We Ranked 10 Nebraska Christmas Tree Farms And Here Is Who Won

One Omaha tree farm lets you skip the tractor wagon and ride out to your tree on a 1953 International Harvester fire truck. I read that and immediately wanted to know who else was hiding fun surprises among the pines.

It turns out Nebraska has tree farms with real staying power. One near the Kansas line has sold Christmas trees for more than 50 years.

Another south of Lincoln started planting in 2002 and still adds around 200 trees each year.

These are working farms run by families who grow the trees you take home. You walk the rows, you pick the winner, and somebody hands you a saw or does the cutting for you.

So I lined up ten of them and ranked them. Some lean on history, some on extras, and one hands out free cookies.

Which one would you drive to first?

1. Frosty’s Pines

A farm named after a snowman had better deliver on winter fun, and this one keeps things refreshingly simple. Frosty’s Pines is a choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm on US-75 on the Omaha side of the map.

The setup is easy to understand. You show up, wander the field, and pick the tree that will stand in your living room for the next month.

Timing matters here, so pay attention. The farm opens for cutting season after Thanksgiving, and it runs on weekends.

That weekend-only schedule makes it a natural Saturday or Sunday outing. Pack the gloves, grab the kids, and plan the trip before the calendar gets away from you.

Why does a farm this straightforward land on the list at all? Because sometimes you don’t want a festival.

You want a field of trees, a little cold air, and the satisfaction of cutting your own.

Frosty’s Pines also sits close enough to Omaha that the drive won’t eat your whole day. You can be home before dinner with sap on your sleeves and a fresh tree tied down.

Measure your ceiling before you leave the house. Trees always look smaller in an open field than they do next to your couch.

Address: 2172 US-75, Omaha, NE 68152

2. Bryn Arddun Tree Farm

Ten minutes. That’s roughly how far Bryn Arddun Tree Farm sits north of Lincoln, which makes it one of the quickest ways for city folks to trade traffic for evergreens.

The farm proudly sells real Christmas trees, and it says so in capital letters. Its own pitch makes the case plainly: a choose-and-cut tree is the freshest tree possible and the best for the environment.

That’s a nice thought to carry home along with your tree. A tree grown and cut nearby skips a long trip on a truck before it ever reaches you.

The selling season is short, so circle your calendar. Bryn Arddun opens the Saturday after Thanksgiving and sells trees until mid-December.

That window makes it a great pick for families who decorate early. If you wait until the week before Christmas, you’ve likely missed your chance here.

The location on Branched Oak Road also puts you in pleasant country north of the capital city. It’s an easy loop for a weekend afternoon in Nebraska.

Bring a tape measure and a plan for where the tree will stand. The fresher the tree, the longer it should hold up inside, which feels like a win for your whole December.

Address: 1920 Branched Oak Rd, Davey, NE 68336

3. Prairie Pine Plantation

Thirty years of Christmas mornings started in these rows of pines. Prairie Pine Plantation in Ashland has spent three decades helping families pick out the perfect tree for their homes.

The farm describes its trees as carefully cared for, and the whole visit centers on walking those rows. You stroll, you compare, and you point at the one that looks right.

Then comes the best part for anyone who forgot work gloves. Pick a tree, and the farm will cut it for you.

That service makes this spot a smart choice for families with little kids or anyone who’d rather not wrestle with a saw. You still get the fun of choosing in the field without the sore arms.

The farm puts it simply: nothing compares to a freshly cut Christmas tree. Hard to argue with that when the tree was standing in the ground an hour earlier.

Ashland also sits between Omaha and Lincoln, so it works for families on either end of the corridor. That makes it an easy meeting point for relatives coming from both cities.

Visits run on weekend afternoons during the season. Plan your Saturday or Sunday around it, and you’ll have plenty of daylight left for the drive home.

Address: 488 Co Rd 7, Ashland, NE 68003

4. Dougherty’s Tree Farm & Craft Shop

Free cookies are a powerful argument, and Dougherty’s Tree Farm & Craft Shop knows how to make it. The gift shop here offers complimentary cookies alongside handmade gifts.

Of course, the trees come first. Dougherty’s grows trees for cutting, and even its pre-cut trees are known for being impressively fresh.

The service is about as hands-off for you as it gets. The family cuts, shakes, wraps, and loads your tree, so you mostly just point and smile.

That full-service approach is a lifesaver if you drove the small car. It also means fewer pine needles in your hair on the ride home.

The craft shop part of the name isn’t just decoration. Handmade gifts fill the shelves, which makes this a sneaky place to knock out a few presents while you’re there.

Alvo is a small town northeast of Lincoln, and the farm sits right on High School Street. It’s a short drive that feels a world away from busy store parking lots.

The family running the place has built a reputation for being kind and helpful. Combine that with fresh trees and fair prices, and you can see why this one climbs the list.

Address: 100 High School St, Alvo, NE 68304

5. Prairie Woods

Around 200 new trees go into the ground at Prairie Woods every single year. That steady planting has been going on since 2002, which is a lot of future Christmases.

The farm sits fifteen miles southwest of Lincoln on 5 ½ acres of prairie land. Fir fans, take note: mostly fir trees grow here, with a smattering of white pines mixed in.

That focus sets Prairie Woods apart from farms heavy on Scotch pine. If you love the soft needles and classic shape of a fir, this is your kind of field.

The farm also encourages you to take your time. Visitors are invited to stroll through the acreage and enjoy the beauty of the area.

Honestly, that invitation might be the best part. Open prairie in winter has a quiet charm that’s hard to find inside city limits.

