Nebraska Children's Museums

If you ever find yourself driving across Nebraska with small children, I strongly recommend stopping at one (or both) of the great children's museums there. If I had to choose stopping at just one, my favorite was the one in Omaha. My daughter preferred the one in Lincoln, but both a great way for antsy kids to get the wiggles out. The Lincoln Museum is bigger than the one in Omaha, and there is a little overlap in the activities, but we were glad that we went to both.

Lincoln Children's Museum
Admission is $6.50 for ages 2-61. Hours are 10-5. This museum has three stories of hands-on children's activities. There's lots of "pretend areas" including a farm, a grocery store, a kitchen area, a stage with lights, curtains and costumes, a puppet theater, cars and planes. In the middle of the museum there is a tree that extends through each story, with a little tree house on each level. My daughter's favorite part was the gopher tunnel area (which I didn't get any good shots of). Check out the website on programs that may be available when you stop. Again, my pictures don't do this place justice, but you can refer to their website for a video tour.
Also parking in front of the museum is not easy to come by. But there is a parking garage across the street and down a block and a half. If you take parking ticket into the children's museum and pay at the front desk, you can pay half price for parking.

My kids enjoying the ball contraption at the entrance.

Pretending to be Nebraska State Troopers

Shooting water guns.

A hot air balloon with controls.

Omaha Children's Museum
Admission for age 2-59 is $8. Closed on Mondays. Hours are 10-5 Tuesday through Saturday.  Open until 8pm on Thursdays during the summer. This museum has a few "pretend areas", but not nearly as many as the museum in Lincoln. It does have a large arts and crafts area, a firehouse to climb through, activities like parachutes (does anyone else remember playing with and loving those in elementary school?) and a fantasic "ball-popper" area.

Playing with the light piano.

Part of the firehouse

The Playskool Ball Popper on steroids

My two-year old happily spent almost two hours in this room.

My husband said that if we bought one of those we would never have to spend another cent on his entertainment.

 This contraption is so big that I can't get it all in four shots.

A giant pin frame.

A giant Lite-Brite.

The only coupons I've been able to find for either of these places was a free admission to the Omaha Museum in the Omaha Entertainment book. If you plan ahead and get a really good deal on the Entertainment book, it might be worth it. Also when I was there they were offering a coupon for a return visit, but we were just passing through.