The Durham Museum

The Durham Museum may be the best single stop for understanding Omaha, and the building is half the reason. It occupies the former Union Station, an Art Deco landmark that opened in 1931 when Omaha was one of the major rail gateways of the Plains. Designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the station's Great Hall has a vast vaulted ceiling, terrazzo floors and brass fixtures that make the room feel like a cathedral built for travelers. Rescued from demolition and reopened as a museum, it now holds galleries on regional history, restored railcars you can walk through, and a rotating schedule of traveling exhibitions that bring national collections to the Midwest. The permanent displays tell Omaha's story through its major forces: the Union Pacific Railroad, which chose the city as its eastern terminus; the Missouri River trade; the stockyards and meatpacking that fed the nation; and the immigrant neighborhoods that built the city. Kids love the train cars and the old streetcar, while adults tend to linger over the Great Hall itself and the photographs of crowds passing through the station during the war years. A classic soda fountain on the premises serves ice cream treats in a mid-century setting, and it is a pleasant reward after the exhibits.

Allow about two hours for the permanent galleries and a little extra for a traveling exhibition if one is open. Check the museum's website for hours, admission, and the current traveling show, since special exhibitions are the main reason the schedule and ticket details change. The location, on the south edge of downtown, is a short walk from the Old Market and the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, so the museum fits easily into a downtown day on foot.

For the best experience, begin in the Great Hall and take a minute to look up before moving into the galleries. The train cars are the highlight for families, and the Omaha history exhibits provide context for what you will see in the rest of the city, including the Old Market warehouses and the riverfront. If you travel with children, ask about family activity days and hands-on stations, and plan to end at the soda fountain.

The museum also hosts lectures, film nights and seasonal events in the Great Hall, including holiday programs that make a wintertime visit especially appealing. It is a smart choice on a cold or rainy day, and a good way to prepare for the trolley tours, because the same era of rail, river and gangster history echoes through the ghost stories. Combine it with Joslyn Art Museum for a museum day, or finish with dinner in the Old Market.

Small details elevate the visit. Look for the original station details that survive from the era when the building handled crowds of passengers, from the grand scale of the Great Hall to the fixtures and signage. The soda fountain serves real scooped treats rather than acting as a prop, so budget a little extra for a float or sundae.

Traveling exhibitions often have a separate ticket or timed entry, and popular shows can sell out on weekends, so check ahead. Accessible entrances and elevators serve the building, and benches in the Great Hall give weary walkers a place to rest. The gift shop is stocked with regional history books and gifts.