Arbor Lodge State Historical Park

A gem in the wilderness. We had a great time touring the house and the grounds. The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable. The home is full of quality museum pieces. The bowling alley in the basement is a treasure. The historical documents, furniture, artifacts, paintings, diaries, and photographs are beyond impressive. Highly recommended for history buffs and every day people who want a glimpse of life in the past.

This is a great little stop whether you are planning to stay at the Lied Lodge for the weekend or just stopping in for an afternoon. There are beautiful, well-kept grounds all around if you're a nature lover.The J. Sterling Morton mansion walkthrough is a great tour. You get to see the bowling alley in the basement, the printing press room, the bedrooms and bathrooms, the dining halls, etc...all preserved as they were when the Morton's lived there. Very interesting and a super calming atmosphere.I will say, it may be a little boring for young kids as the tour and grounds are very historical, which I enjoyed as an adult, but young kids may not get a lot out of.If you do have little ones, the Applejack Festival is the best time of year to go as there are craft booths, apple cider, parades, games, parties, contests activities, etc. And you may be able to sneak away and do this tour while the kids are playing ;-)All in all, it's a great historical spot to enjoy if you're big into Nebraska history!

The ghost of Lincoln does not only haunt the Historical White House but predates the controversial Civil War and the Sterling Morton mansion. A must see is the newly updated 52 room modest home of James Sterling Morton, owner of Morton Salt Company and Father of Arbor Day. Located at 2600 Arbor Avenue in Nebraska City along highway 75, south of Omaha, Nebraska. The park Abor Lodge and home home of James Sterling Morton are open daily with house tours available for pleasant fun and a welcome atmosphere. Come learn about Nebraska History and enjoy the Ride.

Arbor Day is perhaps the least cared-about American holiday. It makes much more sense if in the 1850s you dragged your family westward and found nothing but sod to build houses out of and a bunch of prarie grass and buffalo droppings to burn. Why would anyone else move here? They wouldn't. So you set out to make the place less crappy and boring by planting a crapload of trees. Trees trees trees. Then we might have some goddamn shade and some wood so we can stop living in pieces of sliced up ground like mole people. So...you are J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day. And you love trees. This is your big fancy house. It's the biggest, fanciest house this far west. Made of goddamn wood. Your eldest son - after making his fortune in salt - gave it the the State of Nebraska in the 1920s. Just like you tried to make Nebraska be less crappy to attract a bunch of new settlers, now the State has to make this house interesting to attract a bunch of tourists. Fairly successful. If you are here anyway, you might as well see it. The ladies who run the place are friendly. Military discounts available. The archive is adjacent to the underground bowling alley - there's a secret sword collection in there.

Just a beautiful park with amazing vegetation. The whispering bench and statue of Daphne and J. Sterling Morton are a must see spot as is the mansion. The mansion tour offers a detailed history of the Morton family as well as Arbor Day. It is filled with antiques and artifacts including a John Rogers sculpture, dining chair used by president Cleveland, and a Tiffany window in the sun room. There are a variety of carriages in the carriage house including a stage coach that was driven by Buffalo Bill Cody. The only issue on the property is the exterior of the mansion which is badly in need of extensive repairs.

Our experience of touring the once glorious Arbor Lodge and grounds was a mix between depression and disappointment. The grounds themselves were heavy with rain so they appeared lush and verdant on the winding drive in. Many of the placards which identified the more unusual species of trees were missing or broken. The once beautiful old brick walkways leading to the mansion were rough and needed to be re-leveled and reset. The exterior of the building was falling into ruin. Paint peeling, concrete crumbling, a horrible 80's swirled faux finish on the porch ceiling harkened back to an era of badly applied unprofessional finishes which were never in keeping with the structure's period. There were signs telling of external refurbishment to come "summer/fall of 2018" but nothing pointed toward the start of this...and it was September 1. Inside, more dreary appearances. Cheap, contemporary hand made items littered around the museum and walls mixed with antiques. Poorly grouped items with little visual appeal, clutter, dirt and miles of bad 80's/early 90's wallpaper and horrid green faux finish covered the walls. The green carpets that protected the floors weren't awful, they just needed cleaning and a harsh vacuuming....and better wall coverings/colors to freshen up the once stately building. A good display person with a keen eye is desperately needed. Arrangement of much of the artwork and cohesiveness is desperately needed too. Cheap, small plants in plastic pots the sunroom don't give One the feeling of grandeur and respect the house deserves. On a strictly political note,and though we respect the subtle transparency of the displays, it was hard to swallow the obvious fact that the Morton's like their confederate money, snatching up Native American land and clearly, though they felt bad about the Presidents assassination, were anti-abolitionists and wanted to keep slavery in tact. Puts a lump in the throat when thinking of all the Arbor Day goodness...historically speaking, if one is anti-slavery and pro human rights, you've been fed a lot of "look how wonderful and good" from a pretty icky place. But that's history for you. The top floor was a strange hodgepodge of items from other areas of the era and small Vignettes of the family members. The displays need quality lighting and better arrangement too. The cohesiveness in this space is fiercely lacking. Outside, more problems. The Giant yard of air conditioners was proudly displayed on the way to the horse and buggy barn. A small and period attractive fence around this mess would have masked it easily. The buggy house was probably the best kept and most attractive structure in the place. A few fans for air circulation are needed. More explanation of the displays and a video showing what daily life was like at Arbor Day Lodge would have set the mood and pulled us in more. Selling some items out here would have felt appropriate, maybe a little live music for the holiday weekend. Is there an Arbor Lodge Garden? Any classes in sustainability we can sign up for? Besides the horrible sponge painted and ugly wallpapers (not counting the original coral velveted paper in the parlor-it was lovely) the saddest thing in ruin was the rose garden. As a child the garden was a refuge. The crowning glory of the trip. It's now tattered, nearly rose-less and covered in invasive hibiscus, which would be fine for a back drop, but not the main attraction to the garden. Maybe funds are low to upkeep the home and grounds. Maybe it's been this way for so long no one is noticing it's decay and dire need for a period correct makeover. Maybe renting it out for weddings and Airbnb for two or three years with the understanding the profits would go to the restoration is a way to bring in the cash? Maybe a few wine fund raisers are in order?After visiting Lied lodge and the Apple farm, going to Arbor Lodge stirs in one the feelings of going to a funeral. Instead of joyfully representing the birth of the legacy that is now...what Arbor Day has become...it reminds one of life's eventual disintegration and demise.

Arbor Day originated in Nebraska City. In the historic Arbor Park, you will find the Morton Mansion. It is American historic preservation at its best. And, a glimpse of Nebraska history. Joy Morton (Morton salt) was the Secretary of Agriculture during Cleveland's presidency. There is a room named after President Cleveland who frequently visited the Mortons. The original house had 4 rooms. The house was renovated several times and now has over 50 rooms. The Tiffany ceiling glass is stunning. There are Tiffany wall fixtures throughout the house. It is worth visiting while in Nebraska.

Well cared for mansion and grounds that rivals the best "historical places" in the country, due to the rich history of Nebraska City. This house was J. Sterling Morton's, and the city has done a fantastic job keeping it very similar to what it looked like over a hundred years ago. Well worth the visit.

It's such a beautiful, peaceful place. I thoroughly enjoyed quietly walking the grounds and the historic mansion. Rich in history and fantastically presented.

Nebraska finest gem the hidden in the forest they have created. Everyone here know about the food and can offer information about what is being served that day. Friendliness expected and received here. I loved the other patrons stopping by to wish me a happy birthday and some local chat. I live in Nebraska City and sometimes forget I have fine dinner right here.