I'll admit that the only thing about this museum that I experience was the basement, which to most…read morepeople is the most interesting part. What I'm talking about is the history of Kool Aid! Kool Aid is a brand we don't hear very much about anymore, unless we're talking about cults. But the town of Hastings does take pride that the founder of Kool Aid is from there. There is a huge detailed display about the evolution of Kool Aid, and its very cool to learn about. Remember the Kool Aid toys and collectibles we all grew up with, regardless of generation? They're all there. And you can also watch a montage of classic Kool Aid commercials while there. There's a statue of the Kool Aid Man outside the museum as well. I feel really bad that I didn't check out other parts of the museum (I think there are 3 floors...) as it talks about the natural history as well as the agriculture and cultural part of the town. But maybe for another time....

OK, this museum is a lot of fun. There is a lot to do for families of all ages and groups of all…read moresizes. We got there and came in and we're looking at the animal exhibits when someone mentioned that a planetarium show was about to start about black holes, so we went inside and my cousin and I both adults and three young children under 10 took our seats and really enjoyed the approximately 20 minute presentation on black holes, looking up at the ceiling in the projection and it was a lot of fun. There are multiple types of exhibits in the museum, including a really cool area celebrating Kool-Aid. Because apparently Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska. Who knew?! There is a antique car exhibit in the basement area as well and a Lego section that is interactive, and the whole experience was really nice. The bathrooms near the Lego exhibit were clean. We used the elevator to go between floors because my cousin has lots of small children in a rolling stroller/cart, and there's a little gift shop with fun things to view and purchase and I would definitely recommend if you're in the Hastings area. You spend some time here..

What an amazing haven of automotive history! So many interesting cars to see and take me back to…read moremy high school days when I first fell in love with Corvairs. They even have an Air B&B that's really nice. I'm told that they are just beginning and have plans to make this a world-class venue with all kinds of interactive exhibits. I know this will be a destination I will visit often.

Pretty good at showing what early settler life in the area was like in a variety of ways. The…read moremuseum exhibits -- in two separate buildings -- are slightly dated collections of objects and info about aspects of typical life. Then the Railroad Town gives depth to that experience, with relocated historic buildings staffed with living history. Considering the size of the town and daily operations, it makes sense that every building can't always be staffed -- and if they were, it'd sure take a long time to get through. The main exhibit building itself is a bit ridiculously grand: why is it surrounded by a moat and have fountains in the middle? That design would make more sense for an art museum maybe.

A huge amount of buildings and cool old things to see and touch! Our three and five year old…read moreenjoyed it and we stopped for lunch at the cafe which was very tasty. A worthwhile visit for sure! Friendly and fun workers there as well.

My family and I stopped here as we were on an RV tour across the country. Our two boys six and four…read morewith thrilled to go inside. This place was done very very well. It was laid out well. It was a great experience. I brought you from when people started going out west to currently it was an amazing experience. I left that place more educated about the Westwood experience that I have ever learned in college or in high school. Our boy said that was the best part of their day going through that pioneer museum. Does it look like a lot from the outside but if you have kids or are you interested in history is definitely worth to stop.

We visited The Archway and came away with mixed feelings--mostly because this just isn't a great…read morefit for families with very young kids. Ours are aged 8 and 2. When you enter, you're given a handheld device to scan exhibit numbers and listen to narration. In theory, it's a cool idea. In reality, it was tough to manage while chasing kids who were already 10-15 steps ahead. The device didn't always work smoothly, and trying to troubleshoot it mid-visit was frustrating. I eventually gave up and just narrated what I could myself. I expected we'd move through quickly because of the kids' ages, but the bigger issue is that the museum really isn't designed for younger audiences. Lots of stuff to read, pictures, very few artifacts, and of course, the handheld narration. That said--the displays themselves are beautifully done. You start by riding a very tall escalator "up a mountain" into the exhibit, which is a memorable entrance. I also went in thinking it would focus mostly on pioneers, but it's actually a broader (and well-done) journey through transportation history--pioneers, the railroad, automobiles, road trips, and more. One of the coolest features is that the museum spans over Interstate 80, and there are windows where you can look out over the traffic below. Where it fell short for me was in representation and storytelling. There was very little inclusion of Black history--only a brief mention of a Black pioneer. When covering the rise of car travel, it felt like a missed opportunity not to include the history of the Green Book. The exhibits often present travel as carefree and joyful, but that wasn't the reality for everyone. There's also a mining activity area (the typical "buy a bag and wash rocks" setup), which felt overpriced. One unexpected highlight: seeing people fishing outside the building. You can actually buy poles and bait inside, which my son was very interested in (we skipped it this time, but maybe next visit).

