Minden, Nebraska

Harold Warp's Pioneer Village

This replica small town lets visitors take a stroll through the story of progress in the U.S. via thousands of Americana artifacts.

Born in the impoverished small town of Minden, Nebraska, boot-strapping businessman (and possible superhero if his name was any indication) Harold Warp worked his way from his childhood sod house to being a millionaire plastics magnate. His hardscrabble rise inspired him to create his Pioneer Village, a replica town that celebrates the rags-to-riches American dream.

Once Warp achieved his millions, instead of buying a leopard or something he instead used his wealth to create a monument to the opportunities America afforded him. Purchasing a number of the historic buildings from his hometown of Minden including its church and the old one-room schoolhouse, Warp had the structures moved and created a new town square that was essentially a living museum. Warp filled the buildings with period artifacts and furniture so that they would feel as though they were plucked right out of time.

After the founding of Pioneer Town in 1953 the site continued to grow larger and more diverse, garnering rare pieces of Americana and building new structures. An exact replica of Warp’s childhood sod house was created, a wide collection of automobiles was amassed, and such unique items as Lincoln’s sugar bowl and a piece of Edison’s original phonograph were added. Each part of the increasingly sprawling attraction was linked by the central theme of American progress. So strong was this focus that Warp mandated that each display be presented in chronological order.

Today the Pioneer Village contains 28 buildings set across 20 acres of land. Each building has its own focus be it automobiles, furniture, or industrial items, all still presented in chronological order, never losing sight of the sense of progress and accomplishment that made Warp so proud.