Home › Blog

The Best Wellness Retreats in Nebraska: Three Quiet Places Between Omaha, Lincoln and the Platte Valley

The best wellness retreats in Nebraska are about silence and space rather than spa treatments. The state's strongest retreat houses sit in the rolling country of eastern Nebraska, all within about an hour and a half of Omaha or Lincoln, and each offers something different: a structured three-day silent weekend, a flexible private stay of as long as you need, or a large lakeside center with room for groups. Here are three, with details checked on each center's own website in October 2026.

At a glance

1. The Cloisters on the Platte, Gretna

The Cloisters on the Platte was built by Joe Ricketts, the founder of TD Ameritrade, after an annual Jesuit silent retreat in Minnesota became a fixture of his life. Completed in 2017, it sits near the Platte River on a site chosen, in the center's words, for a rare combination of natural isolation and easy access to the highways, which in practice means about half an hour from either Omaha or Lincoln.

The format is fixed, and that is the appeal. Every retreat runs from Thursday, with registration between 4pm and 6pm and dinner afterwards, to 12:30pm on Sunday. Silence starts after dinner on Thursday and lasts until the end. The weekends teach and practise the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and you are expected to attend the talks; people of all faiths with an interest are welcome. Retreats are run separately for women and for men, and there is a marriage retreat.

• Address: 23332 Fishery Road, Gretna, NE 68028.
• Contact: (402) 509-6250 for general questions; (402) 672-1551 for signing up for or changing a retreat.
• Cost: no set fee. The foundation asks each retreatant to make a goodwill offering of whatever they decide.
• Rule to know: you must stay for the whole retreat. If you cannot, the center asks you to reschedule.

2. Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House, Waverly

Good Counsel is the Diocese of Lincoln's retreat house, set among the rolling hills of eastern Nebraska just outside Waverly, a short drive from Lincoln. It is the most flexible of the three. You can come for a themed weekend retreat, a desert day, or an Ignatian directed retreat of four or eight days, which involves four or five prayer periods of meditation and scripture each day. You can also book a private retreat: the house describes it as a free schedule of prayer, silence, rest and guidance for as long as you need.

The campus also takes groups, schools, conferences and corporate retreats. The chapel seats up to 100, catering is available, and all the private rooms and meeting areas have free Wi-Fi, so it suits a team day as well as a solitary stay. Many retreats are also offered virtually, with livestreamed and recorded talks.

• Address: 7303 N. 112th Street, Waverly, NE 68462.
• Contact: 402-786-2705.
• Booking: register for scheduled retreats on the retreat house website; ask about private retreat dates and costs directly.

3. St. Benedict Center, Schuyler

St. Benedict Center is the retreat and conference center of Christ the King Priory, a community of Missionary Benedictine monks near Schuyler, about 75 minutes west of Omaha. It calls itself an oasis of peace and welcomes people of all faiths. It is the largest of the three, with space for up to 100 overnight guests and 300 day guests, and it is fully accessible for people with disabilities.

The grounds are a big part of the draw: there is a lake, outdoor Stations of the Cross and a labyrinth for walking meditation, alongside a small chapel and a large worship space. You can book an individual retreat, join a scheduled program, or meet a spiritual director. Upcoming programs include a contemplative prayer retreat on 20 November and a day retreat on 11 December. The monks' daily prayer, from Vigils and Lauds at 6am to Compline in the evening, is open to guests.

• Address: Christ the King Priory, 1123 Road I, Schuyler, NE 68661.
• Contact: 402-352-2177.
• Cost: not published on the main pages; ask when you book. The center offers scholarships and says nobody who wants to come on retreat should stay away for financial reasons.

Which to choose

• For a complete, structured silent weekend: The Cloisters on the Platte.
• For a private stay on your own schedule, or a longer directed retreat: Good Counsel in Waverly.
• For a group, or for open grounds and a lake to walk by: St. Benedict Center in Schuyler.

How to plan a retreat in Nebraska

All three are Catholic in tradition and all three welcome guests of other faiths or none. Two of them work on offerings or scholarships rather than a fixed rate, so ask what is expected before you go rather than assuming a retreat is out of reach. Eastern Nebraska winters are cold and windy, and spring and autumn are the best seasons for walking the grounds, but the silent retreats run all year.

If you are new to this, read what a silent retreat is before you go. For neighbouring states, see the best retreats in Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Colorado, check what a wellness retreat costs, or go back to the Retreat Central homepage.

Sources: The Cloisters on the Platte, FAQs; The Cloisters on the Platte, history; Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House; St. Benedict Center, Christ the King Priory.