Lincoln's Districts and Landmarks: Downtown, Haymarket and Campuses

A factual tour of Lincoln's anchors: the Capitol and Centennial Mall, the Haymarket, the university campuses and historic city parks.

LNK Biz · Last reviewed October 23, 2026 · 6 min read

Lincoln is organized around a few anchors that most residents use as reference points: the State Capitol, downtown and the Haymarket, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's campuses, and a ring of large parks. Knowing where these are, and a little about why they look the way they do, makes the city much easier to navigate.

This guide is a factual tour of those districts and landmarks. It does not rank neighborhoods or make claims about housing. Events, hours and attractions change, so check each organization's official site before planning a visit.

Downtown and the Capitol

The State Capitol, with its 400-foot tower, sits at the south edge of downtown at 1445 K Street. It is the seat of state government and a National Historic Landmark. For more on visiting, see our guide to visiting the Nebraska State Capitol.

Running north from the Capitol along 15th Street is Centennial Mall. The city describes the stretch from K to M streets as "Nebraska's front door to the State Capitol," and the mall stretches seven blocks in all, reaching the university at its north end between P and R streets. Capitol architect Bertram Goodhue proposed the avenue in 1922, but progress stalled for decades, and the mall was built by 1967, the state's centennial year. After a later renovation, the refurbished mall was completed by 2017, in time for Nebraska's 150th anniversary.

Along the mall you will find:

Sculptures of Chief Standing Bear and Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte.
Four themed plazas celebrating democratic processes, natural resources, cultural diversity and innovation.
Native American design elements, including bison medallions, thunderbird patterns and a medicine wheel representing 27 tribes with Nebraska connections.
Water features, flower gardens and pollinator habitat.

The Museum of Nebraska History, run by History Nebraska, is at 131 Centennial Mall North.

The Downtown Lincoln Association, which promotes the downtown area, organizes its visitor information around several districts, including the Historic Haymarket, the Telegraph District and Boehmer Street.

The Historic Haymarket

The Haymarket, on the west side of downtown, is Lincoln's historic warehouse district. Its name goes back to the city's founding. According to the Downtown Lincoln Association's history, the original 1867 plat of Lincoln set aside a Market Square between O and P streets from 9th to 10th. When a federal courthouse was built there in 1874, the market moved north to a new Haymarket Square between 9th and 10th and Q and R streets. It served as an open-air market for produce and livestock, a camping ground for immigrants and a gathering place.

During the 1870s and 1880s, wholesale and manufacturing businesses grew east of the rail yards, and the large warehouses from that era still give the district its character. The city designated the Haymarket Landmark District in 1982, adopted a redevelopment plan in 1984, and in 1985 the area was chosen as a demonstration project by the National Main Street Center. The American Planning Association named it a Great American Neighborhood in 2009, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Lincoln Haymarket Historic District in 2014.

Today the Haymarket is known for restaurants, shops and events. The Haymarket Farmers Market is usually held on Saturday mornings from early May into October, near 7th and P streets. Check the market's official page for the current season's dates and hours.

The West Haymarket and Pinnacle Bank Arena

West of the historic district is the West Haymarket, home to Pinnacle Bank Arena at 400 Pinnacle Arena Drive. The arena officially opened in August 2013 and hosts concerts, family shows, sporting events and Husker basketball. Trails including the Jamaica North and Salt Creek Levee trails connect to this area; see our guide to Lincoln's trail network for details.

The Telegraph District

The Telegraph District takes its name from the Lincoln Telephone and Telegraph Company, which the district's about page says was launched in 1903. The area grew up beside the Rock Island Railroad and Antelope Creek. The same page notes that it was once home to businesses such as Fisher Foods and Roberts Dairy, a corridor of car dealerships, and the Muny Pool, which opened in 1920. Many older commercial buildings there are being rebuilt for new uses.

The university campuses

The state university was established on February 15, 1869, and today the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's campuses are a large part of the city's geography. According to the Nebraska Blue Book:

City Campus is just north of downtown.
East Campus is about two miles northeast of City Campus and is headquarters for the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Nebraska Innovation Campus occupies 249 acres that formerly hosted the Nebraska State Fair. The university acquired the land in 2010, after the Legislature moved the fair to Grand Island in 2008. It is a public-private research and technology center next to City Campus.

The university is also home to several cultural landmarks. The Blue Book highlights the Sheldon Museum of Art, with its collection of American art; the University of Nebraska State Museum, which has one of the largest fossil collections in the country, including a mammoth skeleton display; and the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Husker football plays at the university's Memorial Stadium.

Historic parks: Antelope Park and Pioneers Park

Antelope Park stretches from 23rd and N streets to 33rd Street and Sheridan Boulevard. It covers about 93 acres and includes the Sunken Gardens, the Veterans Memorial Garden, the Hamann Rose Garden and Strolling Garden, Ager Golf Course and the city's largest playground area. The Lincoln Children's Zoo is next to the gardens area, and the Billy Wolff and Rock Island trails run through the park.

The city bought the first land for the park in 1905. William Jennings Bryan offered the city 10 acres of his farm in 1907, and Lincoln banker W.T. Auld later gave 15 acres; the Auld Pavilion was created in recognition of his donations.

Pioneers Park covers 668 acres at 3201 South Coddington Avenue. It was dedicated on July 24, 1930, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The donor, John F. Harris, asked that it be named to honor his parents and other pioneers.

The park includes the Pinewood Bowl Theater, multi-use trails, playfields, public art and the Pioneers Park Nature Center. Two well-known sculptures are a bronze bison by George Gaudet, placed near the main entrance in April 1930, and "Smoke Signal" by Ellis Luis Berman, a roughly 15-foot likeness of Chief Red Cloud.

Historic homes and markers

The Thomas P. Kennard House at 1627 H Street serves as the Nebraska Statehood Memorial and is maintained by History Nebraska. Kennard was Nebraska's first secretary of state.
The Blue Book lists a historical marker for Fairview, the home of William Jennings Bryan, at the BryanLGH Medical Center East campus near 49th and Sumner streets.

Key takeaways

The Capitol anchors the south edge of downtown, and Centennial Mall leads north from it toward the university.
The Historic Haymarket grew from Lincoln's 1867 market square and is listed on the National Register as the Lincoln Haymarket Historic District.
Pinnacle Bank Arena, opened in 2013, anchors the West Haymarket.
The university's City Campus, East Campus and Innovation Campus each occupy distinct parts of the city.
Antelope Park and Pioneers Park are historic city parks with gardens, sculptures, trails and a nature center.

Sources

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