The 14 Best Roadside Attractions along I-80 in the Great Plains

In my time, I’ve done the drive along Interstate 80 many times. I went to college in Iowa and my parents lived in Colorado; I became intimately familiar with the long, straight, flat, featureless drive through the Platte River Valley. But is it actually that featureless? It turns out that there are a number of fascinating roadside attractions along I-80!

From sculptures and towers to museums and collections, you don’t need to drive I-80 straight through unless you want to… But as we know, there’s plenty to make the Great Plains worth exploring.

In choosing these roadside attractions along I-80, I tried to keep the stops within a few miles of I-80; you won’t find some of the other great roadside attractions in the Great Plains on this list if they’re too far from Interstate 80 itself. I’ve also listed them from east to west, rather than ranking them in a certain order. In any event, this will hopefully inspire your current road trip plan – and to explore more of the region on a future road trip too.

In this post, I promote travel to destinations that are the traditional lands of the Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha), Jiwere, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Pâri (Pawnee), ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee, East), Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee), Cheyenne, Ndé Kónitsąąíí Gokíyaa (Lipan Apache), Arapaho, and S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) peoples. With respect, I make a formal land acknowledgment, extending my appreciation and respect to the past and present people of these lands. To learn more about the peoples who call these lands home, I invite you to explore Native Land.

This post was originally published in February 2021, and was updated most recently in June 2023.

The Best Roadside Attractions Along I-80

Before jumping into the list of roadside attractions along I-80 that are worth stopping to see, I thought it might be helpful to see a map. This post (and my site!) focuses just on the Great Plains, so it only covers those roadside attractions between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains.

Ready to learn more about each of these stops I recommend? Let’s hit the road!

Lauritzen Gardens

Lauritzen Gardens is one of Omaha’s hidden treasures for sure. The botanical garden is home to so many beautiful species of plants. The rose garden is sublime. You’ll be in awe of all the colors, fragrances, and shrubs. The prairie is stunning, bursting with seeds and flowers.

Needless to say, if you are a plant nerd, you will be in heaven looking for and identifying all the different rare plants you probably haven’t seen in person but have always wanted to.

They also have themed shows that elevate the ambiance. There’s a tram that takes you on a tour of the premises and it’s very convenient if you are not in the mood for a walk.

The World’s Largest Ball of Stamps

Can’t say if this is a philatelist’s dream or nightmare. But what I do know is that humankind never ceases to amaze us with their interests and how they pursue them. The world’s largest ball of stamps is a great example of that. 

This huge ball consists of 4,655,000 stamps from all over the world and weighs 600 pounds! It even made it to the Guinness Book of World Records. This is located in the visitor’s center of Boys Town. The story behind the ball is very endearing. Go to see the ball but stay and see Boys Town also. Your time will be well rewarded.

Landlocked Lighthouse

While it might surprise you, Nebraska – which does not border any major body of water – has a lighthouse! Located outside of Gretna, Nebraska about 25 minutes down I-80 from Omaha, the “Landlocked Lighthouse” overlooks a beach and a small lake. Built in 1939, the landlocked fared well through the many storms that roll across the Great Plains.

World’s Largest Time Capsule

Located in Seward, Nebraska, the World’s Largest Time Capsule is a huge concrete vault filled with over 5,000 relics. It’s actually only a few minutes from the World’s Largest Covered Wagon in Milford; you may want to choose to stop at only one of these two roadside attractions along I-80.

Weighing up to 45 tons, Harold Davisson built this monument; it was dedicated on July 4, 1975. The time capsule is set to be opened in 2025, the 50th anniversary of when it was sealed.

Lee’s Legendary Marbles & Collectibles

Another few miles (about 30 minutes) west of Seward, there’s another roadside attraction you may want to stop at: Lee’s Legendary Marbles & Collectibles. Why this particular shop, you ask?

