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Wow, for a last minute stop and not researching this well, we were in for a surprise! From the moment we walked in, our jaws were hanging. The architecture and design are breathtaking. That alone is worth the stop. With extreme heat advisory issued for today, this made an excellent place for kids to explore indoors. We spent the better half of the day here. The Disney Hero & Villain display of costumes worn in certain Disney movies was on display in the lower level. My kids particularly loved the model train exhibit and Lego wall.
This was my second time visiting The Durham Museum, and it continues to impress. My first visit was during a free event honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and this most recent trip was with a group for the "Negro Motorist Green Book" exhibit. From start to finish, the experience was excellent. The museum provided discounted tickets for our nonprofit group, communicated clearly throughout the planning process, and had a tour guide ready who found us right away. That level of organization and customer care made a big difference. The exhibit itself was powerful and deeply educational, highlighting the history of the Green Book and the realities African American travelers faced during segregation. Through artifacts, photographs, and personal stories, it sparked meaningful conversations--especially among our younger visitors. I also really appreciate the museum's intentionality around inclusivity and programming. You can feel that it's a space designed to educate and welcome a wide range of audiences. The museum itself is on the smaller side, with exhibits primarily on the lower level, which actually made it manageable for our group to move through at different paces. My kids love the super long train you can walk through and the nearby play area. Practical perks matter too--there's plenty of parking (a huge plus), and they even offer umbrella strollers to borrow, which is incredibly thoughtful for families. Overall, a meaningful, well-run experience that I would absolutely recommend--whether you're visiting on your own, with family, or as part of a group.
Stopped by the Durham to check out the new exhibits. Kids enjoyed the Elves scavenger hunt. The hockey exhibit was also great with a ton of interactive activities. Also like to see the amazing Nebraska history...always learn something new! Always great to see the Christmas tree and a visit to the cafe. Had our staple meatball sliders with chips and a drink for $13. The slider buns were cold, but otherwise a great lunch. Great way to end the year...or start the next one!
The Durham is one of my favorite places in Omaha, and I love the ever-changing exhibits they have, which have always been stimulating and fun to explore! I have been at all times of the year, and it has always been very interactive and enjoyable to visit with family and friends. Their recent Aksarben Ball exhibit was super interesting, and I love that this museum highlights local history, both in their permanent displays and rotating ones. I have also been to their history of toys exhibit, which was very fun and family-friendly. Their cafe is delicious and very cute; the fun soda-pop diner theme is very on-theme for the Durham. The Christmas display was impressive, and the live music made the experience even more memorable. I am excited to see what the Durham offers in the future!
I've lived in the Omaha area since 1994 (and 1979 to 1981 before that) but have never visited the Durham museum. It was a cold day, so we wanted to go somewhere indoors this week, and I decided to try the Durham. We both had a great time. I am a huge fan of the Art Deco style, and the Durham is a beautiful example. The staff were extremely friendly throughout. My wife loved the train cars downstairs, especially the steam engine and the caboose. She also had a good time looking at the Aksarben gowns. We're not hockey fans, but the hockey exhibit was very popular. My wife already had plans for our lunch and we didn't eat at the soda fountain, but the menu looked good and the prices were reasonable. We both enjoyed the gift shop and I made a few purchases. While checking out, we were told that their cash register system was getting an upgrade this week and would accept contactless payments like Apple Pay after the upgrade. Overall a great visit. I'll have to keep an eye out for the rotating exhibits and visit again when I see something interesting.
