Durham Museum - Omaha, Nebraska

The Durham Museum is considered one of Omaha, Nebraska’s most unique treasures. Recently renamed from the Durham  Museum, it has been open since 1931, the museum is located inside an art deco building and takes a look at the history of Omaha, with interactive hands-on education.

This unique building holding the museum was previously known as Union Station and had been used by Union Pacific Railroad. It was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood in the classic art deco style and was meant to be a showpiece for headquarters of the railroad. As many as 10,000 people traveled through Union Station on a daily basis during a time when train travel was the way to go, yet when passenger service was discontinued in 1972, the City of Omaha bought the station, turned it into the Western Heritage Museum, and attached the Durham name in honor of the people that were integral to restoring the building.  The museum is now known as The Durham Museum.

The Durham Museum has many permanent galleries to draw in visitors, starting with Union Station Gallery, honoring the building’s heritage. Another great historical exhibit is the Baright Home & Family Gallery, a look back at the homes of the area throughout history, from a rawhide teepee to a worker’s cottage to an English Tudor-Revival home. The Byron Reed Collection amounts to a collection of coins and documents that had been personally collected by Reed and donated to Omaha after his death in 1891. The museum often has temporary exhibits as well, that take a look at things such as gems and minerals, the UNMC College of Medicine, and holiday miniatures.

When Union Station was still operational, it included a gift shop and soda fountain. While a museum gift shop is located elsewhere in the building, an operational old time soda fountain has been resurrected in the original spot of the gift shop and soda fountain. Also on site, the Adah & Leon Millard Foundation Library and Resource Center continues to add to its collection continuously. The museum often has special events as well, such as holiday events like Christmas at Union Station and a tree lighting ceremony.

Education is always important at the museum, and it starts with the children. There are Saturday workshops, including reading and crafts, a director’s tour of the museum, and cooking classes. Summer day camps are held as well for children in Kindergarten through age 12, and include themes like Wizard School and Log Cabin Living. School and Scout groups are equally important to the museum, and while the school programs include several different age related themes, the scout programs include themed workshops and camp-ins. Adult programs are available as well, with visiting speakers and docent training for the museum.

The Durham Museum is open Tuesdays from 10:00 AM through 8:00 PM, Wednesdays through Saturdays 10:00 AM through 5:00 PM, and Sundays 1:00 PM through 5:00 PM. It is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Members and Children under 2 are admitted for free, with adults paying $6.00, seniors $5.00, and children 3 through 12 $4.00.

Durham Museum
(Formerly the Durham Western Heritage Museum)
801 South 10th Street
Omaha, NE 68108
Phone: (402) 444-5071
Fax: (402) 444-5397

Durham Museum - Omaha, Nebraska