Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway Stop # 8 pg # 30

The visitor center is in a renovated historic barn from the early 1920's and it has been beautifully remodeled.   The scenic byway follows state highway NE 2.  This is a very pretty drive through the sandhills which are very dramatic when you think about them being ancient sand dunes.  It's so rugged in places, it's hard to imagine bison herds of tens of thousands grazing and running over them.

There is a series of photos and descriptions of how the barn was moved and remodeled.  I've seen large buildings, including barns, being moved down the highway, it is an incredible endeavor.  A lot of planning goes into it.  Power lines need to be cut and repaired and other obstacles get either moved or dismantled to make room for the moving structure.

It sits on 14 acres with a working windmill and a walking trail with educational signs.  I'd venture to guess that the majority of people who stop and see the windmill have never seen one that actually pumps water.  For those of us who grew up on a farm or ranch, this was and still is a common site.

They are also building a real sod house from the soil I'm standing on.  I don't know if this is native prairie sod or not.  When I looked closely at the walls, it didn't seem like the sod was as thoroughly filled with roots as other sod houses I've seen.  There's very little native prairie left wherever you find land suitable for farming.

Once inside, we were greeted by a woman who explained the barns history and answered all of our questions.   The barn is filled with historical items and displays that relates to Custer County and Nebraska history. These items were very interesting to us since we both grew up on a farm.

Notice all the barbed wire samples from the past, on the wall.  This is pretty common in Nebraska museums.  I've always thought it was pretty amazing how many ways different companies tried to make better barbed wire.  Makes me think of how many better mouse traps must have been invented although I've not yet seen a mouse trap museum.

They even restored the barns' loft so you can climb the steps and walk on the original barn floors with more items, including artwork and quilts plus other historical objects.

We enjoyed this beautiful site and historical displays.  Stop in sometime and check it out for yourselves.  Walk the short trail outside and read the information boards along the trail.