Pioneer Village: A wonder hidden in small town Nebraska

Unless you know me personally, I'm going to guess that most of you reading this have no idea where Minden, Nebraska is. With a population of less than 3,000, and only a handful of good places to eat, it is often not on people's radar. However, this is where I was born and raised.

Minden is known as The Christmas City. Every year, the downtown area is lit up with over 12,000 bulbs. It can be seen from miles outside of town. The site is truly breathtaking, and if you're ever in the area during the holiday season, definitely take a moment to stop and take it all in.

Minden is also known for being the home of Harold Warp's Pioneer Village. Now, as a child growing up in Minden and attending the public schools, I visited Pioneer Village seemingly every year prior to high school on a field trip. By that time, I had lost interest in the museum, as I'd been so many times. I also didn't realize how impressive the museum was at the time since I grew up going.

Harold Warp founded Pioneer Village in 1953, and over 6 million people have visited since.

The summer after high school (2014), I got a seasonal job working at the Village. I worked the gift shop, sold tickets, and cleaned when needed. It was my first job, and I got to know more about the museum, Harold Warp, the artifacts, and the people visiting. Visitors came from all 50 states, and we occasionally got visitors from outside the USA, which I always found incredible. Working there gave me the appreciation I have for Harold Warp and his museum that I have today.

I did return after my freshman year of college to work in the motel associated with Pioneer Village; however, I did not revisit the museum itself until Fall 2021. My then boyfriend (now fiancé) had never been to the Village, and he loves history, artifacts, and the like. In our nearly 6 years of dating, I hadn't gotten him to go until last year.

In his mind, he was picturing a tiny museum fit for a tiny town. I informed him on multiple occasions that there were 26 buildings and more than 50,000 artifacts, but until we started touring the museum, he was completely oblivious of the vastness. When realization started to set it, he was amazed, but also frustrated that he'd never been before, and that it wasn't talked about more in his History circles.

While touring the Village, you will get to "see how America grew." Artifacts were donated and purchased from all over the USA, some of them were from Harold Warp himself.

Beyond the first large, "main" building, there are 12 historical buildings in a circle (some of which are the original buildings!), including a Frontier fort, a Pony Express Station, a home made of sod, a general store, a toy store, along with others! You'll also find a steam carousel, 17 historic flying machines, 100 antique tractors, and over 350 antique cars.

No matter your interests, you're bound to find something you'll enjoy, whether it be trains, art, quilts, pianos, weapons, and so many others!

Unfortunately, over the years, some of the buildings have needed repairs that weren't always possible. Last year, however, maintenance and operation was turned over to the HWPV Foundation. They are actively working on restoration and renewal projects (and always happy to receive donations or volunteers). You can read more about their active programs here.

One of my fears was that Pioneer Village would not be able to keep its doors open, and the vast array of priceless artifacts would either sit and collect dust, or be sold to different museums and curators around the country. While I never got the opportunity to meet Mr. Harold Warp, I know that keeping the museum open would mean the world to him, and I think he'd be amazed at the number of people who have gotten to see his dream come to life. I'm hopeful that with the Foundation's help, the Village will be restored and will be open for many, many more years to come.

If you ever get the chance to visit, I would highly recommend you do so. While you could walk through the museum in 2-3 hours, you'll want to stay way longer than that if you go. Every time I've gone (including the 3 months I worked there 5 days a week), I've found something new.

The following photos are a few I took during our last visit - just to give you an idea of the wonders hidden in little, old Minden, Nebraska.

You can find Pioneer Village on their website or on Facebook.