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Navigate the Nebraska State Fair: Nebraska Game & Parks

July 30, 2026
5 min read
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The sprawling Nebraska State Fair at Fonner Park can be overwhelming to newcomers. This little series will point out Grand Island Tourism staff’s favorite areas and activities to help get first-time fairgoers going!

Recommended by Paul, our marketing director:

Nebraska Game and Parks has developed an oasis in the midst of the menagerie. Serving as a fair landmark, their “treehouse” anchors the outdoor space surrounding indoor activities. A rocky creek winds around river rocks and stepping stones and then underneath the treehouse to a small pond. Playground structures line the outside of this water feature including a large sandbox, rope climbing tower, slides, and tunnels.

Inside you’ll find a man-made waterfall filling the space with a restful rush of ASMR, an aquarium, and other displays featuring wildlife and outdoor activities around Nebraska. Also available are a classic shooting arcade and indoor archery range featuring 3-D targets. Of course, there’s more to explore than what I’ve written about here. Plan to take your family to the Nebraska Game and Parks refuge right inside the main gate at the Nebraska State Fair.

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