Life as a prisoner is not for me. There's a friendly…read moreattendant at the entrance to guide you and give info annoy the jail. Very interesting especially for my hubby and his friend.

This is a one of a kind place worth visiting. It was a revolving prison that was used from 1885 to…read more1969. It had 3 floors of pie-shaped cells inside a cage. The fourth floor was where the jailer and his family lived. The staff were very nice and knowledgeable about the place. This is not free but your $10 is definitely worth it. Their small gift shop (also were you check in) has shirts, pins, and magnets. This is walking distance from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum which is also another place to see in Council Bluffs.

This is a very simple statement of one family and specifically 2 people Granville Dodge and his…read morewife. The description above does a very good job of telling you what to see. During the summer it is a fountain, although the city has been having problems with the piping and it seems to off frequently. If you take the time to stand or sit by the edge of the fountain there is a quiet presence. That it is even here is a story because when the next generations of the Dodge family left Council Bluffs the stature was dismantled and stored in their basement. Many years later when the property was bought with the intent of restoring it to its original look the statue was found. Eventually, a suitable location was found to place it. A personal side note because I live only a few houses from the angel. While they deny it now the Angel goes through stages of legends being told by the kids nearby. She is said to talk or move possibly even cry at certain times of the year. Full moons and Halloween are considered prime times. None of us can verify if any of the legends are true but I know of several 'now adults' who visited the Angel when they were kids usually without their parent's knowledge or approval.

Yes I'm reviewing another cemetery. My friend has a thing for these black angels scattered through…read moreIowa so we found another one (I previously reviewed one in Iowa City). Locally known in Council Bluffs as the "Black Angel," this statue was inspired by visions experienced by Ruth Anne Dodge, the wife of General Dodge, in 1916 on the three nights preceding her death. This memorial sculpture, dedicated in 1920, represents a dream experienced by Ruth Anne Dodge. The angel, on the prow of a boat, extends her hand and offers the water of life. The solid bronze statue, commissioned by the Dodges' two daughters, was created by Daniel Chester French who call the Black Angel one of his finest works. French is known nationally for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. According to the legend, Mrs. Dodge related to family members that she had a vision of being on a rocky shore and, through a mist, seeing a boat approach. In the prow was a beautiful young woman whom Mrs. Dodge thought to be an angel. The woman carried a small bowl under one arm and extended the other arm toward Mrs. Dodge in an invitation to partake of the water flowing from the vessel. Then, according to accounts later published by Mrs. Dodge's daughter, Anne, the angel spoke twice, saying: "Drink, I bring you both a promise and a blessing." The daughter wrote that the vision came three times to her mother and, on the third visit, Mrs. Dodge took the drink as offered and felt "transformed into a new and glorious spiritual being." Mrs. Dodge died immediately after her supposed third vision, on September 5, 1916. She had died in her sleep at her home in New York. Her body was brought back to Council Bluffs where she was buried in a mausoleum in Walnut Hill Cemetery. The memorial was commissioned in 1917 to Daniel Chester French, the same man who sculpted the statue of the Minute Man in Concord, Massachusetts and the Lincoln Memorial Statue in Washington DC. The ten foot tall angel statue is made of solid bronze. The construction of the statue took approximately two years, and the cost of the statue was reported at around $40,000. Council Bluffs began its fine military record during the Civil War when, in 1861, the attack on Fort Sumter brought four companies of the town's volunteers to the famed Fourth Iowa Infantry. In command was Captain Grenville M. Dodge, later promoted to Colonel, then General. As the War ended, Dodge returned to the Bluffs, built an impressive home on Third Street for his wife, Ruth Anne, and family, and took a job as surveyor and chief engineer for the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. Four years prior to the War, Abraham Lincoln, in a personal visit, had designated Council Bluffs as the eastern terminus for this first transcontinental line. Dodge later built railroads all over the world and was president of seven of them before he died. Grenville's daughters, Anne Dodge and Eleanor Dodge Pusey, commissioned and contributed this city's most valuable work of art in memory of their mother, Ruth Anne Dodge. Located very near to the cemetery where The Black Angel is located, is a monument marking the spot where Abe Lincoln selected this as the terminus of The Union Pacific Railroad. This impressive pylon was erected in July, 1911 and commemorates Abraham Lincoln's visit to the site in 1859. From this site, Lincoln viewed and selected the Eatern Terminus of the first transcontinental railroad built on the United States.

