Nebraska Attractions!

Nebraska is filled with internationally recognized attractions that draw large crowds of people every year, without fail. In 2010, some of the most popular places were:

1.  Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors)

2.  Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166)

3.  Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum (100,000)

4.  Carhenge (86,598)

5.  Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002)
and

6.  Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,446)

1.  The scenic Pine Region of the state, Fort Robinson, is best remembered as the place where Chief Crazy Horse surrendered in 1877, after the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the defeat of Lt. Col. George Custer. Crazy Horse was later stabbed to death by a soldier at the fort.

Today, with some 50 original structures still standing, this important landmark is part of the 22,000-acre Fort Robinson State Park. Frontier artifacts are displayed in the former post headquarters that is now a museum.


2.  In the mid-1800s, when covered wagons rolled west along the Oregon Trail, more than 250,000 people passed Scotts Bluff, near present-day Gering. Looming 800 feet above the North Platte River valley, the bluff strikes a dramatic pose against the flat prairie.

At the museum, visitors can view special exhibits about the Oregon Trail , as well as fascinating artifacts. It is also possible to drive to the top of the bluff! On a clear day, the vistas include views of distant Chimney Rock and the difficult mountain trails beyond.


3.  The Arbor Lodge, located in Nebraska City, is the home of J. Sterling Morton, who founded Arbor Day in 1872. The mansion on the site is surrounded by a 65-acre arboretum with more than 250 species of trees and shrubs, most of which were planted by Morton.


4.  Located near the town of Alliance is Carhenge, an unusual sculpture made out of automobiles. The site is modeled after Englandís great Stonehenge.


5.  The Stuhr Museum illustrates several types of towns that were created on the Nebraska prairie, but its attraction is Railroad Town, re-created on a 60-acre site in accordance with the plans of a rail company. Also on the grounds are dozens of authentic 19th-century buildings that line the village's streets.


6.  William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody was an embodiment of the traditional rags-to-riches success story. In 1867 Cody became a buffalo hunter. A remarkable shot, he quickly earned a reputation as a fine marksman -- and the famous nickname Buffalo Bill.

Tales of his prowess spread, and before long, Cody was persuaded to demonstrate his talents onstage. His theater act made him wealthy, and he began developing a ranch in North Platte, Nebraska. Here, in 1882, Cody organized a rodeo event that evolved into his Wild West Show. Handsome and wearing his buckskin outfits, the sharpshooter was the star of this extravaganza for 30 years as it toured the United States and Europe.

Today, visitors to the Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (off Route 30 in North Platte) can marvel at the treasures and memorabilia inside his barn and 19-room home.

I found it quite difficult to narrow down the text and I may have done it in a very unconventional way so I wanted to disclose my reasoning.  I think that some people reading this article would be most interested in just knowing the landmarks and how popular they are and not interested in the history at all. That is why I separated them and put them in a larger, bolded font and listed them with numbers so visitors who were interested in seeing further detail on any specific one could easily direct themselves there. I also cut back the amount of information that was in the original article but kept a lot because people who would want to read past the initial list quite obviously want more information. I also decided to bold the name of the event in the further information section along with what you can find there in order to make it even easier, and less to read if desired, to see what you can find there.  

 

My formatting choices take away from it being an article but I believe it will make potential visitors understand the subject faster, easier and at their convenience which would make them more apt to read it.