Come spend a night, a weekend, or more in the beautifully renovated Hotel Wilber. This unique bed and breakfast will charm you, and so will Wilber. Listen to the light hearted polka tunes playing downtown and see the buildings decorated with the colorful Czech designs and names and know there is still more to be explored in Wilber.
Pride of history and heritage is evident at the Hotel Wilber, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has maintained an atmosphere of antiquity without forsaking too much to modernity. The 12 guestrooms are beautifully furnished with heirloom furniture and accessories. Each room is named for a local Czech family because their funding helped renovate it, as well as volunteer help from many others. The hotel is conveniently located in the heart of Wilber, within easy walking distance of many businesses and sites of interest.
Located at the junction of Highway 103 & 41, Wilber is 40 minutes southwest of Lincoln and 25 minutes northwest of Beatrice. 203 South Wilson, Wilber, Nebraska 68465
Take Interstate 80 west of Lincoln to Crete-Pleasant Dale Exit, then south on Highway 103 for 25 miles or take Highway 77 south of Lincoln to Highway 41 Exit, then west 14 miles.
Take Interstate 70 in Kansas to Junction City Exit (near Fort Riley), then north on Highway 77 for 110 miles to Beatrice. Continue north to Highway 41 Exit, then west 14 miles, or turn northwest at Beatrice on Highway 4, go past Homestead National Monument, then north on Highway 103 for 14 miles.
Take Interstate 29 (from Kansas City to Omaha) to the Rock Port, Missouri Exit, then west on Highway 136 for 65 miles to Beatrice via Robert Taylor and Barney Oldfield Memorial Highways.
About the Hotel
The antique street lamps and bright flower beds are an inviting entrance and now the newly refurbished porch make it especially attractive. Step into the cool, darkness of the spacious lobby on a hot summer day or get in a quick game of horseshoes in the tree shaded garden. For just relaxing with your favorite beverage and companions the Hotel Wilber couldn't be a better choice. Although some may find autumn and hunting season the best time of year to enjoy Saline County with its bountiful wildlife, you are welcome anytime to stay at the Hotel in comfort with good food and drink. Vitame Vas!
Hours
Children
All rates are for double occupancy with full breakfasts for two. Applicable taxes added.
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| #20 Herman Room | Pinks and blues in peaceful hues. Double sleigh bed plus day bed. Oak floor, rocker and dresser in sunny southeast corner room. Accommodates three. |
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| #22 Bergmeyer Room | Mint, licorice and cranberry colors on a beautiful iron bed with brass accents. Oak dresser, oak floor, and large east window. |
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| #23 Ourecky Room | Country blue quilt on queen-size brass bed. Day bed with trundle. Porcelain sink tucked in the corner, lovely view of courtyard from three south and west windows. Accommodates four. |
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| #24 Czech Room | Twin size bed, with oak cabinet, floor lamp, and window to the east. For one person. |
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| #25 Barnas-Studt Room | Front corner room with east and north windows. Hunter green with cheery white lace curtains, large armoire and mirrored washstand. Iron double bed. |
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| #26 Zajicek Room | Wooden double bed, oak rocker and floor, writing desk. Elegant mauve and sage florals. Two north windows and sink. |
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| #29 Fiala-Cech Room | Pastels & creams, scalloped floral border, wicker double bed. Mirrored washstand, south window. Ceiling fan and sink. |
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| #30 Kral Room | Handsome room bordered in burgundies. Wooden double bed and dresser, Victorian mirror, historic photos. North window and sink. |
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| #31 Rezabek Room | Golden
oak dresser and rocker, iron double bed, sky blue and white with floral
border and lacy valance. South window.
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| #32 Hroch Room | Pink and blue-green and white florals. Iron double bed. North window and closet. |
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| #33 Wanek-Klasek Room | Iron double bed with blue and rust quilt. Washstand amoire. North window. |
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The Hotel Wilber is a restaurant as well as a Bed and Breakfast establishment, serving delicious ethnic dishes of Czech origin as well as American cuisine.
In the dining room, tall windows curtained in lace reach up to the high ceilings of pressed-tin and polished oak floors below. The colorfully papered walls, as well as many other recent renovations attest to the hard work of many volunteers of the Nebraska Czechs of Wilber and their many generous benefactors. The Hotel Wilber has been a project born of many volunteer hours, a community working together to create a thing of beauty.