We visited this site as part of a church history tour and spent a couple of memorable hours there…read more We loved everything about it! The exhibits are very well done, the paintings are beautiful, the tour guide was expertly knowledgeable, and the messages portrayed were inspiring!

This is an amazing place. You will love the exhibits and enjoy the peaceful spirit as you journey…read moreback in time. Check out the Winter Quarters Temple across the street.

Spectacular views of the whole area looking toward Omaha! We visited near sunset which was an…read moreamazing time to enjoy the scene. It is interesting to ponder that President Lincoln was at this very spot over 160 years ago. Another positive is the short drive through the historic Oakland Ave. neighborhood to get to the monument. Many of the houses are beautiful and well-kept. The nearby Fairview cemetery is also worth a visit.

This is a small monument on a little plaza area located at the end of a small and cozy…read moreneighborhood. If you are driving here, you will find free street parking available within a reasonable walking distance. The area is realtively clean and looks to be in pretty good shape. The monument consists of a tall granite obelisk that was erected in 1911 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to commemorate President Abraham Lincoln's visit to the site in 1859. This is the spot where Lincoln viewed and selected the Eastern Terminus of the first transcontinental railroad built in the US. The bronze plaque on the monument reads as follows: "This monument is to commemorate the visit of Abraham Lincoln to Council Bluffs, Aug 19, 1859. From this point he viewed the extensive panorama of the valley of the Missouri River and in compliance with the law of Congress on November 17, 1863 he selected this city as the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad." The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The monument's plaza offers an amazing panoramic view of the surrounding area. The monument is on the top of a hill and I had to take a steep set of stairs to get up there. It was a work out. You will find some benches to sit on around the monument and you will probably need them after transiting up the stairs. As I mentioned, this is a nice spot to visit that give you an awesome view all the way into Omaha, plus there is its historical significance and the opportunity to stand where President Lincoln once stood. This may not be a long consumer of your time. I was there about 15 minutes and moved on to my next destination. I recommend visiting this place on your way to another destination or making this part of another larger itinerary. The Golden Spike and the Black Angel.

There are some nice exhibits and gardens here; however, more maintenance is needed for much of the…read moregrounds. We liked the monument stones which detail past U.S. Presidents, Nebraska governors, etc.; nevertheless, they need to be updated for recent elections. The gazebo exhibit includes several interesting displays of President and Betty Ford along with audio recordings.

This was near my hotel and it was pleasant garden to visit. It is well maintained and lookout for…read morewho's peeking through the bushes

The Durham Museum is in the old Union Station. I'm glad they were able to preserve the building…read morebecause it really is spectacular. There are many permanent displays about Omaha history, and there are train cars you can walk through; enthusiastic docents are often there to answer any questions. There are temporary exhibits here as well, and in the summers they will have something cool that the whole family will enjoy. There are lots of programs here, many of them free with admission or membership. I do recommend getting a membership if you think you might want to come at least a couple times in a year. And you probably will want to! There is a soda fountain/snack bar area. The ice cream is great! The food is okay. It's a museum and not a lunch destination. The museum is located right next to Omaha's Old Market.

I was in town visiting and wanted to see how Omaha's Union Station compares to the one we have back…read morehome. It was built in 1931 in the Art Deco style and designed by LA architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood. The museum has lots of photographs and examples of materials used that would be a delight for all those interested in architecture. Downstairs was the train depot and where you can go inside and sit in the train cars. Most of the rooms appeared to be part of their permanent collection, but part of the downstairs area has rotating exhibits. The exhibit on display was "The Negro Motorist Green Book" which you may be familiar with if you watched the 2018 film "Green Book." I had a great time at the museum and would return, although check the calendar as I went when the NE SciFest going on and I prefer calmer museum visits. Still, definitely would recommend checking it out!

Nice roadside Veterans Memorial with a bronze Eagle "Road to Honor" sculpted by local artist…read moreRussell Christensen.

I have attended a few of their sponsored events, including a lecture. Great people. They are…read moretrying to save some of the wonderful buildings that are slated to be torn down or are being neglected. I love that someone is doing that kind of work. Keep it up!!