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Quality of Life
Citizens in a growing community
need to have fun and enjoy life as much as they need to work hard and work well.
Quality of life is not just a buzzword in Kearney. It's real.
To spend a few carefree
moments, come to Big Apple Fun Center for bowling, mini-golf, go-karts, sand
volleyball and much more. A variety of recreational activities are available at
Cottonmill Park, where you can swim fish, hike, ride your bike and visit a
nature center. Ski buffs can even try their favorite sport at Prairie Hills
Skiing, where skiing and snowboarding are offered thanks to a snow-making
machine.
Kearney Dragway hosts racing
competitions throughout the summer. Scheduled races run from March through
October.
The
Kearney area features five excellent golf courses where you can enjoy a relaxing
round and test your golfing skills at the same time: Meadowlark Hills Golf
Course 18-hole public course with lighted driving range; Prairie Hills Golf
Course family-owned 18-hole, Scottish links style course; Buffalo Ridge Golf
Course established more than 30 years ago, offering custom club repair and
fitting; or Kearney Country Club, a private, 18-hole course at which guests are
welcome, subject to the discretion of the club professional and availability of
tee times; Prairie Hills Par 3 Golf Course, an executive style golf course
located northeast of Kearney.
Twelve parks in Kearney offer a variety of ways to
pass the time. There are basketball courts, tennis courts, swimming, a water
slide, baseball diamonds, picnic areas, playgrounds, archery range, boating,
camping, fishing, nature trails, volleyball courts, sand volleyball courts,
nature barn, horseshoe courts, soccer fields, sledding hills, in-line hockey,
Frisbee golf, paved Hike Bike Trail, indoor ice skating at the Tri-City Arena,
and night sky observatory, and more.
The latest addition to
Kearney's park system is the Yanney Heritage Park, located at 2020 11th Street,
is the place to go for a view of the Kearney community and the Platte River
Valley! The Gottschalk Observation Tower, located in the center of this
eight-acre public park, can be enjoyed by everyone as an elevator goes all the
way to the top! There are also other things to enjoy at this newly developing
park, such as the four-season picnic pavilion, the twelve acre lake, the
Hike/Bike trail, and perhaps you can even catch an event at the Cope
Amphitheater!
Activity and exercise
facilities in Kearney include: the YMCA (featuring a Super Gym, swimming pool,
aerobic center, running track, weight room, racquetball courts, fitness center,
Family Center and Cope Child Care Center); Vitality Center; Just for Ladies;
Quest Fitness.
For a relaxing evening, try one
of our theaters: Hilltop 4; World Twin; Kearney Drive-In (seasonal); Kearney
Community Theatre; and University Theatre.
A quality lifestyle isn't
complete without a solid foundation in faith. Kearney's churches, more than 30
congregations of many denominations, are a key reason our community continues to
prosper.
Kearney Library and Information
Center is a hub, in more ways than one. While housing thousands of books, tapes
and recordings, the center is also the focal point of electronic information for
the region. Patrons may access catalogs and reserve volumes through the center's
information technology, much of it made possible through generous donations and
support of local businesses.
Kearney's Technology Learning
Center is also located at the Library and Information Center, providing
computer-based instruction on hardware, software and new technology. The
learning center is the site for a local bulletin board service, which provides
access to Internet, Nebraska On-Line and many other networks.
Annual celebration's include
the Nebraska Cattlemen's Classic in February; Crafts Under the Trees in June;
3rd of July fireworks, Art in the Park and Cruise Nite in July; the Buffalo
County Fair in August and the Gateway Farm Expo in November.
Summer recreation programs
include slow-pitch softball, baseball, arts and crafts, gymnastics, children's
theater, and swimming. Programs include YMCA programs, Little League baseball,
soccer leagues, football, swimming lessons, bowling leagues, in-line and ice
hockey leagues, plus other activities. Men's and women's slow-pitch and
fast-pitch softball are also available.
Programs for Kearney senior
citizens include weekly card games, craft sessions, bowling, monthly
covered-dish meals, special programs, musical and singing groups, dances, and
bus trips.
Fort Kearny, one of the early
U.S. Army posts of the west, is a 40-acre state park located six miles southeast
of the city. Park highlights include a museum, stockade, blacksmith shop, and
ammunition building. Facilities include overnight camping, swimming, and
picnicking.
The Cottonmill Lake Recreation
Area, operated jointly by the city and county, includes 98 acres of land and 30
acres of water, fishing, boating, swimming, picnicking, exercise trail, and
nature barn are enjoyed by visitors. |
