"A SMALL TOWN WITH A "CAN-DO" ATTITUDE" a Minden Travel Page by Rich62

This is a huge accomplishment for such a small town. I am talking about the complete refurbishing of their Opera House. They did not cut any corners here, it is a first-rate job. The Opera house was originally built in 1891, but its "new life" began in May of 2000. Its normal hours are Monday thru SAturday 9 to 5, Sundays 1 to 5. Phone (308)832-0588.

Minden is a town of about 2800 people, located on highway 6/34 in south-central Nebraska To get to Minden, take exit #279 on Interstate 80, and head south about 12 miles.*

The Opera House sits on a traditional town square, with the county courthouse in the middle of the square, right across the street. At Christmastime, the courthouse is ablaze with thousands of lights and a wonderful pageant is held for several nights leading up to Christmas. It takes place right on the lawn of the courthouse, and people drive for many miles to see it and/or the spectacular lighting display.

Minden also has "Pioneer Village" a large indoor/outdoor museum of the old west. In warm weather you can stroll the streets of the village and stop in stores along the way to see how it was. The museum was founded by Harold Warp, who had a plastics factory in Chicago, but was from Minden. He has a wonderful collection of classic automobiles at the village.

In the main auditorium of the Opera House, a magnificent mural has been painted all across the ceiling, featuring elements of the history of this area. But when the lights dim for a performance (or for your tour), the stars come out! 2500 fiber optic lights are imbedded in the ceiling. Even more amazing, once in awhile a shooting star tears across the "sky" above you. It's quite a sight.

The photo of the ceiling shows a small portion which illustrates how the top of the courthouse looks with its Christmas light display.

Many weddings, dances, parties, plays and musical performances are held at the Minden Opera House.*