The Durham Museum
When you’re looking for an event space in Omaha, NE, consider the Durham Museum. Once known as Union Station, this historic building was constructed by the Union Pacific Railroad as a showpiece for the city’s corporate headquarters. Today, the building is a National Historic Landmark. Whether you’re planning an elegant wedding or an informal networking reception, the Durham Museum has a space to fit your needs. This historic venue features 65-foot ceilings and original chandeliers. Located on the south end of Omaha’s Old Market, the museum has flexible space for events and is convenient for downtown hotels. You can visit the museum at 801 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68108.
Visitors will find exhibits on the evolution of the city, as well as the context in which it developed during the early days of the American West. A model of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition of 1898 is featured, as is a mock 1800s house. Numismatists will love the Byron Reed Gallery of Rare Coins. For trains buffs, you can also see an O scale model train layout resembling the main line of the Union Pacific between Omaha and Ogden during the 1950s. You can also find a full-size steam engine, Pullman and lounge cars, as well as a huge O-scale Union Pacific model train.
The William Wentworth Collection contains 4663 negatives from his life as a commercial and freelance photographer. He provided an invaluable perspective on Omaha. The William Wentworth Collection is the first collection to be digitized at the Durham Museum. Bill Gonzalez, Bob Etzel, Tom Byers, and Bill Steckelberg have contributed to the digitization of this important collection. They are a wonderful resource for anyone looking for historical photos of Omaha.
When you visit the Union Pacific Museum, you can explore the city’s history in a variety of ways. You can see a rawhide tipi, a room from a worker’s cottage, and more. Learn about the immigrant history of the city by visiting the Museum’s rooms depicting these traditions. Afterward, you can enjoy a tour of the newly renovated Union Pacific Museum, which includes a room made of reclaimed lumber.
If you want to get your children involved in museum activities, you can sign up for summer camps at the museum. You can choose from programs for preschool, first grade, third grade, and fifth grade. These programs will be offered during the 2020-2021 school year. If you’re unable to attend the summer camps, you can opt for the “Beyond the Camp” experience for the younger children. If you arrive early, you can spend a day or two exploring the museum with your kids.
For a unique and fun event, try the History with Hops event at the Durham Museum. Guests 21 years of age and older are welcome to attend. The event features a guided tour through the museum’s 65-foot art-deco Great Hall and pop-up curator stations filled with never-before-seen artifacts. In addition, the museum also features a special exhibition called “Folklore: The First American Manifesto