The main dining room seats up to 54 people and is available for small gatherings, receptions, and meetings.* Inquire for further details and reservation by calling: (402) 821-2020 or Fax: (402) 821-2020 toll free Phone 888-332-1937
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| Roast Duck with mushroom gravy, green beans, sauerkraut & dumplings. | $7.95
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| Roast Pork with gravy, sauerkraut, dumplings & applesauce | $6.95
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| Roast Beef Tenderloin with cream gravy & dumplings (Svickova) | $7.95 |
| Moravian Steak
with french fries & fresh vegetables
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$7.95 |
| Moravian Meatloaf with dumplings & gravy or mashed potatoes. | $5.95 |
| Plum Dumplings with hot butter & cinnamon ( Svestkove knedliky) | $5.95
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| Boiled Beef with tomato gravy & dumplings (Hovezi s rejskou omackou) | $5.95
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Occasional specials include carp, hamburger, turkey, chicken or Jaternice.
All dinners served with soup or salad, rye bread, butter & coffee, tea or juice.
Cakes, pies, fruit-filled kolace, plum dumplings and ice cream for desserts.
Domestic and imported beers & wines available with dinner.
Victor Prochazka and Head Waitress Sara Stubbs
Pivo (Beer) Menu
| Pilsner Urquell* | $2.50 | Budweiser | $1.25 | Old Milwaukee | $1.25 | Busch Light | $1.25 |
| Grolsch | $2.00 | Bud Light | $1.25 | Old Milwaukee Lt. | $1.25 | Pabst Blue Ribbon | $1.25 |
| St. Pauli Girl | $2.00 | Coors | $1.25 | Miller Light | $1.25 | Coors Lt. (Draft) | $1.25 |
| Falstaff | $1.25 | Coors Light | $1.25 | Keystone | $1.25 | Red Killian (Draft) | $1.25 |
Wine List
White wines available are Rhine & Chardonnay
Rose Wine available is White Zinfandel
Red wines available are Chiller Red, Burgundy, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon
*Pilsner Urquell the Czech brew acclaimed in 1987 by author Peter Passell as the best in the world.
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The quaint old world-style pub is located downstairs in an air-conditioned lounge, accessed from an outside entrance. Have a beer from the barrel and listen to a few polkas while chatting with friends. The polka lifts the spirits like no other music and so fun to dance. Try a bottle of Pilsner Urquell, the Czech brew acclaimed in 1987 by author, Peter Passell as the best in the world. You may even be fortunate enough to see and hear the manager's musical talents when he drops in to sing and dance! Czech heritage is evident here as well as in the entire establishment.
Hotel Wilber is open every day, the restaurant is open Thursdays through Mondays, 11:30 am to 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM to 9:00pm. Tuesdays and Wednesdays by appointment. Groups by advance reservations, please. The Czech Cellar Bar is open Fridays and Saturdays, 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Tooting Our Own Horn
The 1996 edition of 75 Great Small Town Getaways featured the Hotel and the town of Wilber as "inviting stops along the way".
Built in 1895, the beautifully renovated hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The April 1994 issue of Midwest Living Magazine called the Hotel Wilber "lodging we like".
A Little Bit Of History
Charles Dana Wilber, a geology professor and internationally known land speculator from Aurora, Illinois, founded the town in 1873.
Descended from the Wilbore family of England, and a relative of Samuel Wilbore, who in 1680 built the Wilbor House, now a museum in Little Compton, Rhode Island, C.D. Wilber graduated from Williams College in 1856. There he was a suite-mate of James A. Garfield, later 20th President of the U.S.
In 1874, he built the three story wood structure called the Wilber House, which served as lodging for travelers and others, and as an occasional home away from home for the Wilber family. Known as Hotel Wilber by the time it burned on January 30, 1895, it was rebuilt by private local investors, and reopened in mid August 1895 as the current brick structure.
Maintained as a successful business by a variety of owners until 1973, it was donated in 1978 to the Nebraska Czechs of Wilber by the Joe and Amelia Barta family, its previous owners, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Since 1986, it has been leased to full time managers. In the 1989 January/February issue of Historic Preservation Magazine, the restaurant was acclaimed in a nationwide of poll of its readers. After the Nebraska Czechs of Wilber remodeled the second floor in 1991, it became a bed & breakfast inn and restaurant.
For more historical information:
http://www.ci.wilber.ne.us/history.htm
Wilber is a unique ethnic community of 1500 whose heritage has become a focal point and its residents take great pride in keeping their town attractive and clean. It is the county seat of Saline County in the scenic Big Blue River Valley and just 2 miles east of Turkey Creek, offering abundant opportunities for hunters and fishermen. The town has a park with camping facilities, a bowling alley, swimming pool and occasional dances at one of the surrounding Saline County's Sokol Halls, featuring polka music.
