7 Best Museums In Nebraska
You may not consider Nebraska a museum hub, but if you browse the Cornhusker State, diverse kernels of curiosity are preserved in myriad buildings. Want to learn about Antarctic dinosaurs? A former train station has you covered. Curious about the Cold War conflict? A giant hangar displays era-appropriate aircraft. Obsessed with the Oregon Trail? An archway across a highway traces that trail for modern adventurers. Here are the seven best museums in Nebraska.
The Durham Museum - Omaha
Located in Omaha's former Union Station, itself a preserve of Art Deco architecture and antique locomotives, the Durham Museum takes "eclectic" to a new level. It covers the history, science, culture, and industry of greater Omaha and the entire world, thanks to traveling exhibits linked with revered institutions like the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress. Guests can learn about everything from Abraham Lincoln to the World’s Fair of Aviation to Antarctic dinosaurs. After spanning the spectrum of subjects, span the spectrum of sweets at the museum's Soda Fountain, which serves candy, ice cream, and soda straight from the fountain dispenser, just like what sweets lovers experienced many decades ago.
Museum of American Speed - Lincoln
To satisfy a need for speed, rush to Lincoln for the Museum of American Speed. Established by Speedway Motors founder "Speedy" Bill Smith and his wife Joyce Smith, the museum displays more than 340 vehicles. It rotates over 600 engines in a massive facility, completing a recent 90,000-square-foot expansion. In 2021, USA Today readers voted the Museum of American Speed the best attraction for car lovers, and it is up again for the honor this year. Rest after exploring this giant monument to automotives by sitting for a brew at Witches’ Brew a couple of blocks away.
Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum - Ashland
What the Museum of American Speed is for car lovers, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) & Aerospace Museum is for plane lovers. This repository began in a former Cold War Air Force base and now houses tons of aircraft in an approximately 300,000-square-foot facility. Beyond planes and missiles like the B-52 Stratofortress and Convair SM-65 Atlas, the museum has an array of interactive exhibits ranging from a planetarium to a virtual-reality experience. There is even an SAC Lunch Café where you can unwind after your simulated cosmic adventure. More unwinding—or adventure—can be had outside the museum, since the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park and Eugene T. Mahoney State Park are a stone's throw away.
Stuhr Museum - Grand Island
Nebraska boasts prominent preserves of pioneer life, owing to its trailblazing history. One preserve is the Stuhr Museum in Grand Island. Named after Leo Stuhr, a local descendant of German pioneers, the museum's full title is the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer. It comprises 107 buildings and 140,456 artifacts on 208 acres of prairie. Highlights are Railroad Town, a living history community right out of 1890, and the Stuhr Building, a modernist architectural marvel centered on a round island on a round lake. Grand Island is a large city by Nebraskan standards, so museum guests can venture out to similarly stimulating sites like Pete's Safari in nearby Alda and the Island Oasis Water Park.
Joslyn Art Museum - Omaha
The Joslyn Art Museum puts the "fine" in fine art. Located in downtown Omaha near the aforementioned Children's Museum, this institution, according to its website, "represents 5,000 years of human creativity and the world’s diverse cultures" with over 12,000 pieces. They range from ancient ceramics to early American portraits to bronze statues filling a stunning sculpture garden. In addition to those permanent displays, the Joslyn welcomes temporary exhibitions like "The Floating World and Beyond: 200 Years of Japanese Prints," which is set to run until August 24, 2025. Cap off your tour with a focaccia caprese from the on-site Durham Cafe.
Great Platte River Road Archway Monument - Kearney
True to its name, the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument is an archway that honors the history of the Great Platte River Road. Long before it was a superhighway called Interstate 80, the road led trappers, traders, farmers, soldiers, builders, miners, Mormons, explorers, and Oregon Trail pioneers along the Platte River to greater opportunity in the west. The archway, which spans 308 feet across the I-80 near Kearney, hides a museum that traces that diverse past with interactive exhibits. Hop on over to the Fort Kearny State Historical Park for more interactivity, where you can trace the actual footsteps of Great Platte River Road warriors.
University of Nebraska State Museum - Lincoln
If it seems like Nebraska's museums pay scant attention to natural sciences, have your mind blown by the University of Nebraska State Museum (UNSM). Located in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Morrill Hall, the UNSM calls itself the "state's premier museum of natural history." Founded in 1871, it encompasses four levels, 70,000 square feet, and over 13 million specimens and artifacts. Many are displayed in exhibits like "Paleontology of Nebraska," "Hall of Nebraska Wildlife," and "Bizarre Beasts." Pair the UNSM with the Lied Center for Performing Arts and the International Quilt Museum during a comprehensive campus tour.
Although not especially known for its museums, Nebraska has a wealth of repositories for various subjects. Choosing the best of them is difficult, but by aggregating ratings and synopses from multiple sources, we landed on eight museums to encapsulate Nebraskan curiosity. From the Durham Museum in Omaha to the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum near Ashland to the University of Nebraska State Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska can pique all interests.