Lee’s Legendary Marbles & Collectibles is home to what is possibly the world’s largest collection of marbles! Lee Batterton, who started the collection in 1954, claims that his collection has over 1,000,000 (yes, one MILLION) marbles and is the largest in the world. They are housed at the “Marble Museum” in York, Nebraska.

Classic Car Collection

The town of Kearney, Nebraska, seems like it is halfway along I-80 in Nebraska; in fact, it’s halfway between Boston, Massachusetts, and San Francisco, California (1733 miles from each!). It’s also home to two roadside attractions along I-80 that you might want to stop and visit.

The first is the Classic Car Collection. Over the past 50 years, this collection has grown to over 200 vehicles; the cars themselves date back to the 1910s! This is the perfect stop for those who wish they were road-tripping Interstate 80 in a classic car.

Kearney Archway

The Kearney Archway is a sight you’ll see if you drive I-80 and don’t stop – it’s also a roadside attraction you can stop and visit if you choose to!

This Archway is actually a museum, which covers travel across Nebraska dating back to the Oregon Trail. This is poignant as you can see and hear the cars and trucks roaring along Interstate 80 below you as you visit the exhibits and learn more about the Great Platte River Road.

Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles

About 40 minutes west from the Kearney Archway, military buffs will find one of several roadside attractions along I-80 to visit. The Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles (HMMV) houses over 100 military vehicles including helicopters, tanks, ambulances, and jeeps from every branch of the military. (Not sure about the Space Force though!)

Even if you’re not big into military history, this is a great family-friendly museum as many of the vehicles are touch-friendly and there are several you can even climb into and get a sense for what it was like to operate or drive them!

Golden Spike Tower

It’s another hour west from Lexington (where the HMMV is located) to the Golden Spike Tower in North Platte. You might be confused: Wasn’t the golden spike driven in Omaha? Yes, it was! But North Platte is actually home to the largest rail yard in the world and the actual location where the East and West rail lines actually meet.

Today you can visit the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center to learn more about rail history across the Great Plains – and the entire country. You can ascend the seven-story tower for a view of the rail yard, and future attractions will allow visitors to experience old rail travel in its glory days.

ICBM Missile Museum

It’s a long drive to the next of the best roadside attractions along I-80; it’s 3.5 hours from North Platte, Nebraska, to Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming where you can visit the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Museum. You can’t actually go onto the base to see ICBMs, but this small military museum is located in former commanders’ headquarters and will teach you all about air missile defense in the U.S.

Big Boy Steam Engine 4004

Cheyenne from its earliest days has been a railroad town. In fact, today over 90 trains a day arrive and depart the local rail.

Big Boy Steam is one of the largest steam engines – and one of only 8 in the country – that has been preserved by the Union Pacific Railroad to celebrate the town’s railroading heritage. A must for all railroading enthusiasts, this steam engine is massive and makes the average person feel really tiny in comparison.

Wyoming Territorial Prison Dumping Station

I’m ending my list of roadside attractions along I-80 in Laramie, Wyoming, where you move out of the Great Plains and into the Mountain West. The first attraction in Laramie is the Wyoming Territorial Prison Dumping Station; while this sounds like a landfill, it’s actually a historic site.

This 197-acre prison has held many a villain and criminal over the 30 years it was in operation, including – most famously – Butch Cassidy. It’s now a museum where you can learn more about territorial Wyoming history beyond the Hollywood version you may have in mind.

Giant Head of Abraham Lincoln

Last but certainly not least, Abraham Lincoln is honored in stone too – but not at Mount Rushmore! Instead, you can find Lincoln immortalized in clay and peering out over Laramie, Wyoming.

Originally located along the old Lincoln Highway, this sculpture was opened to the public in 1959. Today Lincoln is located at the Summit Rest Area and there are several other markers noting the history of the Lincoln Highway in the area too.

Those are some of what I consider to be the best roadside attractions along I-80; do you know of others? Let me know in the comments!