Ruined stone building on an island with visitors - historic jails

Self-guided · County in Nebraska

Historic Jails in Lincoln County, NE

Old county jails and lockups near you, some turned into museums, all with stories the courthouse records only hint at.

Lincoln County is one of 93 counties in Nebraska. The list below comes straight from the published records, with the distance from the center of Lincoln County, NE and the source for each site.

Tourists walk down a prison cell block hallway - historic jails — Photo: clement proust on Unsplash

People on pier looking at alcatraz island across the bay - historic jails — Photo: clement proust on Unsplash

Interior of an old prison with spiral staircase and cells - historic jails — Photo: clement proust on Unsplash

On the record near Lincoln County, NE

The 10 nearest

10 listed sites on the record match historic jails within 200 miles of Lincoln County, NE, out of 5 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 6 listed sites carry Lincoln County as their county.

First Arthur County Courthouse and Jail56 miles from the center of Lincoln County · District · Arthur · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
Custer County Courthouse and Jail63 miles from the center of Lincoln County · Building · Broken Bow · listed 1979National Register of Historic Places
Glenvil Fire Hall and Town Jail139 miles from the center of Lincoln County · Building · Glenvil · listed 2022National Register of Historic Places
Petersburg Jail149 miles from the center of Lincoln County · Building · Petersburg · listed 2005National Register of Historic Places
Jewell County Jail164 miles from the center of Lincoln County · Building · Mankato · listed 1995National Register of Historic Places
Morgan County Courthouse and Jail169 miles from the center of Lincoln County · Building · Fort Morgan · listed 2002National Register of Historic Places
Belle Prairie Township Hall & Strang Town Hall--Jail174 miles from the center of Lincoln County · Building · Strang · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
Winnetoon Jail175 miles from the center of Lincoln County · Building · Winnetoon · listed 1995National Register of Historic Places
Cheyenne County Jail179 miles from the center of Lincoln County · Building · Cheyenne Wells · listed 1988National Register of Historic Places
Russell County Jail and Sheriff's Residence185 miles from the center of Lincoln County · Building · Russell · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Lincoln County, NE. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Historic Jails in Lincoln County, step by step

1
See every listed site of this kind in the area
2
Sort by distance and pick the closest few
3
Read the record for the year, the builder and the use
4
View from the public way and note what has changed
5
Collect the set and move on to the next county

What people in Lincoln County, NE ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Lincoln County, NE?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are these buildings open to the public?

Some are, many are not. Churches, courthouses and libraries usually keep regular hours. Houses, barns and mills are often private and best seen from the road. The record for each site tells you which kind it is.

What does it mean when a site is on the National Register?

It means the property was documented and accepted as historically significant. Listing honors the site, it does not open it to visitors or stop an owner from using it.

How a visit works in Lincoln County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Lincoln County, NE the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Lincoln County, NE are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.