The Wilber Chamber of Commerce offers walking tours to help folks get acquainted with the town's many interesting features like the Czech Museum around the corner and the Dvoracek Memorial Library a few blocks away.
If you'd like more information about Wilber, follow this link.
http://www.ci.wilber.ne.us/wilber.htm
Sokol Halls
When Czechs came to America, they brought the Sokols spirit of physical fitness with them and organized Sokol units in many communities. Sokols emphasized gymnastics, calisthenics and physical fitness for people of all ages as well as providing guidelines for their children's sense of morals and ethics. In 1865 the first Sokol in America was formed in St. Louis. The first Nebraska Sokol was formed in Crete in the 1870s. Sokol halls can still be found in many Nebraska towns such as Crete, Wilber and Omaha. Sokols in Nebraska are still very active today.
Today, American Sokols have many members who are not Czech, but they still strive to teach Czech heritage and preserve the principles on which Sokols were originally founded. The Sokols are run by volunteers and are also used for weddings, anniversaries, funerals and other community events. There are three in the Wilber area.
Czech Costumes
In the Czech homelands, costumes were worn in the villages for festive occasions such as Sundays, weddings and holidays. Most Czechs owned one set of traditional clothing that they wore on all these special days. Originally, you could tell what region a Czech was from by the decoration of his or her traditional clothing. By the time of Czech immigration to America, clothing that showed regional origin had become rare. Czechs continued to wear traditional clothing for theater performances and many still wear costumes today during Czech festivals.
Czech costumes are elaborately decorated with bright, lively colors and symbols like hearts, bluebirds, doves, daisies, tulips and poppies. They are often trimmed with handmade lace, embroidery and ribbons. Red or black vests are very common for men and women. Women's costumes often include beautiful aprons, sometimes the most elaborate part of the costume.
The Czech Craft Shop on Third Street makes and sells Czech costumes. The volunteers still hand embroider the beautiful patterns on the clothes for men and women. These costumes were purchased and shown in the 1992 Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, "O Pioneers!" starring Jessica Lange. They also sell many gift items and books. They are open from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The winter schedule is Saturday afternoons from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
The Wilber Czech Festival is an annual celebration that always takes place the first full weekend every August. Wilber's population swells to over 10,000 each day during the festival. From Friday evening through Sunday you'll find thousands of people watching the parades, many showing off their colorful Czech costumes, sampling the delicious foods, and visiting the beer garden. The National Czech-Slovak Queen Pageant is an annual event that takes place during this weekend as well as an historical pageant describing the history of these Czechoslovakian descendents. The polka's jaunty notes are heard throughout the town and beseda dancers of all ages kick up their heels. There's an Accordian Jamboree, a carnival comes to town and folks show their talents at the Art and Quilt Shows, as well as shops that sell Crafts and Antiques, porcelain dolls and many fine Czech imports. All this and more is part of this colorful event whose reputation has spread far and wide. The Czech Capital of the USA is a title well understood when you come for the Wilber Czech Festival.
The Wilber Czech Museum was established to preserve Czech artifacts that pertain to the heritage and culture of the Czech pioneer settlers in Nebraska. Three levels of displays with room settings from the doctor's office to the school room, as well as individual rooms of the home. Local residents gather at the museum to participate in quilting, rug weaving and yo-yo doll making, which are available for purchase. Admission is free and it's open every day of the week except for holidays from 1:00 to 4:00, or by appointment.
Find out more about the Wilber Czech Museum here:
http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/saline/museum.htm
A privately funded library, providing books from the latest best sellers to antique Czech Bibles and encyclopedias. The Czech Heritage Room displays a collection of Czech memorabilia that is well worth seeing. Those interested in genealogical research will be delighted with the talented and knowledgeable staff available both here and at the Saline County Court House across the street.
More about the Dvoracek Memorial Library
http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/saline/library.htm
To find out more about Wilber call toll-free: 1-888-4Wilber or 1-888-494-5237 or write: City Hall, 101 West 3rd St., P.O. Box 486 Wilber, NE. 68465.
Links to other interesting sites
Top Of Page Map and Directions Rooms Rates Restaurant Menu Czech_Cellar Pivo
About Wilber Czech Festival Czech Museum Dvoracek Memorial Library
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Telephone: 402.448.5485
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Last update May 19, 1998
Swan Press, P.O. Box 9, Swanton, NE 68445.
Telephone: 402.448.5485
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