FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2016, 4:00 p.m. CDT
Contact Jason Hogue, Peru State College Marketing and Communications, 402.872.2429


Peru, Nebraska- The Nebraska Tourism Commission has announced that Peru State College Library is one of 80-featured attractions in the 2016 Nebraska Passport program. The Peru State College Library sits on a hill above the Missouri River and will serve as one stop on the “Rise Above” tour.

The beautiful building currently hosting the library was dedicated in 1905 and has served a number of functions including a gymnasium and theatre. It has even housed an indoor swimming pool! The building was transformed into a library in 2002 and the gym-to-library transformation was featured in an article of American Libraries magazine.

Library attractions include the artist Cindy Kessler’s “Eight Windows” stained glass completed in 2006; a telescope from the 1880’s used by famed astronomer Edison Petit; and a manuscript collection from author Marion Marsh Brown.

The building is also known for serving as the childhood theatre of playwright E.P. Conkle. Conkle wrote for Broadway, radio and television and his students include Tennessee Williams, Pat Hingle, Tommy Tune and Fess Parker.

Visitors to Peru State College are also welcome to visit the historic Little Red Schoolhouse, the Peru State Art Gallery, athletic events, concerts, theatre and other cultural events. A complete calendar of events can be found at www.peru.edu/calendar.

Areas of interest around Peru include the Sid Brown Memorial Park & Splash Pad, the Peru Bottoms Wildlife Management Area and the Peru Museum. Peru is also a stop on the Steamboat Trace Trail featuring sandstone sculptures by Roland Sherman along the southwest corridor.

More attractions for visitors are less than fifteen minutes away in historic Auburn to the west and the cultural center of Brownville to the east.

The “Rise Above” tour features stops at Chimeny Rock; Gavin’s Point Dam Visitor’s Center in Crofton; Lake McConaughy Visitor Center in Ogallala; Mansion on the Hill in Ogallala; Massacre Canyon in Trenton; Mignery Sculpture Garden in Bartlett; Peru State College library in Peru; and Ponca State Park in Ponca. The Nebraska Passport program features seven more tours with themes devoted to topics as varied as state parks, Nebraska film locations, food and shopping.

The Passport program includes prizes for participants. This year’s prizes will be announced at the start of the program. 

Peru State College was founded in 1867 and will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2017. Peru State College is the oldest college in Nebraska.

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For more information, visit www.peru.edu or call 1-800-742-4412.

About Peru State College: Nestled in the historic hills of the Missouri River, the “Campus of a Thousand Oaks" is Nebraska’s oldest college and will celebrate its sesquicentennial anniversary in 2017. Peru State College’s constant commitment to academic excellence has resulted in a unique and innovative mix of online, traditional, undergraduate and graduate programs. Similarly, the college's ongoing student engagement promotes inquiry, discovery and innovation on-campus and across the region. Peru State College is committed to being a good steward of education, students, the region and Nebraska for another 150 years.