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All the United States Nebraska Pleasant Dale Ruins of Prairie Peace Park
Ruins of Prairie Peace Park is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Ruins of Prairie Peace Park

The abandoned remnants of a little sanctuary for world peace that fell into disrepair.

Pleasant Dale, Nebraska

Added By
Daniel Braaten
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Prairie Peace Park House   dannybraaten12 / Atlas Obscura User
Prairie Peace Park House   dannybraaten12 / Atlas Obscura User
The Dance of the Children Sculpture   dannybraaten12 / Atlas Obscura User
World Peace Mural face   dannybraaten12 / Atlas Obscura User
World Peace Mural women   dannybraaten12 / Atlas Obscura User
World Peace Mural from afar   dannybraaten12 / Atlas Obscura User
Prairie Peace Park sign   dannybraaten12 / Atlas Obscura User
“It is Possible to Live in Peace” mural   dannybraaten12 / Atlas Obscura User
Gone   ski queen / Atlas Obscura User
Prairie Peace Park as of July 2020   houseofcards93 / Atlas Obscura User
in 2020, much of the house has been overgrown.   JakeIngram / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the kitchen   JakeIngram / Atlas Obscura User
Inside part of the house   JakeIngram / Atlas Obscura User
One of the many murals outside the house.   JakeIngram / Atlas Obscura User
2019   smithshepard / Atlas Obscura User
Peace sign fashioned from blunt wrappers   countrysweetie345 / Atlas Obscura User
You can find quotes written all over the walls inside the house   countrysweetie345 / Atlas Obscura User
  countrysweetie345 / Atlas Obscura User
  FoxShanem / Atlas Obscura User
Brochure 2   sukiemikulski / Atlas Obscura User
Brochure 1   sukiemikulski / Atlas Obscura User
Quote over doorframe just inside the first room   countrysweetie345 / Atlas Obscura User
One of many murals on the outside of the house.   countrysweetie345 / Atlas Obscura User
Across the street  
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About

In the 1990s, the peace park movement began to pick up speed across the United States, with the goal of creating dozens of public spaces throughout America to serve as sanctuaries for world peace. In 1994, Prairie Peace Park was created just off I-80 in Nebraska.

Prairie Peace Park received a notable amount of recognition and attention over the years, including a visit from Ed Asner and a host of other celebrities. But, unfortunately, it wasn't enough. By 2005, the "War on Terror" was in full force and the peace park movement had been struck a hard blow. The park was closed and sold to the transcendental meditation group at Maharishi Vedic City.

Since its closure, many of Prairie Peace Park's exhibits have been left to wither, rust, and decay. Tires and used bottles litter the ground, and the once-used mattresses of the park are now bare and torn.

Fortunately for the pacifists of the world, the legacy of Prairie Peace Park is not entirely lost. The land's owner is legally required to preserve two of its works of art, both of which can still be seen today. The first is the World Peace Mural, a rainbow painting of flowers, humans, and sunshine completed by a team of 34 international artists, and the other is "The Dance of Children," a metal globe sculpture with doves and children holding hands on its equator.

 Update as of July 2020: The building burned down and all of the sculptures have been removed. It's now extremely hazardous, with broken bottles and rusty nails everywhere. 

Related Tags

Art Parks Activism

Know Before You Go

You can access the park by car. Take exit 388 off of Interstate 80 and immediately the peace park ruins will be on the eastern side of the road, just north of the highway. Wear boots or protective shoes in addition to full coverage or padded clothing, as exploring the ruins and surrounding landscape can be hazardous. The house has been left abandoned for so long that much of the flooring has started to rot. The Prairie Peace Park and Maze was sponsored by the World Peace Center of Lincoln, Nebraska. A brochure found in the archives of Genesis Farm in Blairstown, New Jersey reads, "Displaying Visions of Humane Living and Planetary Management for our Children..."

Community Contributors

Added By

dannybraaten12

Edited By

sukiemikulski, FoxShanem, countrysweetie345, JakeIngram...

  • sukiemikulski
  • FoxShanem
  • countrysweetie345
  • JakeIngram
  • moviegrl26
  • houseofcards93
  • Katecrimson
  • ski queen
  • smithshepard
  • haasefamily5

Published

June 27, 2017

Edit this listing

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Sources
  • http://journalstar.com/special-section/epilogue/epilogue-prairie-peace-park-is-facing-its-end/article_2d4b8d0e-aecf-11df-8bd3-001cc4c03286.html
  • http://www.dailynebraskan.com/prairie-peace-park-closes-its-doors-after-years/article_29ec0973-3ab4-5bfe-a300-ea426432bfd6.html
  • http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600159189/Nebraska-peace-park-bites-the-dust.html
  • Brochure - Genesis Farm Archive, Blairstown, NJ
Ruins of Prairie Peace Park
960 154th Rd
Pleasant Dale, Nebraska
United States
40.822878, -96.929725
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Pioneers Park Pillars

Lincoln, Nebraska

miles away

World’s Largest Time Capsule

Seward, Nebraska

miles away

University of Nebraska State Museum - Morrill Hall

Lincoln, Nebraska

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nebraska

Nebraska

United States

Places 57
Stories 9

Nearby Places

Pioneers Park Pillars

Lincoln, Nebraska

miles away

World’s Largest Time Capsule

Seward, Nebraska

miles away

University of Nebraska State Museum - Morrill Hall

Lincoln, Nebraska

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nebraska

Nebraska

United States

Places 57
Stories 9

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The United States of Abandoned Places

List

By Mar Nwe Aye and Charlotte Chadwick

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