# State tourism grants to boost volleyball bid, visitor center  
**Published:** 2026-05-19T10:15:47.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-tourism-grants-benefit-international-volleyball-event-in-omaha-lewis-clark-visitor-center/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/state-tourism-grants-to-boost-volleyball-bid-visitor-center

The Nebraska Tourism Commission has awarded two grants totaling $325,000 to support a potential international volleyball championship and a historic visitor center in Nebraska City, according to [the Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-tourism-grants-benefit-international-volleyball-event-in-omaha-lewis-clark-visitor-center/).

The Omaha Sports Commission will receive $175,000 to fund marketing efforts for a potential FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship event in 2027. [The tournament will be held in Canada and the United States](https://www.fivb.com/volleyball-world-championships-lock-in-future-hosts-usa-canada-to-co-host-womens-2027-edition-qatar-awarded-mens-2029/), with [pool play and round of 16 matches taking place in four additional host cities, two in the U.S. and two in Canada](https://usavolleyball.org/story/fivbs-womens-volleyball-world-championship-comes-to-the-u-s-and-canada-in-2027/). Omaha is competing with other cities to become one of those host locations.

The commission also awarded $50,000 in a separate marketing grant for the same volleyball event. According to Jenn Gjerde, Visit Nebraska executive director, if Omaha is not selected as a host city, the $175,000 appropriated through the state budget will not be allocated to the project.

The second grant recipient, the Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Interpretive Visitor Center in Nebraska City, will receive $150,000 to address operational needs following a loss of federal funding. The funds serve as "bridge" support as the center works on longer-term sustainability plans, said Doug Friedli, the center's executive director.

The visitor center, located on nearly 80 acres overlooking the Missouri River, features [full-sized replicas of the Lewis and Clark Expedition's keelboat and a Plains Indian earth lodge, along with interactive exhibits and nature trails](https://lewisandclarkvisitorcenter.org/exhibits/). The grants were included in the state budget bill approved by the Nebraska Legislature and will be administered through Visit Nebraska.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-tourism-grants-benefit-international-volleyball-event-in-omaha-lewis-clark-visitor-center/)
- [FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship host information](https://www.fivb.com/volleyball-world-championships-lock-in-future-hosts-usa-canada-to-co-host-womens-2027-edition-qatar-awarded-mens-2029/)
- [USA Volleyball details on 2027 championship](https://usavolleyball.org/story/fivbs-womens-volleyball-world-championship-comes-to-the-u-s-and-canada-in-2027/)
- [Lewis and Clark Interpretive Visitor Center exhibits](https://lewisandclarkvisitorcenter.org/exhibits/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-tourism-grants-benefit-international-volleyball-event-in-omaha-lewis-clark-visitor-center/.