Nebraska City is the birthplace of Arbor Day — J. Sterling Morton proposed it here in 1872 — and Arbor Day Farm sits on his estate. The 260-acre farm is run by the Arbor Day Foundation, and fall is its season.
The u-pick orchard runs August into early October with varieties from Jonathan and Golden Delicious to Honeycrisp, Gala, and Pink Lady, open Tuesday through Sunday. No Tree Adventure admission is needed just to pick apples. But the Tree Adventure is the reason families make the trip: Treetop Village, where eleven treehouses connect by bridges and netted walkways 50 feet up; the giant spider-web WonderNet; Carly’s Climbing Cube; and the guided Discovery Ride through the backwoods. There’s also a u-pick flower garden from July through mid-October, and historic Arbor Lodge mansion tours.
The Apple House Market presses cider from the farm’s own apples (you can watch through glass windows), plus cider slushies, donuts, pies, and hard cider tastings. Time your visit for the AppleJack Festival, which spans two September weekends, or for cider-making demonstrations and the antique cider press.