Free & Cheap Things to Do in Ashland

History & Culture

Two football-field-size hangars hold an SR-71 Blackbird, a B-52, a B-29, and dozens of Cold War aircraft and missiles, plus a planetarium and a hands-on children's learning center. It's Nebraska's best rainy-day attraction, conveniently parked at I-80's exit 426 between Omaha and Lincoln.

Address: 28210 W Park Hwy, Ashland, NE 68003

Tip: Arrive for the final hour and admission is 50% off. Groups of 12+ pay $15/$10. Planetarium shows are $3–5 extra. Self-guided field trips for school and homeschool groups run $10 a head.

Wildlife & Nature

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo runs this four-mile drive-through preserve where bison and elk herds graze beside your car and the road winds past wolves, bears, pelican wetlands, and a walk-through Hands-On Corral. North America's big animals, at a fraction of the big-zoo price.

Address: 16406 N 292nd St, Ashland, NE 68003

Tip: Tickets are timed by 15-minute arrival window — book online before you drive out. Speed limit is 7 mph; budget about 90 minutes. Parking is free, and fall rut season is the liveliest.

Parks & Nature

Nebraska's flagship state park stacks a 70-foot observation tower, an indoor activity center with a climbing wall, summer melodrama theater, trails, paddleboats, and a water park into wooded Platte River bluffs midway between Omaha and Lincoln. The $7 vehicle permit is the only required cost.

Address: 28500 W Park Hwy, Ashland, NE 68003

Tip: Many activities inside (water park, mini golf, paddleboats) carry small separate fees — the tower, trails, and playgrounds are free with entry. The same daily permit covers Platte River State Park.

Parks & Nature

The quieter sibling park twenty minutes south hides Stone Creek Falls — a genuine waterfall where kids splash in the shallow creek — plus two observation towers, mountain-bike trails, and bluff-top views over the braided Platte. Locals call it the most underrated park in eastern Nebraska.

Address: 14421 346th St, Louisville, NE 68037

Tip: The falls are a short hike from the Walter Scott Lodge area — wear water shoes. Same-day vehicle permit works at Mahoney too, so do both parks on one ticket.

Arts & Culture

Painter Gene Roncka's Silver Street gallery doubles as a museum: the Archie Hightshoe Big Game Collection fills an indoor wonderland of 29 mounted wildlife species — polar bear included — set among waterfalls, a creek, and twinkling ceiling stars. One of Nebraska's most delightfully unexpected free stops.

Address: 1431 Silver St, Ashland, NE 68003

Tip: Free to browse; Roncka's Nebraska landscape prints make good souvenirs. Check the calendar for Ashland's art walks, when all three Silver Street galleries stay open late.

Shopping & Strolling

Ashland's brick-paved downtown is a state-certified creative district packing three art galleries, boutiques, a stationery shop, and eateries into a few walkable blocks. It's the small-town strolling stop the Omaha–Lincoln corridor was missing — browse, snack, and gallery-hop for free.

Address: Silver St, Ashland, NE 68003

Tip: Time a visit to a seasonal art walk or the Stir-Up Days festival for the full small-town show. Most shops close early on Sundays; weekend afternoons are liveliest.

Quirky Landmarks

A soaring glass-and-timber chapel rising from a prairie hilltop above I-80, with a stream running through the floor and panoramic views over the Platte valley. Pilgrims and architecture lovers alike pull off the interstate for one of the most photographed buildings in Nebraska — free to visit.

Address: 23132 Pflug Rd, Gretna, NE 68028

Tip: Ten minutes east of Ashland at I-80 exit 432. Open Monday–Saturday 10–5, Sunday from noon. Start in the visitor center carved into the hillside; the chapel hosts Saturday morning Mass.

Shopping & Strolling

One of Nebraska's first off-site tasting rooms pours the state's best-known craft cider and local wine on Silver Street, with flights, small plates, and a laid-back storefront vibe. Browsing is free — a tasting flight costs less than a movie ticket and supports a family vineyard.

Address: 1419 Silver St, Ashland, NE 68003

Tip: Open daily from noon. The cider flights are the signature move; designated drivers get sodas and snacks. Their actual vineyard near Palmyra hosts live-music weekends if you want the full tour.