Oconto, NE

The Charles Horn Sculpture Garden features a unique collection of metal designs created from scrap metal parts. Local farmer Charles Horn began building metal art at his rural home north of Oconto following his retirement. Charles eventually decided to bring his artwork into town to be enjoyed by visitors to the community. The sculpture garden resembles a zoo by showcasing numerous animals, in addition to a totem pole honoring the community’s history and an angel in memory of Charles’ late wife Patsy. The sculpture Garden is located at the intersection of 7th Street and Highway 40, just West of the Oconto Fire Hall.

Located just 5 miles north of Oconto on Highway 21 is the beautiful Pressey Park State Wildlife Management Area. The approximately 1,700 acres of land for Pressey Park was donated to the State of Nebraska by Mr. Henry E. Pressey on May 6, 1930. Today, Pressey Park features fishing, camping, hunting, and shooting facilities. Camping at the park is free and features electrical hookups and restroom facilities.

The Oconto Barn Quilt trail is the feature project of the Oconto Social Study Club. Barn quilts are eye-catching and brightly colored designs painted on wood blocks and traditionally hung on the side of barns. A barn quilt typically showcases a single quilt block. There are currently around 70 barn quilts in and around the Oconto area that make up this unique driving tour experience. Click here for a map of the barn quilt trail.

The village of Oconto is nestled in scenic Southern Custer County, Nebraska. The village, originally named Olax, was founded in 1887. Because of the similarity to nearby Lomax, the name of the community was changed to Oconto around 1906. While the exact origin of the village’s name is not known, many suspect that the community’s namesake is Oconto, Wisconsin. The Village of Oconto suffered a rare Halloween night tornado on October 31, 2000. The twister ripped through the center of the community leaving major damage in its path. Miraculously, there were no severe injuries from this F-2 storm.