Hastings Will Surprise You!
See and do
In Hastings, you’ll find attractions, activities and culture often associated with larger cities. Enjoy these benefits in a community-oriented, affordable, safe community.
Whether you enjoy sports, theater, history, art or music, you’ll find it in Hastings. We are a vibrant, growing city of 25,000 settled in the heart of the Midwest.
With 15 schools, two colleges, a progressive sports complex, historic districts, dozens of churches and over 300 acres of parks, Hastings will keep you active and entertained.
Neighborhoods
New construction, historic homes, “green” housing, loft living… take your choice in Hastings. The streets are rich with fabulous historic homes, many of which are listed in historic registers. Beautiful lakeside homes encircle Lake Hastings, and the Lochland community boasts an 18-hole, PGA-certified golf course.
Houses in Hastings are affordable and the cost of living is low. The average commute is less than 15 minutes, so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy your comfortable home.
Art & Culture
Cultural Hastings is home to a surprising number of local artists, galleries, studios and theaters, plus a symphony orchestra and outstanding arts education programs in our schools. From the Cottonwood Festival to the Oregon Trail Rodeo, culture and heritage are celebrated in Hastings.
Hear live music at the Listening Room, Hastings College or at many outdoor summer festivals. Enjoy performances by the Hastings Community Theatre, Hastings Symphony Orchestra or Chorus of the Plains.
Attend art openings at Graham Gallery downtown, where local artists showcase their fine work. Hastings and the surrounding area are home to sculptors, painters, photographers, glass blowers and multi-media various artists.
Take in green spaces and sculptures all over town, savor locally grown foods and explore the atmosphere of Hastings, where creative energy thrives.
Family Fun
Did you know that Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings? Learn all about it at Kool-Aid Days every summer.
Spend a day with the kids at the Children’s Museum of Central Nebraska. Or cool off at the five-acre waterpark with its four water slides, wave pool, lazy river and more. Or visit the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History and the Lied Super Screen Theatre—showing films daily on a screen that's five stories tall and 70 feet wide.
Sports spectators can choose from Hastings College events, races at the Motorsport Park, seasonal rodeos and baseball or softball games. Athletes have plenty of space to play, with over 300 acres of city parks plus Lake Hastings and the Pioneer Spirit hike & bike trail. Take the binoculars to see the Sandhill Crane migration in the Platte River Valley, or grab your GPS and seek the many area geocache sites.
There’s never a dull moment for kids and adults in Hastings.
Education
From preschool to lifelong learning, Hastings provides excellence in education. Our community is home to Hastings College, named a 2007 “Best College in the Midwestern Region" by the Princeton Review.
Families in Hastings can choose from a diverse mix of exceptional public and private schools with fine academic, art and athletic programs. Enriching adult education and service learning are offered on two college campuses, through various community organizations and at Mary Lanning Healthcare.
Hastings Public Schools spend an average of $8,000 per student. That’s 25% higher than the national average. The ratio of teachers to students is 1 to 14, which means kids here get the attention they need to reach their potential.
Satisfy your passion for knowledge when you learn and grow in Hastings.
