Lincoln is the capital city and second most populated city of Nebraska and was named after American President, Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln is the cultural and economic anchor of the Lincoln Metropolitan area and the Lincoln-Beatrice Combined Statistical Areas.
There are lots of fun things you can do in Lincoln, as this city has a lot of popular Lincoln Nebraska attractions and activities for visitors and tourists.
There are several history museums, tourist attractions, and major landmarks in the city of Lincoln that you can go to when you visit Lincoln for a full experience of the city.
This guide provides you with the 32 best and most fun things you can do during your vacation with your loved ones in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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Let’s explore.
32 Best and Fun Things to Do in Lincoln, Nebraska
1. Nebraska State Capitol Building
When you visit Lincoln, the top place you should visit is the Nebraska State Capitol Building.
This is the building where all the government duties in Nebraska are conducted.
The Capitol building is a 437 ft tower, this makes a three-story building that is used by the executive and judicial arms of the government of Nebraska.
You can take a tour through the base of the Capitol building with a professional guide so you can learn about the building.
2. Great Plains Art Museum
For art lovers, you should add a visit to the Great Plains Art Museum to your list of best places to visit in Lincoln.
This art museum is located at the University of Nebraska and is one of the top art museums in Nebraska.
You will see collections of paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures displayed in the museum that will keep you intrigued.
You can also find artworks by popular artists such as Albert Bierstadt, Charles M. Russell, Robert Fletcher Gilder, Willian Henry Jackson, Frederic Remington, Michael Forsberg, Chuck Gildner, and Ray Ellis.
You can visit this museum at any time and you don’t need to pay a fee.
3. Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium is popularly known as “The Sea of Red” is located at the University of Nebraska and is home to the Nebraska Cornhuskers American football team.
This stadium is also used for varieties of sports activities by the university and the Nebraska state.
Memorial Stadium is very big and has been expanded over time to cover a seating capacity of 85,458.
You should add this historical landmark to the top places to visit during your vacation in Lincoln.
4. University of Nebraska State Museum
During your stay in Lincoln, you can visit the University of Nebraska State Museum for a fun exploring experience.
This museum is a tourist attraction for visitors and tourists and it’s popularly referred to as the Elephant Hall.
You will find collections of plant and animal fossils including fossils of elephants, dinosaurs, bizarre beasts, ancient sea monsters, historical tools, and weapons.
You can also go to the Science Discovery Center, wildlife dioramas, and the museum gift shop to purchase souvenirs.
You can also use this opportunity to explore the University of Nebraska, it’s one of Lincoln Nebraska attractions you won’t want to miss.
5. International Quilt Study Center & Museum
You should visit the International Quilt Study Center & Museum in Lincoln to see the most significant quilt collection in the world.
You will see collections of quilts displayed in the custom galleries and research space in the museum.
You will find quilt collections from over 24 countries including European and American quilts in the museum.
If you are interested, you will have a fun experience exploring these quilts.
6. Lester F. Larsen Tractor Museum
Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum are dedicated to the preservation of tractors in Nebraska and is located at the University of Nebraska.
This museum is the only place in the world with an equipped laboratory to test the safety of tractors.
If you know your tractors, in this museum you’ll find different tractors such as the Waterloo Boy N, Heider C, Fordson 1920, Ford 8-16, John Deere 820, and lots more.
You can visit this museum any time between Tuesday and Friday every week.
If you are a fan of these huge machines, then add this place to your list of fun things to do in Lincoln, Nebraska.
7. Group Therapy Bike Tours
You can explore Lincoln city’s attractions through bike tours like the Group Therapy Bike Tours.
This is a 15 seater multi-pedal bike that takes the group on a tour to some of the best tourist attraction sites and landmarks in the city.
You’ll get a 2-hour tour that begins at the Haymarket and continues to the best landmarks in Lincoln, and the group can also decide where else they will like to visit.
You’ll also get knowledgeable interesting information about the city from the friendly tour guide and you’ll enjoy every part of this tour.
You can also book Group Therapy Bike Tours for a private tour or special celebration during your vacation in lincoln.
8. Lincoln Children’s Zoo
If you are coming for a vacation to Lincoln with your children, this should be on your top list of places to visit in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Lincoln’s children’s zoo is a place for children of all ages and adults to see endangered animals like Matschie’s tree-kangaroo, the Amur leopard, and other animals.
This zoo also offers fun educational programs that teach more about these animals and the different ways to conserve them.
If you love animals and would love to have a fun time at the zoo with loved ones, then you should visit Lincoln Children’s Zoo.
9. Lincoln Children’s Museum
Another fun place you can take your children to in Lincoln is the Lincoln Children’s Museum.
Your children can participate in various activities, and educational programs that will help them learn about the world and build their imagination.
The museum also has various exhibits for children and the best toy store for children in the area.
You can the list of workshops and educational programs for children of all age groups including field trips for children.
10. Mueller Planetarium
Mueller Planetarium is located in the University of Nebraska State Museum.
It is the first planetarium in Nebraska and it is one of the best things you should see in Lincoln, Nebraska.
This planetarium can carry up to 60 people at once.
