City: Omaha, NE

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (402) 472-2642

Description: The University of Nebraska State Museum is on the UNL campus and is a museum experience that no kid should miss, for the sheer fact that every kid will love it.The first floor of the museum has lots of hands-on exhibits that let kids do things like touch a magpie, hear a rattlesnake, and visit the Discovery room, full of hands-on natural wonders. The Hall of Nebraska wildlife introduces visitors to all the plants and animals that live in Nebraska. There’s also a special Charles Darwin exhibit. The main floor of the museum is devoted to paleontology in Nebraska, and includes the main attraction: a collection of ancient elephants. Elephant Hall includes mounts of modern and ancient elephants, including one of the world’s largest mammoth skeletons (I still remember seeing this in person as a child and being totally in awe). Visitors can touch a two-billion-year-old fossil and play paleontologist with interactive exhibits. The Mueller Planetarium gives regular shows; check the museum’s website for show times and costs. The museum’s third floor explores the heritage of Native American and African cultures. Colorful costumes, artifacts, and pottery show African and Native American people’s contributions to world culture and the United States. The Cooper Gallery plays host to a number of traveling special exhibitions.