While city getaways tend to come with an abundance of activities, trying to fit everything in before it's time to head home can start to feel like a job in itself. There's still plenty to do in small-town America, and a significant perk is guests have plenty of time to sink into their activities, absorbing the atmosphere and transforming their stay into a relaxing home away from home.

This is especially true in the Midwest, a section of America known for its charming communities and welcoming attitude. Nebraska's calming landscape makes its small towns some of the best rest-worthy locations in the country, and these are some of the most peaceful places to unwind in the "Cornhusker state."

10 Minden

Even though Minden has a population of less than 3,000, the tiny town has a big personality. Minden is known for Pioneer Village, a museum complex with 26 buildings brimming with old-timey relics of Americana dating back to the 1830s. Guests will step back in time as they sit in covered wagons, visit the general store, and learn a thing or two in the vintage schoolhouse.

Minden is also known as Nebraska's "Christmas City." Every year, the lights crew goes all out, decking the courthouse with 12,000 bulbs and bountiful yuletide spirit. Residents perform in the Christmas pageant, their show climaxing with the illumination of the town square in joyful shades of red and green.

Related: These Festive Destinations Around The World Will Surely Rock Your Christmas Holiday Socks

9 Verdigre

Located near the scenic Niobrara River, the tiny village of Verdigre is known as the Kolach capital of the world, celebrating a rich Czechoslovakian history with deliciously crafted pastries. The town hosts a festival called Kolache Days every year, drawing in crowds for live polka music, dancing, kolach eating contests, and the inauguration of the festival's annually nominated king and queen.

8 Red Cloud

Located near the border of Kansas, Red Cloud is dedicated to both its storied past and progressive future. The town is best known as the home of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather, whose novels focused on immigrant life in America's Great Plains. Red Cloud pays homage to its beloved resident at every turn and has the largest living memorial to a writer in the country.

Visitors can visit Willa's home and stop by several spots to take in the energy that inspired her works. The restored Red Cloud Opera House played a big part in Cather's life and still hosts performances today. A beautiful prairie consisting of 612 untouched acres of land sits as a memorial to the author's dedication to her hometown. Plaques along the field contain moving excerpts of her literary tributes to life on the prairie.

7 Seward

Small town Seward is known for two things- It throws the best Fourth of July show in the state of Nebraska and has the world's largest time capsule. On July 4th, 1975, resident historian and "town character" Harold Keith Davisson filled a 45-ton capsule with mementos from the time to show his grandchildren what life was like for him in Seward.

He named his daughter "Keeper of the Crypt" and instructed her to keep the vault sealed until 2025. No one knows everything that's inside the world's largest time capsule, but visitors are drawn to the mysterious vault and vow to return for the grand reveal. Seward has a little bit of wackiness and a whole lot of charm, making it an ideal place to let loose and consider the objects that make our lives what they are today.

6 Ashland

Ashland is located between Nebraska's two biggest metropolitan areas, making it ideal for those seeking a quiet place to come back to after some city adventuring. The town takes a spot on the list of Nebraska's ten most beautiful cities, the tree-lined brick streets of its historical downtown accentuating the charming small-town feel.

Guests will find their fill of fun at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, a well-kept recreational facility near the scenic Platte River. Parkgoers can climb the 70-foot lookout tower to observe the beautiful Platte River Valley, zoom down the park's epic sledding hill, or take a dip at the aquatic center. Ashland is also home to the Cellar 426 winery, a vineyard featuring house wines and live music.

5 Valentine

Valentine has truly made the most of its name, attracting lovers from around the country looking for a sweet small town to turn up the romance. Heart-printed signs decorate the streets, and every year thousands of people send their love letters and wedding invitations to get specially stamped by Valentine's post office.

Aside from all the lovey-dovey stuff, Valentine offers beautiful scenery. The Valentine National Wildlife Refuge is home to herds of free-roaming bison and prairie dogs, and the largest waterfall in Nebraska is only a stone's throw away at scenic Smith Falls State Park.

Related: How Make Your Hotel Room Or Vacation Rental Romantic For A Sweet Valentine's Getaway

4 Brownville

Brownville is an idyllic destination for people who get excited about history and enjoy feeling like they're in a nineteenth-century literary masterpiece. The super small town has a population of less than 200, but its historic buildings attract tourists every year.

Several old homes have transformed into museums, like the Brown-Carson House, the beautiful former residence of Brownville's founder. The Flatwater Folk Art Museum celebrates the creations of "common folk" in a renovated church, and the 1854 Didier Log Cabin serves as a testament to what life was like in simpler times.

3 Chadron

Chadron takes pride in its fur trading history and stunning natural scenery. Located along the Pine Ridge, the town has rolling hills, steep cliffs, and lush ponderosa pine forests. Originally built in 1846, the reconstructed Bordeaux Trading Post earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, highlighting the town's dedication to preserving its past. Every year, Chadron hosts Fur Trade Days, drawing in local merchants, tourists, and musicians ready to celebrate the craft that put the town on the map.

2 Nebraska City

Despite its name, Nebraska City is heralded for its welcoming small-town vibes and plentitude of exciting attractions. The Arbor Day Farm hosts apple picking and harvest celebrations. Treetop Village invites visitors to traverse bridges between treehouses suspended 50 feet in the air, and the on-site restaurant serves up divine dishes to refuel after a long day at the orchard. The Arbor Lodge State Historical Park features the beautifully landscaped grounds and tourable mansion of Arbor Day's founder, J. Sterling Morgan.

1 Harrison

Harrison is home to some of the most surprising scenery in Nebraska. The Agate Fossil Beds National Monument contains a visitor's center filled with Plains Indian artifacts and well-preserved Miocene era fossils found nearby. Two hiking trails take guests up and over grassy fields and agate rock formations. The downtown features historic homesteader buildings refashioned into charming local eateries sure to spark a hometown feel.

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