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Recreation & Tourism

Country Club

The city of Friend is quite proud of its golf course, rated as one of the top 9-hole courses in Nebraska. Established in 1967 as a non-profit semi-private course and restaurant, the Friend Country Club shows its generosity by allowing area and visiting non-members to utilize the golf course and its facilities. Today, the club solely functions for its members, who utilize the Pro Shop, restaurant, and lounge, as well as the course and the full service dinning room.

Want to learn about golf? Sign up for either private or group golf lessons. Contact Kim Peters, manager, at (402) 947-6501.

Celebrate your birthday at the Country Club and receive a complimentary cake. You will receive a complimentary bottle of champagne when you celebrate your anniversary at the Country Club.

Memberships are still available. Social memberships are $25 and you can become a stockholder for a one-time fee of $50. Golf membership prices are available upon request. Contact Kim Peters, manager, at (402) 947-6501.

Warren Opera House

	For additional information, please click here.

Murals

Traveling around the city of Friend is a true joy, especially if you are an art lover. The city features a number of fine murals painted on various buildings.

Greg Holdren, Friend High School's art teacher for 25 years, has been involved in painting all of them. "Keith Clouse was really the driving force behind doing the murals," explains Holdren. He began painting Friend's murals with the one on Dr. J.C. Pollard's building located on Maple Street. In 1994, the Friend High School art class had as one of their projects the creation of the signs that can be found on the East and West ends of the city on Route 6. "There also was one near Beaver Crossing on the Route 80 spur," Holdren relates. "But, it has since disappeared."

Holdren truly loves painting murals on buildings. He explains that they're dramatic and a nice way to redo the walls. Plus, it draws attention from local residents and visitors alike. Holdren also stated that he learns a lot about a community when he paints murals, especially the historical backgrounds of the scenes he chooses.

Due to his teaching background, Holdren can paint a mural fairly quickly. The one of the livery, featured on this web site, took him about two weeks.

In addition to Friend's murals, Holdren has also painted some for other Nebraska communities.

Police Station

Once listed in Ripley's Believe It or Not as the world's smallest in police station, this tiny building started out as a tool shed for the construction crews who built Highway 6. Its size was doubled in the 1960s so that the State Patrol could also use it. However, it still is believed to be the smallest combination police station in the world. The station remains a tourist attraction. However, the real reason it has remained at its original location is the view for about one mile east and west on Highway 6, as well as giving a clear view of Main Street. When passenger trains stopped in Friend, Richard Widick, a long time night marshal, would greet the passengers. He would even drive the night train's passengers to their locations in town.

Park & Pool

The park covers 10 acres and contains rest rooms, swimming pool, club house, tennis court, playground equipment, volleyball court, picnic areas and a softball field.

The pool is 100 feet in diameter and is complete with a bath house. Three lifeguards are on duty when the pool is open.

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Photos courtesy of Computer Tutor unless otherwise specified

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