Central City: From hidden gem to Nebraska diamond
Central City typically is a town people drive through on their way to other places. Maybe, they’ll stop in at the local Casey’s for gas, coffee or a slice of pizza. But, there’s more to the seat of Merrick County.
With a winery that’s second to none, a veterans memorial that ranks among the best in Nebraska and a thrift store that attracts people willing to line up for a block on the chance they may find a treasure, Central City has been a hidden gem in the Cornhusker State. It’s a glistening piece of tourism jewelry now.
Prairie Creek Winery
With plans to be a farmer, Nick Ryan attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he met a noted viticulturist (grapevine expert). After realizing the farm he dreamed of running wasn’t enough to support a family, Ryan and wife, Nikki, turned to growing grapes. They planned to sell harvests to winemakers.
Raising hybrid grapes strong enough to withstand Nebraska winters, Prairie Creek uses 65-70% of its crop to produce wine. Most of the rest comes from other Nebraska vineyards.
Instead, they opened Prairie Creek Winery, producing and selling wine on their farm. After 10 years, they moved the business to downtown Central City, where it’s boomed over the last decade.
Attracting customers from around Nebraska, the winery offers a unique dining menu in addition to a variety of wine selections.
Prairie Creek Winery sells about 35,000 bottles of wine annually, including in grocery and liquor stores around the state.
Merrick Medical Auxiliary Thrift Shop
Each Wednesday morning, people from across the region stand in line, up to two blocks, waiting their turn to see what is available at the Merrick Medical Auxiliary Thrift Shop.
Open Wednesday-Friday, volunteers sort and price products, as well as assist customers in finding the perfect treasure. Anyone associated with a “thrifter” understands how serious “hobby” shoppers are when searching through inventories.
Believe it or not, the popularity of the thrift shop makes it an anchor retailer in downtown Central City.
With about 80 volunteers, most of them retirement-age, the thrift shop totals about $250,000 in sales annually, with each cent donated to charity.
Dark Island Trail
Featuring a boardwalk bridge across the Platte River, visitors enjoying a walk or bicycle ride along the Dark Island Trail may observe interesting views of nature, such as bald eagles flying above, herons standing in the shallow water near the shore or maybe a gaggle of geese paddling in the river.
Stretching eight miles to Marquette, the trailhead’s parking lot is about a mile south of Central City.
Bicycles can be rented from the Merrick County Youth Council in Central City, located near Widman Cinema.
Heartland Veterans Memorial
Central City’s veterans memorial stands as one of the best we’ve seen across the country, and we attempt to visit veterans memorials wherever we travel.
With a star laid in the center of the memorial, five granite walls contain information about each war in which Merrick County residents have served, including World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War, which Tim personally appreciated since he served during that time. A sixth panel recognizes other conflicts in which Americans served, from the revolution to the Spanish-American War.
A set of special memorial plaques recognize locals who sacrificed their lives during the conflicts.
Historic State Theater
Built in 1916 for live performances, including vaudeville shows, the Historic State Theater eventually transitioned as a movie theater.
In 2012, the owners closed the theater because they couldn’t afford the equipment required to adapt to digital movies instead of the film format.
State Theater sat empty until 2016, when local volunteers raised enough money to reopen it as a non-profit, showing first-run digitally-formatted movies on weekends. Most movies run for two weekends at a time. Tickets for shows cost $6 per person.
State Theater was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
1to1 Technologies
It’s not often that we highlight a computer store, but 1to1 Technologies isn’t your typical computer shop.
Compared to an Apple store you might find in New York City’s Times Square, Cody Lawson started 1to1 Technologies in his garage. Typical electronics story, right? Maybe in a large city, but in a small town, it’s not so common.
Lawson’s computer repair business took off and he soon outgrew his garage. He relocated to a former Subway sandwich shop, and then outgrew that. So, he decided he needed something much larger and more futuristic.
Converting a former NAPA auto parts store into a New York-style store, 1to1 Technologies went from fixing computers to also selling them. The store provides soundproof rooms for meetings or as work stations.
Of course, a computer store/work co-op needs a coffee shop, right? And not just any coffee shop. You can order a latte with your mug in the mug. Baristas take a digital photo of a customer and laser draw it on to the top of the latte drink. Grab your coffee to go or relax in a public sitting space, where you can also enjoy unique artwork.
Merrick County Historical Museum
Smalltown museums do an excellent job of sharing local history. The Merrick County Historical Museum tells the county’s stories through each community’s lens. Towns from Archer to Clarks see their history come to life through sports, military service and buildings of the past, including an old post office’s mail slots.
If there’s a lesson to be learned after spending time in Central City, it’s that we travelers should never take a town for granted, that it’s “just a drive-by town.” As we often tell people, every town has a story.
