“The Passport Program encourages travelers to explore the state collecting stamps while reconnecting with Nebraska and supporting small businesses and attractions,” said Kathy McKillip, Nebraska Tourism Commission executive director. “Year after year, the program gains popularity. In 2015, more than 24,600 travelers collected stamps, and we expect 2016’s participation to be even better.”
The 2016 passport will again feature 80 attractions on 10 themed tours. Travelers will have from May 1 through Sept. 30 to visit the art attractions and get their stamps. The summer program will honor the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and feature 23 new communities.
St. Paul’s Museum of Nebraska Major League Baseball has been selected for the “Nebraska on Film” tour.
Grover Cleveland Alexander’s life story was made into the film “The Winning Team,” starring Ronald Reagan and Doris Day.
“Our museum has many items on display that are related to the film,” said Carolyn Scarborough, executive secretary/treasurer of the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce. “By being on the tour, it will bring in more tourists to St. Paul who never would have been here otherwise. We hope this generates into more people taking a look at what St. Paul has to offer.”
Other Central Nebraska locations featured are:
— 4th Street Coffee House, Stromsburg, “Rise ’n Shine” tour.
— Happy Jack Chalk Mine, Scotia, and Raising Nebraska, Grand Island, “Earth + Sky.”
— Enchanted Bakery, Grand Island, and Swiss Baker, Doniphan, “Order Up!”
— Bootleg Brewers, Taylor, and Icon Poly, Gibbon, “How It’s Made.”
— Custer County Museum, Broken Bow, and Main Street Gallery, North Loup, “Where Art Thou.”
— Pawnee Arts Center, Dannebrog, and Henderson Mennonite Heritage Museum and Park, Henderson, “Flavors of Nebraska.”
— Ortello Dale, Broken Bow, “Prairie Treasure.”
Passports will be available at participating stops in May or can be pre-ordered by emailing info@NebraskaPassport.com with a name, mailing address, and the number of passport booklets requested.
Participants can also download the Nebraska Passport app for their smartphone and get stamped digitally, supplementing the physical passport booklet for convenience.
The passport app will be updated with the 2016 information on May 1. Those who used the mobile app last year will need to download the update to see the new program information. To download, search “NE Passport” in the Apple App Store or the Google Play App Store.
Story by: The Grand Island Independent
