Railroad Town is a recreated prairie community that tells the story of town building and community development in Nebraska during the last decades of the nineteenth century. 60 century-old shops, homes and outbuildings were moved to the site and restored. The business district bustles with activities reminiscent of Nebraska's colorful past.

Your visit to Railroad Town will take you back to the life and times of the prairie town builders. You will meet the townspeople--the merchants, blacksmith, tinsmith, marshal, housewives and others--and hear their stories and memories, their hopes and their dreams.

A true jewel of Nebraska, Stuhr's Railroad Town comes alive every summer with REAL PEOPLE living in a REAL, WORKING Railroad Town of the 1890s! Visit with the tinsmith as he fashions a tin cup or cookie cutter in the shape of any of the 50 states, especially for you. Pull up a bench with the blacksmith and listen to the clang of his hammer and a tale or two as he creates a masterpiece over glowing coals. The new Amanda Glade Millinery Shop (new in 2002) is sure to delight the ladies with its hat-makingseamstresses and lovely fabrics. Take a break at the Traveler's Rest hotel, or have a rest at the Silver Dollar Saloon with a root-beer float, brownie, or other refreshments. A Mercantile store filled with fine goods, sundries, and the scent of Arbuckle's coffee awaits you. Stop by the Planing Mill to learn about mill and sash work, or just ask the boys there to tell you a story. Other businesses in Railroad Town include a hardware store, veterinary clinic, the Glade Mill, depot, telephone exchange, newspaper office, barber, shoe shop, bank, post office, and the doctor's office, along with the Peters School, Stolley Farmhouse complete with farm animals, and the Railroad Town Green and gazebo, a popular place for town band concerts and gatherings.

Railroad Town, capped off by the birthplace home of Henry Fonda, is sure to delight visitors of all ages. Railroad Town has even been the location for several films, including "My Antonia," The Disney Channel's "Adventures of the Old West," and "Sarah, Plain and Tall". Be sure to check the Calendar of Events for all the special activities that go on during the year at Stuhr Museum.

       

Three historic homes grace the town's residential area including the cottage
in which Academy Award-winning actor Henry Fonda was born in 1905:

The Lesher House, built in 1883 and originally located at 903 W. 2nd Street in Grand Island, is a fine example of Victorian architecture: a modest house with decorative detailing. It appears to be a one-story house, but there is an upstairs bedroom nestled under the roof at the rear. The decorative cupola is also part of a "natural" air-conditioning system. Take a look inside at the Lesher House's beautiful woodwork throughout, as well as the extra-high doorways and ceilings. It is a true architectural treasure for its time.

The Milisen House is a gracious two-story frame structure that stands in a spacious yard surrounded by a white picket fence. The house is named for Charles Milisen, a respected Grand Island civic leader and one of the city's earliest settlers. Charles built the home in 1879, originally located at 508 N. Pine in Grand Island. Faithfully restored interior woodwork combines with authentic wallpaper, carpeting, furnishings and housewares to give visitors an intriguing glimpse of family life in Nebraska a century ago.

The Fonda House, birthplace of actor Henry Fonda (1905-1982), was built in 1884 in Grand Island. In 1904 the house was rented by Henry's father, William Brace Fonda, and his wife, Herberta Jayne. Henry Fonda was born in the house on May 16, 1905. In 1966, Fonda arranged to have the house moved to Stuhr Museum and restored. The green, one-story frame home includes a parlor, dining room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. The house is furnished as it might have been when the Fonda family lived there.

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