Boys Town

We attended 4pm Christmas Eve mass at Dowd chapel and arrived at about 3:20 to ensure seating for our group of 6. Luckily, we arrived just before a the majority, and snagged a spot! The aisle's were full by 3:45 and the service was beautiful. This church puts a beautiful display on the alter for Christmas and has a wonderful message every time, connecting with those in the community.If attending a holiday service, arrive early or plan to stand!

"Every race, color, and creed welcome." Words we need to hear today lived out by Father Flanagan in his life's work. This original campus is fully operational and has a museum, Hall of Heroes. It has personal stories from some of the occupants of Boys Town. Even the sculptures are made from castes from volunteers of the home. There are memorabilia as you walk through a timeline of the development of the organization, and information of the current expanding work. Also, it was nice to see some of the artwork made from former residents and commissions. It has been a while since I felt inspired, and I am pleased with its continued legacy. The land was the original farm he purchased to grow the organization.The property has residents and educational buildings. Near the museum are two chapels and Father Flanagan's former home. There is also a small garden. Don't forget the gift shop and cafe and postage sculpture. Note the offices are not open to visitors on the other side of the campus by the lake.

The Boys Town website states: "There's a square mile in the Heartland of America where miracles happen. Despair and darkness are conquered by the promise of a bright future. Kids are saved and families are healed in our Village."Boys Town (it is not called "Girls and Boys Town") hosts over 100,000 visitors from all over the world each year and subsists strictly on donations and the trust that Father Flanagan setup many years ago. Boys Town has also served girls since the 1970s, so the name is somewhat misleading in this day and age, but it is understandable why such an iconic the name has not been changed (and should not be by those without the authority to do so).After entering the property, the first street on your left (follow the signs toward "Visitors Center") will take you to the Visitors Center and Gift Shop where you can get a map or CD audio guide to explore the village on your own or a Boys Town resident can give you a personal tour for a small fee ($4). Co-located with the Visitors Center is the Leon Myers Stamp Center where you will find the largest ball of stamps in the world as verified by Ripley's Believe It Or Not, a great collection of 1950s baseball cards, and buckets of stamps to rummage through to select your favorites for the small sum of one cent each.Do not forget to add a donation to your transaction because 100% of donations go toward programs that benefit the residents and Boys Town operates solely by private donations. Head back out to Village Drive and turn left toward the Garden of the Bible, Hall of History, and Dowd Memorial Chapel, all near each other on the second roundabout you come to. The Hall of History is a great place to start by getting some background and history of Boys Town. After watching the free 15-minute video introducing you to Father Flanagan and Boys Town, explore the fabulous exhibits which include Spencer Tracy's "Oscar" for his role in the movie "Boys Town", and many of the other free and extremely well done exhibits.The Garden of the Bible is a nice place to sit quietly for a few minutes if the weather is nice, then you can head across the street to Dowd Chapel where Father Flanagan's tomb is located and where masses are held each day for residents, employees, and visitors. The tomb is impressive with blue and green stained glass, giving the perception of being beneath the sea, and Father Flanagan's bronze sarcophagus sitting prominently in the middle.A short drive further up the road is the Father Flanagan House, a beautifully restored two story home with period furniture and decor in addition to some of Father Flanagan's personal belongings. Like all of the exhibits, entry is free and it is well worth a visit.We did not think much about Boys Town and only made the trip across town because we had a couple hours to spare before heading south to Villisca, Iowa (Villisca Axe Murder House) and St Joseph for a night at the Whiskey Mansion B&B. We were very impressed with the people and facilities and ended up spending more time than we had planned. After your visit you can even upload your photos to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #BoysTownVillage.CombatCritic Gives Village of Boys Town 10 Bombs Out Of 10 ... Bombs Are Good!

If you like history, this is one of the places you need to visit. I enjoyed the tour of Father Flannagan's house, the museum, and the chapel where you can see Father Flannagan's burial place. We got a chance to talk to a volunteer who was a boy at Boy's Town many years ago. Listening to his stories was fantastic. Wonderful seeing how this place started and where it has come. Really enjoyed this place.

When I first visited Girls and Boys Town I had no idea what they were all about and the trip was very enlightening. They have a two beautiful museums, a beautiful chapel, a sometimes beautiful garden, and a beautiful message.

This was a great place to tour with our young boys. They had lots of questions and it was a great opportunity for us to talk with the boys about family, responsibility and virtues. The boys really enjoyed touring and exploring the old Boys Town activities bus, which was part of the exhibit on campus.