19th Century Celebrities: A Modern Translation

Exhibit on display March 21, 2020 – October 3, 2021

Throughout the 19th century, standards for women were enough to be called rules. She must not only be a woman but be a lady too. To be a lady one must marry and have children, depend on her husband financially and stay out of the public sphere. Some women opposed this thinking, especially those who became performers. This exhibit highlights a few such women who persisted with their art and rose to fame despite the prejudices against them.

Photo: Portrait of Lotta Crabtree  |  circa 1900-1920  |   The Byron Reed Collection  |  BR5C13

Beyond the Vote

Exhibit on display March 6 – January 30, 2022

Over 100 years ago, women got the right to vote. The Durham is pleased to present a unique exhibition experience exploring the lasting impact of the 19th Amendment. Beyond the Vote blends iconic images of the past from our partners at the Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress with original contemporary artwork created by five local artists. The exhibit explores themes at the heart of the suffrage movement—both for and against—and how those same themes about a woman’s place in the world continue to resonate today.

Photo: 1954, John Savage/Omaha-World Herald Collection  |   The Durham Museum Photo Archive  |  JS13-045

Featured Artists Select each artist to learn about them and their exhibit piece.
Ariel Panowicz	Celeste Butler	Nancy Friedemann – Sánchez	Renee’ A. Ledesma	Sophie Newell

Supported Locally by
Whitmore Charitable Trust

Join museum educators and volunteers for an enhanced exhibit experience.

Daily activities are included with museum admission. Timed tickets are encouraged but not required. Walk-ins welcome. To reserve your admission time go online or call (402) 444-5071.

James Cameron – CHALLENGING THE DEEP

Exhibit on display May 22 – October 3, 2021

Join The Durham Museum in welcoming the North American Premiere of James Cameron– CHALLENGING THE DEEP! Immerse yourself in an underwater world in an exhibition that traces explorer and filmmaker James Cameron’s passion for deep ocean science, technology and exploration, including material on his record-breaking dive to the bottom of the planet in the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, the submersible he co-designed and co-engineered.

Experience how James Cameron’s passion for understanding and exploring the ocean has shone a light on one of the most important and least explored parts of the Earth. The exhibition immerses you in an underwater environment using cinema-scale projections, artifacts and specimens from his expeditions. Explore the spectacular and mysterious abyss and discover the shipwrecks of Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck. See artifacts from the design and construction of the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, which was built to withstand water pressure of 16,000 pounds per square inch.

Learn about how technologies pioneered by Cameron for underwater recording, lighting, communication and diving are employed both in his filmmaking and exploration. You’ll also see original film props and costumes from The Abyss and Titanic, including the iconic Heart of the Ocean diamond. Discover the world of a man driven to explore and meet the challenges of the deep.

James Cameron — CHALLENGING THE DEEP is a traveling exhibition produced by the Australian National Maritime Museum, in association with the Avatar Alliance Foundation and is toured internationally by Flying Fish.

Supported Locally by
			Media Support Provided by

Omaha Uncovered: Revealing History Through Art and Story

Exhibit on display August 7 – November 21, 2021

History is revealed to us in many ways. Objects, art, stories and memories all serve as connections to our past. This fall, The Durham Museum is proud to partner with the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center for a project in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of Omaha Union Station. Over the course of four months, conservators will be “on exhibit” actively restoring a historic mural entitled “Aerial View of Omaha” that once hung in the lobby of the Omaha Bee newspaper office. The beautifully painted mural looks west from the Missouri River towards the western horizon and elegantly captures the layout of the Omaha of the past and present. Lovers of maps, history and art will enjoy seeing the faded mural brought to new life over the duration of the project.

Sporty Women: The Desire to Compete

Exhibit on display February 1, 2020 – December 31, 2021

Equal treatment for women in sports is as modern a topic today as it was for women 100 years ago. Concepts of proper lady-like behavior both in actions and dress were present from the early days of female athletics. Using images from The Durham Museum Photo Archive, this exhibit highlights elements of conflicting standards that allowed women to compete in sports if they maintained the appearance of femininity. The selection of images traces changes over time to uniforms and sports women can play while highlighting the long-term conversation about the role of women as athletes.

Photo: Early sporting dress | 1911 | Homer O. Frohardt Collection | The Durham Museum Photo Archive HOFP-1927

Style and Speed: Passenger Liner Travel of the 20th Century

Exhibit on display May 22 – October 3, 2021

In the early 20th century, passenger liner travel dominated the ocean waves. The rise of luxury ship companies like the White Star Line produced some of the most famous passenger liners in maritime history. Companies competed to outdo each other in luxury and speed. Social elites on either side of the Atlantic enjoyed an unparalleled experience sacrificing no comfort for the voyage. This exhibition presents a brief history of this golden age of transatlantic travel, using local stories such as Emil Brandeis’ ill-fated trip aboard the RMS Titanic and local society pages which brought news to Omaha of its citizens’ travels abroad.

Photo: Returning from India, 1920-1930, From Photograph Album of Ms. Eugenie Whitmore, The Durham Museum Permanent Collection

Wonders and Blunders

Exhibit on display March 21, 2020 – October 3, 2021

Books and manuscripts will be on display from the Byron Reed Collection to showcase the fantastical designs of early natural history textbooks and travel stories. Scientifically precise drawings of insects with gilded gold wings fill books on the flora and fauna of North America and details abound in the stories brought back by Lewis and Clark of the magnificent bears found across the American West. