Northeast Nebraska
Visiting Neligh, NE
What to know, what to do, and where to stay nearby.
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Neligh is a small river town of about 1,500 people and the county seat of Antelope County since 1884. Main Street is four blocks of original brick storefronts, listed on the National Register as a historic district, with a grand 1894 courthouse at one end and an 1873 flour mill down by the river. It is about five minutes from Ferncrest Elkhorn River, just right for a coffee run, an afternoon of antiquing and dinner in town.
What to Do
Everything Neligh, NE has to offer
Start on Main Street between 2nd and 5th, the heart of the historic district that locals call the Old Mill District. It is an easy stroll whether you have twenty minutes or a whole morning. At 501 Main, the Antelope County Courthouse is worth a pause. Built in 1894 in the Romanesque Revival style, it once wore a 100-foot clock tower, and its four stone corner peaks still stand today.
The food here is simple and good. River Mill Coffee Co pours specialty coffee alongside fresh baked goods, and Double H Bakery is the stop for something warm on the way out of town. Neligh Deli makes a mean Reuben on weekdays, and Sly's Family Bar and Grill on Main Street is the place for dinner and a cold drink. Thriftway Market covers the groceries if you are cooking back at camp, and if you are after a pint, 386 Tap is about 23 minutes away.
Antiquing is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon here. Trailside Antique Mall at 202 W 4th is packed with vendor finds, and Country Junction at 401 Main mixes antiques with home decor and regional pieces. Both are the kind of places where you go in for a look and come out with something you did not know you needed.
Off Main Street, Riverside Park has a pool, playgrounds and a disc golf course that crosses the river on a swinging bridge. Pierson Wildlife Museum makes a fun indoor stop. And at Laurel Hill Cemetery rests White Buffalo Girl, a young Ponca child who died in 1877 during her tribe's forced removal to Oklahoma. Neligh families have cared for her grave ever since.
Why It's Worth the Trip
More than a pin on the map.
Neligh is a small town with a big story. It holds four National Register listings in a town of fifteen hundred: the mill, the courthouse, the 1910 bridge and the whole downtown. The storefronts are original, the pace is easy, and the river runs right through it all. For Ferncrest guests, it is the best way to get to know northeast Nebraska, and it is just down the road from your dome.
Seasonal Guide
Best time to visit Neligh, NE
Spring
Prime time for treasure hunting. In late April the Bargain Buyway garage sale route stretches across the region, and Neligh's antique shops make the perfect home base. The Cowboy Trail greens up and the mill is open on weekdays.
Summer
Neligh's most festive season. Old Mill Days takes over around the Fourth of July with a parade, turtle races, a duck derby and fireworks at Fred Penn Park. The Antelope County Fair follows in late July and early August, the pool is open every afternoon, and the TK Drive-In shows movies under the stars.
Fall
Made for strolling Main Street, browsing the antique shops and watching the trees turn along the Elkhorn. On the first Saturday in November, Novemberfest celebrates Nebraska-made craft beer, wine and spirits.
Winter
A cozy season for coffee at River Mill, a visit to the Pierson Wildlife Museum and a slow afternoon at the library. Some shops keep shorter winter hours, so call ahead, then head back to the sauna and a fire at your dome.
Frequently asked questions
Where to Stay
Stay at Ferncrest Elkhorn River
About a mile from the property
Neligh is a town you can explore in an afternoon and still want to come back to the next day. From Ferncrest Elkhorn River, about five minutes away, you can. Coffee and the mill in the morning, antiques and an early dinner on Main Street, then back to the cottonwoods for the sauna and a fire at your dome.
