Nebraska History Museum — Attraction in Lincoln

Devastated and Heartbroken

I'm a 50-year-old native of Lincoln. I've been to the museum more times can I can remember over the years. The last time was around 2010. In a nutshell, the museum has been absolutely gutted of all the history that used to be on display. All the detailed, lovingly hand-crafted exhibits are completely gone. In their place, empty space, and discombobulated, sterile scraps of what once was, encased in plexiglass.

If you have been to the museum before it was gutted about 8 years back (as I understand it), DO NOT GO BACK. It's better to have the memory of the old museum in all its glory, than see what it has become. So much of our heritage (from Native American to present) has been completely erased and flushed down the memory hole. It's an anti-history museum now.

Oh, and to rub salt further in the wound, it is no longer free...

I took my grandson recently visited and the museum has changed a lot since I was there with my kids. Certainly a lot of content related to Nebraska history, but there seems to be much more emphasis on pictures and narratives related to cultural and political aspects of Nebraska History, and less emphasis on artifacts other than small bits of this and that, and not as much related to how people lived in Nebraska in the past. Seemed more than a bit out of balance in that way. I enjoyed it quite a bit less than I did the old layout.

Pluses, staff was friendly and the gift shop had a very nice variety museum gifty things not drastically overpriced like many museum/gallery/zoo...

This Is actually a really cool museum. Lots of interesting facts about Nebraska but also lots of fun. The top floor was a bunch of games played in Nebraska from hula hooping to lawn darts to giant connect four. Then there is also a really cool crafts / drawing area. The gift shop was cool. We got some break open your own geode kits. Although the brand kits they were kind of sucked and I hope they consider getting a different brand, that was the only complaint I have. The gift shop also has crickets inside candy, wish my niece was super excited about and ate. Yuck. In case you're wondering she says that they taste nutty. Anyway fun...