative is up to you.
This village of just 343 people has a whopping five churches to serve everyone. If you're nearby in late September, be sure to stop by for the Stratton Harvest Day Festival. The entire village (and then some) turns out for this fun event.
Taylor sets itself apart from other villages of its size (around 190) by adding additional "villagers" to its population. These life-size cutout people are placed all around Taylor. It was an ingenious idea to drum up a tourism trade in the village, and it's worked - people stop by and pick up maps of the villagers' locations, then spend the day finding them all.
There are oh-so-many cool small towns in Nebraska that most people have never heard of. Can you help our list grow (and let people know about some more awesome places) by adding your favorites to the list in the comments?
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