The promise of "Free Land!" brought people from all over to carve farms, ranches, and towns out of Nebraska sod. Others passed through on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. A journey over these old trails promises unique experiences and a taste of the past. Although it took pioneers about a month to cross Nebraska, you can delve into Nebraska's trails in a few well-planned days.

The main trail west followed the Platte River, which runs through the center of the state.

Grand Island

Start your journey in Grand Island at the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer. Praised as "one of the top 10 places to relive America's past" by Good Housekeeping magazine, Stuhr tells the story of settlement from the 1840s to the 1920s. The Museum is open year-round, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission ranges from $8 for adults in the summer to $4 for youth (ages 6 to 12) in the winter. Under age 5 is free.

Kearney

Continue your journey west toward Kearney. If you take Interstate 80, you'll drive underneath the famous Great Platte River Road Archway Monument. Be sure to stop for the American West displays. The Monument is open every day during most of the year, but has limited hours during the winter. Admission for adults costs $10, seniors and youth have discounted rates.

Children under the age of 5 are free. If the back roads appeal to you, take U.S. Highway 30. Also known as the Lincoln Highway, this road was the first transcontinental route.

South of the town of Kearney, Fort Kearny State Historical Park features a re-created frontier outpost on the Oregon Trail, including a stockade. The Fort was established by the Army in 1848 to protect travelers.

North Platte

Farther west in North Platte, you can learn about a real-life legend, William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, by visiting his ranch. Buffalo Bill staged the Old Glory Blowout in 1882, which many consider the beginning of American rodeo and a practice run for his Wild West Show. His ranch includes the original house, barn, and outbuildings.

Camping is also available at the nearby state recreational area. The ranch is open April 1 to Memorial Day, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Memorial Day to Labor Day, everyday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Labor Day to October 31, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A $2.50 daily state park permit is required.

Ogallala

Still heading west, you're in for some fun in Ogallala, where Front Street features a Western shootout, a cabaret show, and a cowboy museum. Also look for Boot Hill, an Old West cemetery where ruffians were buried with their boots on. Boot Hill is open seven days a week from sunup to sunset. Admission is free.

Shortly after Ogallala, the trail turns northwest into the Nebraska panhandle. Ash Hollow, along U.S. Highway 26, is now a state historical park. It was Mile Marker 504 on the Oregon Trail. Wagon ruts are still visible.

Bridgeport

Down the road a few miles are Courthouse and Jail Rocks, two famous trail landmarks near Bridgeport. These geological wonders of clay, sandstone, and volcanic ash stand sentinel over the prairie.

Near Bayard you'll see one of the most celebrated landmarks of the Oregon-California Trail, Chimney Rock.

This milestone signaled to a wagon train that almost one-third of the journey was complete. Of all the rock formations on the trail, none drew more comment in emigrant journals. The Chimney Rock National Historic Site is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except for Nebraska State holidays. Admission for adults is $3. Children are free.

Gering

Yet another landmark erupts from the earth near Gering. Scotts Bluff National Monument was a milepost for pioneers, fur trappers, and American Indians, who called the landmark me-a-pa-te, meaning "a hill that is hard to go around." Modern travelers can drive or hike to the summit.

Scotts Bluff National Monument is open seven days a week with the exception of January 1 and December 25. The visitor center is open in the summer from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and until 5 p.m. the rest of the year. The Summit Road is open in the summer from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and until 4:30 p.m. the rest of the year. The monument trails are open from sunrise to sunset throughout the year.

Nearby Robidoux Pass provides the first view of the Rocky Mountains. Also nearby is the Farm And Ranch Museum, where you learn the history of farms and ranches by exploring vintage horse-drawn equipment and engine-powered machines. Open May 16, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 22 through Sept. 30 on Sundays only, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For an appointment during off hours and off season, please call 308-436-1989.

Ellsworth

Take U.S. Highway 385--the former gold rush trail-north to find two more interesting attractions. One is the Spade Ranch near Ellsworth. On the National Register of Historic Places, this early cattle ranch grew to 500,000 acres. The land was designated for homesteading, but most farmers failed to cultivate a crop in the sandy soil. Recognizing the importance of the Sandhills as grazing land, the Spade ranchers fenced the uninhabited land, drilled wells, and brought in Hereford cattle. The vast Spade "empire" is legendary in the history of Great Plains cattle ranching.

Crawford

There's one more stop you won't want to miss on your Nebraska trails journey. In the northern corner of the panhandle near Crawford is Fort Robinson State Park, an Army post from 1874 to 1948. It served as a cavalry post, an army site for training horses, and a German prisoner of war camp. The last chapters of the Plains Indian Wars occurred here, including the death of Sioux Chief Crazy Horse. Forty-nine historic buildings remain. Today you can camp, hike, ride a horse, or stay in a refurbished barrack.

Traveling on Nebraska's trails will lead you into the nation's heartland and give you a glimpse of the farmers and ranchers that settled the frontier.

For more information about these attractions and others, go to www.VisitNebraska.org.