Need an indoor activity? We love going to museums! There are museums for all ages in our area.
Great Plains Art Museum has collections of permanent and traveling art exhibits. It features contemporary artists and indigenous art. On the first Friday of each month, it has an evening event, often with an accompanying activity. (FREE Admission)
International Quilt Museum has the world's largest publicly held quilt collection! There are family-friendly events offered monthly including "My Doll an I" and "Sewing Saturday." (FREE Admission on First Fridays.)
Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum is on UNL's East Campus and has dozens of tractors. We visited with friends when our kids were little and they adored seeing all of the equipment. We made an afternoon out of it and walked over to the UNL Dairy Store for a little ice cream afterwards.
Lincoln Children's Museum is three stories of hands-on learning in Downtown Lincoln. They recently added the LNKLab, a world of discovery for kids aged 8-12-great for older siblings! When my kids were little it felt like we lived at the Lincoln Children's Museum (they still talk about the pizza making exhibit).
Morrill Hall is a natural history museum with fossils, rocks, history and my personal favorite-dinosaurs! I spent countless hours with my kids in the Marx Discovery Center digging for dino bones. Morrill Hall's "Dinosaurs and Disasters", happening in February, is an annual event favorite of our family.
Museum of American Speed is a car aficionado's dream. Their collection focuses on racing cars and the history of racing cars. My favorite part in the museum is the memorabilia area which has a collection of vintage lunch boxes.
National Museum of Roller Skating is a Historical Memorabilia Museum which just celebrated its 45th anniversary. This is the only museum in our guide that I have not been to and it is on my "2026 Places to Go List." (FREE Admission)
Nebraska History Museum offers three floors of exhibits with state history, ranging from Native American cultures to modern Nebraska life. There are interactive family-friendly areas like "Play Unplugged-Historic Games and Pastimes."
Sheldon Museum of Art is now offering great events including like a monthly Family Day and Yoga in Sheldon's Great Hall. I love bringing kids-young and old-to the Sheldon. When my kids were little, I would always ask them what they saw when we looked at abstract art and I was continually surprised and delighted by their answers. (FREE Admission)
Check our calendar for more information on events in town.
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From left to right: An old fashioned school room at Nebraska History Museum, two children looking at a piece of art at Sheldon Museum of Art, a child using a microscope at Morrill Hall and children building at Lincoln Children's Museum.