You can experience space and science shows in a 3D video mood that includes tours through the universe.
If you are interested in science, a visit here should be added to your list of things to do in Lincoln Nebraska.
11. Haymarket Park Baseball Stadium
This baseball stadium is home to the Lincoln Saltdogs and the Nebraska Cornhuskers team.
This stadium is situated in Haymarket Park, Lincoln, and is normally filled with supporting fans during game season.
You can also check out the walkways that connect the baseball stadium to the University of Nebraska.
You can come to the stadium during one of the Lincoln Saltdog’s home games, for a complete fun experience.
12. National Museum of Roller-Skating
National Museum of Roller-Skating is a one-of-a-kind museum in the United States that presents the history of roller-skating and its present collection.
If you enjoy roller skating, then you should add this museum to the list of fun things to do when you visit Lincoln.
You can find the best roller skates, artworks, photographs, films, costumes, memorabilia, and skating objects displayed in the museum.
You’ll also be educated on the history of roller-skating sports including roller hockey, inline skating, and roller derby sports.
You can visit this museum anytime from Mondays to Fridays and you won’t need to pay for tickets.
13. Nebraska History Museum
A visit to Lincoln isn’t complete without visiting the Nebraska History Museum to learn about the history of Nebraska.
You will find a collection of documentation relating to the history of this state and dating more than 12,000 years ago in this museum.
You’ll also find over 125,000 exhibits and cultural items displayed in the museum and you’ll have a fun time going through them.
You can also participate in workshops and educational programs hosted by the museum, on the culture of Nebraska people.
14. Museum of American Speed
For car fanatics, this museum is the best place you could probably enjoy during your visit to Lincoln, Nebraska.
Museum of American Speed takes you into the history of automotive and transport and has locomotive collections dating over 60 years.
You’ll find various automotive features including go-karts, automotive memorabilia, rare toy cars, Buck Rogers memorabilia, motorized toys, autographed guitars, vintage, collectibles, and classic cars which date back to the early 19th century.
If you’ll want to have a fun time with automotive, then you should visit this museum when you come to Lincoln.
The Museum of American Speed is open on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
15. Sheldon Museum of Art
This art museum is found at the University of Nebraska and focuses on 19th century and 20th-century artworks.
For art lovers, this is one of the fun things to do during your visit to Lincoln.
You’ll find over 12,000 art collections including art from the Sheldon Art Association, artworks from the University of Nebraska, drawings, paintings, and sculptures displayed in the museum.
The museum also displays prominent landscapes of the 19th century, American impressionism, contemporary art, lyrical abstraction, geometric abstraction, minimalism, and color field paintings.
You can also visit the sculpture garden where you’ll see about 30 sculptured monuments.
16. Pioneers Park Nature Center
If you want to have some outdoor time in Lincoln, then you should consider visiting the Pioneers Park Nature Center.
This Nature Center is managed by Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department and you will have a fun time admiring the beauty of nature.
You can decide to go hiking in this park, go mountain biking, visit the bee skep or herb garden, or visit the Chet Ager Building to see live animals.
You can also participate in activities hosted by Nature Center including night hikes, day camps, school, and educational programs.
17. Sunken Gardens
If you are a botanist or you love plants, you would want to visit this beautiful place, Sunken Gardens, when you come for a vacation in Lincoln.
This garden is at the top of the list of beautiful gardens in the United States with more than 30,000 plants displayed.
You get to see the various kind of gardens present here such as the White Garden, Healing Garden, Perennial Gardens, and the annual gardens.
You’ll have a fun time appreciating beauty of plants here, so you better add this place to your list of places to visit in Lincoln.
18. The Rabbit Hole Bakery
Rabbit Hole Bakery is a neighborhood bakery that offers the best-baked goods such as cakes, bread, pastries, and confectionery in Lincoln.
You can visit here to get a delicious baked meal for breakfast, lunch, or evening appetizer.
This bakery should be on your checklist for places to visit in Lincoln.
19. Toast
If you want timeout in a restaurant with your partner, you should visit Toast restaurant in Lincoln which is one of the best in the city.
You can order some of the best meals like salad dishes, seafood, juicy burgers, sandwiches, homemade pasta hearty entrees.
You’ll enjoy your meal in a conducive and exquisite environment, that is open from Monday through Sunday.
This place is perfect for a romantic date when you visit Lincoln.
20. Governor’s Mansion
You can go on a tour of the Governor’s Mansion, one of the historical landmarks in Lincoln, and it’s one of the best things to see in Lincoln, Nebraska.
You get to see this Georgian Colonial architecture style building with about 31 rooms in it.
You can go on a guided tour with a professional and it’s available once a week not too far from the Capitol building.
This is one of the best places to visit and make memories from your visit to Lincoln, Nebraska.
21. Antelope Park
For some local outdoor fun activities, you should visit Antelope Park in Lincoln.
You get to relax or picnic on the grassy lawns and you can engage in other facilities like the children’s playgrounds, forest and walking trails, its occasional fountain, and basketball court.
If you come during spring, you’ll appreciate the blooming flowers although stories say this park is hunted in Lincoln.
If you are up for adventures, when you visit Lincoln you can explore this hunted park.
22. Bison Witches
Bison Witches is the main place to get the American treat in a BBQ joint, and you can do this with a loved one in Lincoln, Nebraska.
You can order different meals from the menus like Wisconsin cheese, veggie salads, cheese-doused nachos, chicken, varieties of sandwiches, Salad and Turkey combo, Smoke Stack, or Russian mustard and cheese.
This place should be on your checklist of fun things to do with your loved ones when you visit Lincoln, Nebraska.
23. Holmes Park & Lake
You can take a relaxing stroll through Holmes Park and have a view of its lake, just to change the perspective of Lincoln during your stay.
You can participate in recreational activities like picnics, fishing, biking, hiking, or just take a walk to enjoy the natural surroundings.
Holmes Park also has drinking fountains, restrooms, and shelters for visitors and tourists.
Do consider visiting this park for a nature timeout when you visit Lincoln for your vacation.
24. Zipline Brewing Co
Lincoln’s Zipline Brewing Co offers the best ground-breaking beers in this city.
You should visit its taproom and taste amazing beers brewed in German-style like kölsch or the IRA beer.
This is a great outdoor activity with the best drinks that you can check out when you visit Lincoln, Nebraska.
25. Wilderness Park
Wilderness Park is a wooded area covering over 1400 acres and here you can observe the actions of nature and wildlife.
You should visit this park during summer or winter because then the area would be dry unlike in spring or fall when flood makes it hard to go through the park.
You can see animals like birds, foxes, raccoons, deer, squirrels and other wildlife animals like coyotes have been spotted in the area.
You can go on walks on the walk trails, horse trails, or biking trails, you’ll also be guided through these trails with signs.
26. Hamann Rose Garden
This is one of the beautiful garden centers in Lincoln and it’s situated in Antelope Park.
You’ll see beautiful roses and other ornamental plants in this garden-grown under supervision to meet the climatic conditions of Nebraska.
You can visit the formal display garden and see roses such as miniatures, floribundas, grandifloras, and hybrid teas.
And you can also visit the informal display garden and see other varieties of ornamental plants, ornamental grasses, and companion paintings.
If you love roses and ornamental plants, then you should add a visit to Hamann Rose Garden as one of the fun things to do in Lincoln.
27. Pawnee Lake
Pawnee lake can be used for recreational activities, and you should add this to your top places to visit in Lincoln to see boaters, anglers, hunters, hikers, and shutterbugs.
Pawnee State Recreation Area covers over 2,500 acres of land with over 700 acres of land covered by water.
You can go swimming in the lake or sun basking, although there are no lifeguards in this area.
You could also explore the area by walking, horse riding or bike riding.
If you are a hunter, then you can come on Tuesdays during the hunting season to hunt a lot of games especially the whitetail deer and the waterfowl.
28. LUX Center for the Arts
LUX Center for the Arts is a center where you can see amazing art exhibits in Lincoln and they also train individuals on art.
You can join any of the educational programs involving painting, printmaking, jewelry, pottery, fibers, and glass.
You can also visit the art galleries at the center to see artworks by local and international artists.
One of its galleries, the Gladys M. Lux Gallery exhibits more than 450 historical artworks that you will have a nice experience viewing.
When you visit Lincoln, you should come to this center of art to fully appreciate the creativity of the human mind.
29. Lied Center for Performing Arts
Lied Center for Performing Arts is an event center where you can watch some of the best artists perform.
You can attend national and regional events including music, theater arts, and stage performances.
When you visit Lincoln, look out for any event hosted by the Lied Center to attend.
30. Gateway Mall
For a shopping spree in Lincoln, Gateway Mall is the place for you.
Having the largest shopping center in Lincoln and over 105 stores, with specialty retailers like PINK, H&M, Forever 21, Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret, The Buckle, and Dick’s Sporting Goods; this mall will satisfy all your needs.
This mall provides the best shopping experience in Lincoln, if you are a shopaholic then add this place to your list of fun places to visit in Lincoln.
31. Pinnacle Bank Arena
Pinnacle Bank Arena is home to the Nebraska basketball team and it has over 15,500 seating capacity.
This Arena has hosted some renowned musicians such as Jay Z, Elton John, Pink, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Eagles during their sports events.
For basketball lovers, you can check the events in this arena and attend during your visit to Lincoln.
32. Veterans Memorial Garden
This is a historical landmark and a memorial for those who fought for the United States during the war.
This garden is very beautiful and you can visit here to reflect peacefully on your life and pay respects to those who fought for the United States.
Entrance to this garden is free but you are also encouraged to donate towards the preservation of the garden.
During your visit to this garden when you come to Lincoln, ensure you follow the rules and regulations that guide visitation in this memorial center.
Planning a Trip to Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln brings a lot of tourists and visitors for the fun time, amazing places, interesting historical landmarks, and engaging activities it offers.
Lincoln is a good vacation place for you to visit with your loved ones to enjoy the delicious delicacies, natural beauty, and informative museums.
You can start planning your trip here using a guide to create a checklist of the best and most fun things you’ll likely do in Lincoln, Nebraska.