My seven year old son and I visited this amazing place yesterday. This was the main highlight of…read moreour mini vacation. If you are a history buff, this place is for you! If you are a motor head, this place is for you! If you a hunter, this place is for you! If you are a fan of airplanes, this place is for you! I was amazed with all the items that are within the 26 different buildings. The pictures attached is a small glimpse of what is beheld. The main facility is a former car dealership from probably the 30s or 40s. They have a camp site right next to the campus. There is also a sign for a motel, next door, they own, but it did not look active.

Very nice people to deal with, relatively easy spaces to get into. Very interesting collection of…read moreAmericana, and a much better drive than interstate 80!

What a great little museum and very interactive! They had QR codes for certain areas that gave a…read moredescription of what you were seeing. They also had a special area for military memorabilia. Very interesting and worth the visit. They also had outbuildings that we weren't able to see because of time constraints. They should be very proud of what they've accomplished.

Great museum along I80. Great stuff for the kids, definitely worth the time out of the car on a…read morelong road trip.

We came for a field trip, and the staff seemed completely annoyed by the kids the whole time. They…read morewere trying to act like their teachers, instead of making things fun. I'm just saying, those people that work there should NOT be working with children.

The Edgerton Explorit Center is a stop on the 2023 Passport program and that is what brought us to…read moreAurora. Easy parking, great outdoor landscaping and a warm welcome was a great way to start our visit. Gift shop items were displayed in the lobby area and had a STEAM (science/technology/engineering/arts/math) focus. We toured the Doc Edgerton displays and activities (one was not working) that had interactive pieces. The central area would appeal to children of all ages with learn thru play components making bubbles, building blocks, pattern connections, memory sequence competitions and more. One of the stations was missing pieces but worker bees were swarming and resetting stations on our visit. Admission was $10 and you could spend 3-4 hours and keep busy. We did not make it down to the lower level. Restrooms needed attention, but we stopped during a busy time so that may have contributed. If you are looking for a fun place to spend a day immersed in learning and exploring with your children, this would be a great stop.

On Sat May 16th your 55 grain 223 ammo destroyed on of my rifles at Volusia Top Gun in Daytona…read moreBeach FL. They're one of your largest customers in Central FL. They shipped my rifle to you. It was evaluated by a gentleman named Matt Ritchie. He confirmed it was your ammo that was in my gun but then refused to do the right thing and replace my gun because he fired more ammo through the gun without issue. Read that again, your employee admitted it was your ammo but refused to replace my rifle. The range manager at Volusia Top Gun was the person shooting the gun when your round fluttered down the range and blue smoke came out of every opening in my gun. The owner of Volusia Top Gun can confirm that I go through many thousands of rounds of Hornady ammo every year. I'm currently sitting on a large stockpile of your ammo. I would appreciate somebody from Hornady reaching out to me and offering to do the right thing.

Hornady Mfg/ammo co. sent me a letter that literally promotes price-jacking by their vendors as a…read moreway to curtail frenzied ammo buying/hoarding. So basically, Hornady's answer to the ammo shortage, is to make their ammo so expensive that, average American patriots can't afford to buy it, leaving it all to the wealthiest people who don't blink an eye at their obscene and exploitive pricing!...Corporate America: Continuing its traitorous march.

Come and support this museum! The sweet lady at the front/cashier did an excellent job of sharing…read morethe history of the museum. It has seen its shares of up and downs and currently runs on donations. The amazing people that donate their beautiful vehicles for public viewing help to fund the museum. Our family loved viewing history through the automobiles. The exhibits update constantly. You never know which vehicles you may catch that have been in films or driven by famous people. There is a huge selection of cars from the early model Fords all the way to late model Chevys and Dodge.

Very impressed with this museum. The vehicles are spectacular and the people were very…read moreknowledgeable and passionate about cars! A must-see museum.