Prairie Peace Park [RG5227.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG5227.AM: Prairie Peace Park

Records: 1984-2008
Lancaster County, Nebraska
Size: 0.75 cu.ft.; 2 boxes

BACKGROUND NOTE

Located seven miles west of Lincoln, Nebraska, just north of Interstate 80 near Pleasant Dale, the Prairie Peace Park encompassed more than twenty-seven acres. Meant to promote environmentalism, humane living and world unity, the Park opened on June 11, 1994. Over 1500 people attended the opening, including actor Ed Asner. The Park included an orientation center, walking paths, indoor and outdoor artwork, and several mazes and labyrinths. The Park was sponsored by the World Peace Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. According to planning documents, attendance was hoped to average around 60,000 visitors annually. Attendance never came close to those estimates and the Park fell on hard financial times.

In 2004 the annual attendance was only around 600. The Prairie Peace Park closed at the end of August, 2005. The land was sold to Global Country World Peace, based in Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa. The group planned to use the site to build a transcendental meditation “peace palace,” but the site was never developed. Global Country World Peace put the property up for sale again in 2010. While most of the artwork was removed from the park and found homes at various institutions around the state, two major installations are still located on the grounds. Remaining on site are a large, globe-shaped metal sculpture entitled, “Dance of the Children,” and a 10 foot by 80 foot “World Peace Mural” created from clay by thirty-four international artists. A legal covenant requires that both works of art must be maintained and preserved by whomever purchases the land.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The collection consists of two boxes of records relating to the Prairie Peace Park. Materials date from ca. 1984 to 2008. The collection includes correspondence, planning documents, promotional materials, newspaper clippings, exhibition catalogs and miscellaneous other materials.

Note: See the audio component [RG5227.AU] for an audio cassette titled, “Voices of the Prairie,” featuring Stephany Indie (story teller) and Harry Koizumi, Jr. (guitarist). Proceeds from sales of the cassette went to benefit Prairie Peace Park. See also the moving image component [RG5227.MI] for a promotional DVD (ca. 2000) titled, “Peace from the Prairie.”

INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder

1. Planning documents and governance
2. Correspondence
3. Handouts and promotional materials
4. Artwork from Prairie Peace Park
5. The Youth Murals at Prairie Peace Park
6. Friendship Path
7. Newsletters, events, etc.
8. Publicity/clippings
9. Human Rights Leaders of Nebraska, Sept. 1, 1998

Box 2 (Acc. 2020.0043)
Folder

1. General information
2. 1986-1988
3. 1989-1991
4. 1992
5. 1993-1994
6. 1995-1996
7. 1997
8. 1998
9. 1999-2001
10. 2002-2003
11. 2004-2005
12. 2006-2008
13. Henderson, NE – Opposition to the Prairie Peace Park
14. Misc. clippings
15. Misc. clippings, pt. 2
16. Friendship Path
17. O the Power of Children’s Visions When They are Brought to Life: Spiritual plan in pictures for development of Earth as viewed in the Prairie Peace Park
18. Secrets in the World Peace Mural
19. Interpretive Manual by Don Tilley
20. Social studies textbook featuring information about the Prairie Peace Park
21. National Peace Garden (see also oversize)
22. Prairie Peace Park site plan (see oversize)

Subject headings:

Children’s art
Cultural parks — Nebraska
Prairie Peace Park (Nebraska)
Tilley, Donald R., 1934-
World Peace Center (Lincoln, Nebraska)

TMM 06-13-2018; 07-02-2020