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Hastings, Nebraska

When the Clarke Hotel was dedicated in February 1914, it was hailed as a triumph of local initiative. It was designed by architect C.W. Way and built by the John Hamper Company, both of Hastings. Bricks made in Hastings formed the exterior of the building, and local craftsmen made everything from the terra cotta trim and manqué awnings to the light fixtures, oak millwork and mosaic floors. A 1916 addition to the six-story Renaissance Revival style building expanded its size to 170 "absolutely fireproof" rooms and included a ballroom with seating for 300. Many notables visited the luxury hotel, including former President John F. Kennedy. In 1987 the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Hastings College Clyde Sachtleben Observatory

Astronomy presentations and night sky viewings every other Saturday, weather permitting. The STARLINE provides observatory show times and dates and astronomy activities in the area. Named in honor of Dr. Clyde Sachtleben, 40-year physics professor

Hastings, NE Observatories

The Kool-Aid Birth Place

This building is known locally as the birthplace of Kool-Aid. More accurately, it was the home of the Perkins Products Company, the manufacturing and retail enterprise of Kool-Aid inventor Edwin E. Perkins and his family. The company was housed here from 1923 until 1931

Hastings, NE Famous Homes

Victory Building

The Victory Building, named to commemorate America's victory in World War I, is one of Nebraska's finest examples of early 20th Century industrial architecture. It was constructed between 1917 and 1920 by harness maker William

Hastings, NE National Register

The City Auditorium

Well-known buildings are usually notable for their architectural size or history. That is certainly the case of the City Auditorium, constructed between 1922 and 1924 at a cost of nearly $130,000. City fathers originally

Hastings, NE Architecture

The Clarke Hotel

When the Clarke Hotel was dedicated in February 1914, it was hailed as a triumph of local initiative. It was designed by architect C.W. Way and built by the John Hamper Company, both of Hastings. Bricks made in Hastings

Hastings, NE National Register

Things to do near Hastings, NE

Coufal Ridge Site

National Historic Landmark - Sometime between A.D. 1250 and A.D. 1450, prehistoric Indians of the Itskari Phase establ...

Robert Henri Museum and Historical Walkway

First Presbyterian Church

Alma City Park

Franklin County Museum