Hastings Nebraska is where Kool-Aid was invented in 1927. This may sound like an insignificant fact, but the sugary drink was ubiquitous in the United States for a good portion of the twentieth century, and one of the very popular events and attractions in Hastings is the three-day Kool-Aid Days Festival held in August. There are a few very nice museums in this little town in the south central part of the state (just south of Grand Island), and the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History has a fascinating interactive Kool-Aid exhibit. It also boasts the largest whooping crane display in the country, natural animal dioramas, and Native American and pioneer memorabilia.

Hastings travel allows you see other museums, including the Children's Museum of Central Nebraska, which will host special events, and the McDonald Planetarium, the only similar facility between Denver and Chicago with daily shows. These provide wonderful things to do in Hastings Nebraska for the entire family, and are especially fun for families. Children will also love the Hastings Aquacourt. This five-acre facility is one of the state's premier water parks. It is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and boasts a wave pool, lazy river ride, numerous slides, and much more. Hastings travel will keep the children happy for days.

Hastings Nebraska is full of history. The 1907 Chautauqua Pavilion has heard the voices of William Jennings Bryan and Robert F. Kennedy, and today is a venue for concerts and other events. Hastings travel has been important since the mid 1880s when hundreds of thousands of pioneers trekked westward across the historic Oregon Trail that passes through Adams County just south of Hastings. Several remnants of the era are still visible. Visit the Adams County Historical Society for information. In the middle of town is the Fisher Rainbow Fountain that provided a small watery escape to residents during the taxing years of the Dust Bowl. Today it is still one of the attractions in Hastings and people gather to watch its multi-colored jet sprays from Mother's Day to Labor Day.

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There is plenty of outdoor recreation and many outdoor attractions in Hastings as well. Nearby Hastings Lake is ideal for swimming, boating, sailing, and fishing, and the park around the lake includes Oregon Trail markers, picnic tables and barbecue grills, hiking trails, and playgrounds. There are three excellent golfing venues, including the very beautiful Lochland Country Club, with an Olympic-sized swimming pool and tennis courts in addition to the golf course. The region is also part of the Nebraska Flyway Corridor, site of one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on the North American continent. Each spring, more than 80 percent of the world's population of Sandhill cranes (hundreds of thousands of them) spend time in the Platte River Valley, along with over 250 species of geese, ducks, and other water fowl. Among the Hastings hotels, you will also find full-service hunting resorts with excellent rustic lodge accommodation.

In addition to Kool-Aid Days, Hastings Nebraska also hosts numerous other events. The Cottonwood Festival, a three-day arts festival, brings food vendors, concerts, and local artisans in June. Also in June is the four-day Flatwater Folk Festival, and July brings the Adams County Fairfest, another four-day event.