The smaller size works in your favor too. You won’t wander for an hour trying to find your way back to the car.

Hallam is an easy hop from Lincoln, so it fits nicely into a weekend afternoon. I love the idea of a tree planted in the early 2000s finally getting its big moment in somebody’s front window.

Address: 5665 W Sprague Rd, Hallam, NE 68368

6. Koelzer Farms

Strawberries in summer, Christmas trees in December. Koelzer Farms in Murray grows a little bit of everything, from fruit and vegetables to evergreens.

That range makes it one of the more interesting stops on this list. It’s a small family farm, and the tree field is just one part of a bigger working operation.

The farm also runs a self-serve Farm Store. It’s typically open daily, but the family asks visitors to check the calendar on its webpage before heading out.

Plans are in the works for even more. The farm hopes to add a greenhouse and animals down the road, so this place may look different every time you come back.

Why rank a small, mixed farm here? Because buying a tree from the same people who grow your produce feels like a very Nebraska way to shop.

Murray sits in Cass County, south of the Omaha metro, so it’s an easy drive for families in the area. You can pair the trip with other small-town stops nearby.

If you want a tree outside the usual schedule, the farm invites you to reach out about visiting at other times. That kind of flexibility is rare and pretty handy in a busy December.

Address: 402 Waverly Rd, Murray, NE 68409

7. Aldag Acres Christmas Tree Farm

Northeast Nebraska gets its own spot in the rankings, and Norfolk earns it. Aldag Acres Christmas Tree Farm brings a wide selection of trees to a part of the state that doesn’t have many options.

Scotch pine and Concolor fir both make the lineup here. Scotch pine brings that classic sturdy look, while Concolor fir is known for soft needles and a light citrus scent.

The farm’s team helps you choose the right tree for your space. That’s a big deal if your living room has a low ceiling or a tricky corner.

Scheduling is tight, so plan ahead. Aldag Acres opens on set weekend dates around the end of November and early December.

Miss those days? Good news: additional visits are available by appointment, which is a nice safety net for busy families.

The farm sits right on West Norfolk Avenue, making it easy to find. You won’t be bouncing down miles of gravel looking for a sign.

For families in Madison County and beyond, this beats a long haul to Omaha or Lincoln. A local tree, a helpful crew, and a short drive home sounds like a pretty good Saturday to me.

Address: 3912 W Norfolk Ave, Norfolk, NE 68701

8. Pine Patch Tree Farm

Central Nebraska has a serious contender, and it goes by Pine Patch. This Hastings farm has been selling Christmas trees since 1987.

The choose-and-cut fields include Scotch pine, white pine, Douglas fir, and Canaan fir. Prefer to skip the saw?

Pre-cut Fraser fir, Douglas fir, and Scotch pine are on hand too.

The farm changed hands in 2021, when new owners took over after one of them had already worked there for about a decade. That’s a smooth handoff, and it shows in how the place runs.

A newer barn, completed in 2023, now serves as the hub for Christmas sales. Inside you’ll find custom-decorated wreaths and garlands.

The owners also pitch in on busy days, even helping guests find parking. That hands-on attitude makes a crowded weekend feel a lot less chaotic.

Planners get a perk here as well. You can pre-tag a tree early in the season, which locks in your favorite before anyone else spots it.

If you grew up near Hastings, you’ve probably heard of this place already. It’s an easy pick for families around Grand Island and Kearney too.

Address: 780 E 26th St, Hastings, NE 68901

9. Pinecrest Tree Farm

More than 50 years of selling Christmas trees will earn you a spot near the top. Pinecrest Tree Farm counts among the oldest and largest choose-and-cut operations in Nebraska.

The variety here is huge. You’ll find Scotch, white, Austrian, Ponderosa, and red pines, plus Douglas, Concolor, and Canaan firs.

Spruce lovers aren’t left out either. White, Norway, and Colorado spruces round out the fields.

Getting to your tree is part of the fun. Free wagon rides carry families out through the rows, which beats hiking with a toddler on your shoulders.

Then there’s the Christmas Shop, a 3,200-square-foot space packed with ornaments, tree toppers, and stockings. You can sip complimentary hot chocolate while you browse.

The shop even offers free ornament personalization. That’s a sweet way to mark the year your family found its tree here.

Planners can pre-tag a tree early in the fall, while the weather is still mild. For many southeast Nebraska families, coming back each year has become a holiday tradition.

Address: 503 S Walnut St, Blue Springs, NE 68318

10. Nordstrom’s Christmas Tree Farm

A vintage fire truck sealed the deal. Nordstrom’s Christmas Tree Farm in Omaha offers rides on a 1953 International Harvester fire truck, and that’s tough to beat.

Not into fire trucks? A standard tractor wagon also rolls through the fields.

Either way, you’re riding out to find your tree in style.

The family has been running this farm since 1970. That’s more than 50 years of Omaha families heading west to Pawnee Road each December.

Choose and cut your own Douglas fir or Concolor fir, or grab a pre-cut Fraser fir. The crew handles cutting, shaking, netting, and loading, so you won’t fight with twine in the parking area.

A heated sales barn gives you a spot to thaw out. Inside, a seasonal store stocks handmade gifts, and the free hot chocolate is a big part of the visit.

Dogs on a leash are welcome too, so the whole family can come. The farm also books photographer sessions by appointment throughout the year.

First-timers and longtime fans both find plenty to love here. History, extras, and a fire truck ride put Nordstrom’s at the top of our Nebraska list.

Address: 11401 Pawnee Rd, Omaha, NE 68142