I got a Durham Museum membership as a gift for my husband for Christmas, and we've visited many times since becoming members! The Durham has several permanent exhibits like the Harriman Train exhibit, where you can walk through actual train cars from the 1940s, the Byron Reed gallery that houses historical coins and documents, and the Baright Gallery that transports you back to the frontier times of Omaha - and many more exhibits in the permanent collection! We definitely took our time going through all these permanent exhibits and only made it through a tiny bit. You can spend the whole day just at these permanent exhibits, so we will certainly be back to explore those more. The rotating collections are fabulous also. So far we have visited for the Julia Child exhibit, Toytopia, and the Sherri Geeredes costume collection for the Rose Theater. I think my favorite of these was Julia Child: A Recipe for Life. It was so cool to see Julia's life through this exhibit and participate in the interactive bits. (Being filmed on a replica of her set, sit in a tub to recreate her iconic photo with her husband Paul, and creating your own recipe for a meal almost like a video game.) The Toytopia exhibit was also very cool, seeing the popular toys from each decade. There were lots of fun things to interact with here, too, like a giant Etch a Sketch, a Zoltar machine like from the movie Big, and a huge silver Monopoly car. The only thing I'd say about this one is that it definitely was geared more towards kids (there were literally a thousand kids playing with all the items) which is totally fine, but just be aware if you are childless and wanting to check out an exhibit like this. We've also visited the Hitchcock Museum Gift Shop and the Soda Fountain cafe in the Great Hall. The museum shop is great and always has some items based around the current exhibits (we bought some fun vintage-inspired toys during the Toytopia exhibit). And the Soda Fountain has actual food but it's the treats that are heavenly, like root beer floats, black cows, and phosphates! We are super lucky to have a museum of this high quality right here in Omaha, and I definitely recommend getting a membership or checking it out once to see if you think its worth it to sign up (it is!)
I love the Durham!!!! I always have a great time here. I absolutely the different exhibits and there is so much to see. I always bring my family and friends when they visit and they love it too. It's such a great price and the membership is even better since I love coming to all the exhibits. Thank you to The Durham!
Extensive museum with displays and activities to engage all ages! My wife and I especially liked the chance to walk through train cars and imagine what it would have been like to travel years ago. We also enjoyed the short film about Omaha's history -- between that and the many exhibits, we learned a lot about the early years of this fine city. And oh, what a lot of interesting history! In addition, we had a delicious lunch at the throwback cafe--most especially the old-fashioned soda and the Art Deco Delight Sundae.
Beautiful art deco museum with a fun old time soda fountain..gorgeous train lobby, soda fountain and restaurant serving foods and some jerk pulled drinks...trains, cars, and plenty of history from the plains..recommended
Always a new experience with each exhibit. Christmas, enjoy a tree that rivals Rockefeller Center and trees from around the world with their individualized decorations. Julia Child earlier this year along with white Christmas costumes to add to the holiday spirit. Now, enjoy the very special display of costumes from the Rose theater collection - Such creativity! Add to it in the special exhibit area the Toytopia which will bring back childhood memories from all the games and toys you enjoyed! The building's retro style, gift shop with special items for any occasion, and the standing exhibits that include model trains, history of Omaha, and many other delights. Highly recommend the membership so that you can go back and enjoy the different exhibits throughout the year.
We had a fabulous family visit to the Durham Museum to extend our seasonal celebration of Christmas. From the parking lot to the end, we had a great experience from start to finish. The Durham Museum used to be the main train station during the 1898 exhibition in Omaha. It is now a beautifully renovated and maintained museum. The facade is pristine washed and stunning. The moment you walk in, the sites fill you with wonder. Shining gold and silver window treatments and wall/ceiling designs. Gorgeous marble and stone walls and pillars. And of course, a 40 foot tall Christmas tree. Absolutely stunning! Prices were fairly reasonable: $8 for kids, $12 for seniors, and $15 for adults. We did wish it was less for kids, but well worth the cost! They had a great activity for the kids. They had a sheet with 9 pictures of cartoon elves. The 9 elves had life-size displays throughout the lower level. If the kids found all nine, and took "s-Elfys", they could get a jolly rancher on the way out. The kids loved the challenge and we found all 9! We enjoyed the Christmas tree displays on the first floor, but the lower level is where the magic happens. Full of interactive and life size displays/exhibits about Nebraska history, we learned a lot and had a hoot doing it! Some highlights included a massive train maintained to look like a luxury old-time train liner, an ancient Wells Fargo Wagon, and a history film. We also visited the dual-special exhibit: 1. Costumes from the movie "White Christmas" and 2. Julia Childs wardrobe, props, and history. We absolutely loved this interactive exhibit and learned so much. There was also so much we didn't see at the museum...we'll have to go back! For example, they have diner modeled after the 30's and 40's. It looked yummy and fun. So you could definitely visit during a meal time. We look forward to future visits, but for sure during the holiday season!
Loved this museum. Attended a private dinner event, which included the museum. The museum provides the context behind the founding of Omaha and continued westward expansion of our country. Wonderful luxury train cars to explore and a whole lot more. Was the highlight of my week-long visit to the area.
15 years ago
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801 S 10th St
Omaha, NE 68108
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(402) 509-3633
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https://durhammuseum.org
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