Along Stone Street in downtown, you’ll find galleries and museums, restaurants and bars, clothing stores, home décor shops, antique stores, a historic yet modern hotel, and various service businesses. Falls City brings together cultural attractions and local history with dining and shopping. When planning your visit, you can choose from a range of interests: art and architectural history sit alongside collections, an arboretum and water-based activities.
Art and Local History
The historic murals in Falls City Mini Park, in the 1500 block of Stone Street, show Falls City’s history from its settlement in 1857 to the present day. Stalder Art Gallery features museum-quality exhibitions, lectures and visitor programs. Falls City Library & Art Center houses the Stalder Gallery and a permanent collection of works by regional artists, including Miss Alice Cleaver and John Philip Falter. The Falls City Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
The art offerings and historic downtown provide different perspectives: the murals trace the city’s development, while the permanent collection features regional artists. Those interested in architectural history can also find specific examples in historic buildings.
Architecture and Historic Figures
The Gehling Opera House and Theater is now a True Value hardware store. The brick building was constructed in 1892–1893 to a design by Falls City architect M. N. Blair. Its ornamental façade includes windows with brick arches, stone cornices, turrets and an elaborate cornice. Cornices divide a façade horizontally; here, along with the arches and turrets, they stand out as distinctive architectural features.
Another historic landmark is Arthur Weaver’s house at 1906 Fulton Street. Visitors can tour the home of the former governor of Nebraska. Weaver was the state’s 22nd governor. This look at architectural and personal history complements the perspective the murals offer on Falls City’s development.
Historic Milestones and Collections
The history of the Lane Trail is also part of the local story: Falls City was Nebraska’s outpost on the trail, which could be used to bring supporters from the state of Kansas. Later, the arrival of the Atchison & Nebraska Railroad in 1871 set the city’s growth in earnest.
The museums have distinct collections. Richardson Military History Museum contains wartime mementos dating from World War I to the present. Richardson County Museum features artifacts from the pioneer era, Indigenous communities, the military and the railroad. Its collection also includes an 1855 letter from Abraham Lincoln. Military-history memorabilia thus sit alongside a collection spanning several historical subjects.
Arboretum and Water-Based Activities
Itha-Krumme Memorial Arboretum is a 2.2-acre site featuring native plants from Nebraska and neighboring states. It has about 70 different species. The grounds include a concrete path and six benches: the new path was laid in summer 2007, and the benches were installed in 2009. The site’s size and variety of species give the arboretum a different profile from the city’s cultural institutions.
Falls City Aquatic Center has a tube slide, a flume slide and a turtle-shaped toddler slide. It also has a lap pool, two diving boards and a zero-entry pool. A separate water play area includes tipping buckets, water cannons and ground fountains. The facilities distinguish between pools, slides and water play options, making it easier to choose among them based on your interests.
Stanton Lake offers fishing opportunities and picnic areas. These activities complement the pools and water play at the Aquatic Center as different options for a visit focused on water and outdoor recreation.
For an overview of the wider area: Richardson County.
