Durham Museum

THE DURHAM MUSEUM

HOP ABOARD HISTORY AT OMAHA’S TREASURED UNION STATION

Omaha’s former Union Station is filled with an extraordinary array of permanent exhibits highlighting the region’s history and a broad range of traveling exhibitions. Here visitors can tour restored train cars, see 1940s store fronts, and view an array of historical artifacts native to the region. Remarkable architecture is just one of the many reasons The Durham Museum has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Enter the museum and its Great Hall and you’re immediately transported to the grandeur of the 1930s. Millions of people traveled by train through Omaha between 1931-1971. They stepped off the train to see what you’ll marvel at today: classic Art Deco style highlighted by terrazzo tile flooring, cathedral-like windows, 13-ft.-tall chandeliers, and a ceiling of gold leaf design in the main waiting room. Bronze statues of couples, military men, and children placed throughout come alive with stories of people who once passed through the train station.

Elsewhere in the museum, experience Omaha’s history through a variety of permanent exhibits. Learn how people traveled through the years, from covered wagons to passenger trains and streetcars. Stroll through train cars from the 1940s and 1950s. Discover the fascinating culture of the Omaha Native American Tribe by stepping into a rawhide tepee or sitting by the fire in a replica earth lodge. Peek into the home of blue-collar workers to experience the way families lived over 100 years ago. View some of the rarest coins and documents in the world in the Byron Reed Collection and walk through the Buffett Grocery Store, a replica of the original 1915 store operated by three generations of the storied Buffett family. Visiting with kids? The model trains delight visitors of all ages. The train set represents Union Pacific’s main line from Omaha to Ogden, UT and has interactive features allowing visitors to lower the crossing guards and turn on the lights. Kids also enjoy The Platform, an interactive STEAM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) space. Take a break during your visit to enjoy the train station’s original 1930s soda fountain. Order an old-fashioned phosphate made with your favorite flavoring and soda water straight out of the fountain dispenser. Add hand-scooped ice cream to make a luscious ice cream float or order up a malt, shake, or a delicious sundae – but not before ordering some lunch. If your sweet tooth needs a fix, visit the retro candy shop offering a variety of nostalgic, hard-to-find candies along with fresh popped popcorn.