Last Christmas, we went back home to visit my parents and found ourselves with 3 little kids who…read morewere going stir crazy. Since it was literally 0 degrees outside, we decided to hit up this museum. There are a ton of different play areas, including a pizzeria, grocery store, dress-up area, doctor's office, and even an infant play area. Some of the toys have seen better days, but the kids did not care one bit. We went on a weekday afternoon and had the place to ourselves! Admission is $5 for each person over age 1, which seems reasonable since the kids could have stayed here for hours. Our kids were ranging in age from 8 months to 2.5 years old, but the museum also would be good for kids who are older. All in all, the kids had fun and there were quite a few tears when we had to leave.

Who knew my favorite children's museum so far would be in a small town in Nebraska. I guess I have…read moremy husband's obsession with morel mushrooms for helping me find this gem It's only been around for a little over a year and it's the cleanest and most modern I have ever seen any museum and at one point we were the only family there on a Sunday for a solid hour or more. It's also small that you don't end up dying there but still packs a punch and not so big that you can prob feel safe letting your older ish kids out of your sight a bit and not worry too much about them getting in danger. I actually don't like to let ppl know about special finds like this as I worry it will become too popular but the distance will prob keep us from visiting too often or at least for a while. The staff is incredibly nice , welcoming , friendly and helpful and if you have a membership to the Omaha children's museum or probably any children's museum you can either most likely get in free or at a discount. Otherwise I believe it was $14 for each person which then can also be turned into a traveling membership too. Also even the playground on the outside is pretty incredible and that one is just free to use for the public.

Always clean, helpful staff, and my kids love it! I feel…read morelike it's worth it to get a year membership and come often! Great place, lots to do, and just soooo awesome!

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!

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..

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.

Looking for history about Kearney and the surrounding area? Then stop by for a guided tour…read more Interesting buildings are well kept and maintained. There is no air conditioning, so choose a cool day or early afternoon. The tour guided was knowledgeable, entertaining, and informative about the origins of all the buildings.

From the owner: The Trails & Rails Museum -Buffalo County Historical Society, has six historic buildings to tour…read morethrough, as well as a livery barn, the JC Marlatt blacksmith shop, and a Union Pacific steam engine and caboose. The Family History Center serves as the new Museum welcome center and gift shop and also houses the extensive archive department used by researchers world-wide. Join us for several special events through-out the year! The Trails & Rails Museum is located on the original Mormon Trail route (current 11th St.) Please check our web site for additional details and special events.

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.

meat was too dry and salty. tables clean. fries tasted good. should add sweet fries to menuread more

We were on a tour to see the Sandhill Crane Migration and part of the tour included a visit to the…read moreMuseum of Nebraska Art in Kearney. The museum is a multi story facility located in an old post office. The architectural detail of the building is nice and the art to be found inside is quite surprising. Three levels of art work either with a Nebraska theme or composed by an artist who resides or has resided in Nebraska. Some very nice pieces. There is also a bronze sculpture garden in the back of the building. If you are passing anywhere near Kearney, you should stop in and check it out.

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.