Take a Walk on the Swedish Side!
Filed Under: All Posts on June 15, 2012
Looking for something different this weekend? Swing into Holdrege as the Nebraska Prairie Museum kicks off the community’s Swedish Days festivities with a Swedish supper. It isn’t every day you can say you ate ost kaka and lutefisk! (Swedish cheesecake and cured fish, if you haven’t been exposed before.) Explore other events from the Swedish Days/Midsommarfest here.
While the emphasis tonight will be on Holdrege’s Swedish ancestry, the rest of the time this great facility emphasizes the pioneer heritage of the region, settled in the late 1800s through the Homestead Act. Their displays include period clothing, antique toys, farm equipment, tools and household items, plus a unique W.W.II German POW exhibit room.
My family enjoys the taxidermy exhibits, donated by local individuals who hunted around the world. The Town Square exhibit features all kinds of businesses you would have found in a thriving prairie community. The museum continues to evolve, adding and enhancing displays over time.
Like art? Check out the Thomas F. Naegele Art Gallery, featuring the art of a young German immigrant who served as an interpreter at the Camp Atlanta POW camp near Holdrege during WWII. Naegele went on to become an accomplished artist; this exhibit explores his memories of his time working between his native and adopted cultures.
Stop into their gift shop to purchase some souvenirs of your visit and take some of Holdrege home with you. If you want to explore Nebraska’s past, this is a great place to do it! While you’re there be sure to get your Nebraska Passport stamped!
A program of Central Plains Foundation Inc., GROW Nebraska helps maximize the state’s entrepreneurial spirit and build the global reputation of Nebraska businesses by providing sustainable business environments through business-building marketing and education. To learn more about GROW Nebraska or Nebraska entrepreneurs and businesses, visit the GROW Web site at www.grownebraska.org.
