Lincoln Landmarks and Monuments

(Lincoln, Nebraska - NE, USA)

Of all the landmarks present in the state of Nebraska, Lincoln is home to some of the most important and historically significant, including the State Capitol itself.

The Nebraska State Capitol Building is quite different to many of the more traditional, historic Greek-style state capitols, which are generally dominated by a giant dome and grand stone columns. This is because construction of this landmark was not even started until 1922, and ten years later, it was completed and opened for business.

Appearing rather like a small palace, the Governor's Mansion is another notable building in downtown Lincoln and is where you will find Nebraska's governor living, together with his family. The house was completed in 1957 and features grandiose Georgian Colonial-style architecture, complete with a portico supported by no less than six white columns. Both the William Jennings Bryan House and the Thomas P. Kennard House also deserve a strong mention and hold interesting stories within.

Nebraska State Capitol Building

Address: 1445 K Street, Lincoln, Nebraska (NE), 68508, USA
Tel: +1 402 471 0448
The capitol's distinctive Art Deco architecture with Gothic elements is hard to miss, since the Nebraska State Capitol Building features a tall 15-story tower, topped with an almost obligatory small golden dome and spire. Including the spire, the building measures in at roughly 120 meters / 394 feet in height, which makes this the second-tallest of all America's state houses, after Louisiana's in Baton Rouge. Visitors are welcomed and advised to head straight for the Memorial Chamber on the 14th floor, where popular observation decks offer uninterrupted views across the Lincoln cityscape.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 08:00 to 17:00, Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 13:00 to 17:00
Guided tours, Monday to Friday - 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00, Saturday - 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00, Sunday - 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00; grounds, daily - dawn to dusk
Admission: free

Fairview / William Jennings Bryan House

Address: 4900 Sumner Street, Lincoln, Nebraska (NE), 68506, USA
Located alongside the Bryan Medical Center and also often referred to as simply Fairview, the William Jennings Bryan House was constructed in 1902 and 1903, becoming a National Historic Landmark some 60 years later. The house itself is especially noteworthy since it was once called home by its namesake, William Jennings Bryan (1860 to 1925), an important American politician, congressman and presidential candidate, who ended up serving as President Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of State. Only the ground floor is open to the public, since the upper floors are occupied by medical centers for bioethics, nursing practice and quality. Guided tours can be arranged in advance.
Open hours: by appointment
Admission: free

Nebraska Governor's Mansion

Address: 1425 H Street, Lincoln, Nebraska (NE), 68508, USA
In total there are some 31 rooms spread around the Nebraska Governor's Mansion, including five bedrooms and several grand reception rooms. Much of the interior was remodeled in the latter years of the 1990s, at the cost of more than US$100,000, while in 2008 the house joined the National Register of Historic Places.
Open hours: Thursday - 13:00 to 16:00
Admission: free

Thomas P. Kennard House

Address: 1627 H Street, Lincoln, Nebraska (NE), 68508, USA
Tel: +1 402 471 4764
The Thomas P. Kennard House is a local landmark of huge importance to the city. This building is actually the most historic structure still standing in Lincoln and was built at the end of the 1860s to serve as the official residence of the state's very first secretary of state - the house's namesake Thomas Kennard. The house is now open to the general public and operates as a museum-type attraction, with many Victorian features, period antiquities and old paintings. Visitors will be able to learn all about the creation and early days of Nebraska's state capital.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - by appointment
Admission: charge, children and members of the Nebraska State Historical Society (NSHS) are free