Hastings Museum facts for kids
| Established | 1927 |
|---|---|
| Location | 1330 N Burlington Ave. Hastings, Nebraska |
| Type | Natural history, local history |
The Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History is a super cool place to visit in Hastings, Nebraska. It's known for being the biggest city-run museum between Chicago and Denver! The museum building was built with help from the Works Progress Administration and opened on June 15, 1939.
The museum has lots of interesting things to see. You can learn about Kool-Aid, see amazing natural history displays, and explore the history of the local area. There are also collections of weapons, items from pioneer life on the Plains, rocks, minerals, and fossils. You can even find antique vehicles and old coins. Plus, it has a planetarium where you can learn about space!
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How the Museum Works
The Hastings Museum is part of the City of Hastings. This means the city helps run it, and the people who work there are city employees. A group of seven people, called a board, helps make important decisions for the museum. Each person on the board serves for five years. This board helps manage the museum's money and sets its rules. They report to the Mayor and City Council of Hastings. There's also a special group called a Foundation, started in 1985, that helps the museum by getting more people to know about it and support it.
What You Can Explore
The Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History shows the natural and cultural stories of Hastings, Adams County, and the Great Plains area of Nebraska. It was started in 1926 by a person named Albert Brooking. He brought his amazing collection of Native American items, fossils, and stuffed birds to the museum. His bird collection was one of the biggest in the whole United States!
Special Exhibits and Collections
- Natural History Dioramas: These are like 3D scenes that show animals and plants in their natural homes.
- Weapons Collection: A large collection of different kinds of weapons from history.
- Kool-Aid History: Learn all about Edwin Perkins, a local inventor who created the famous drink mix, Kool-Aid, in 1927.
- Native American Festival: The museum hosts a special festival every year to celebrate Native American culture.
- Other Resources: The Hastings Public Library and the Adams County Historical Society are also located at the museum, making it a great place for research and learning about the past.
Other Museums to Visit Nearby
- List of museums in Nebraska
- Pioneer Village, which is about 30 miles west in Minden, Nebraska.
- Nebraska Prairie Museum, located about 55 miles west in Holdrege, Nebraska.
- Stuhr Museum, also known as the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, in Grand Island, Nebraska.
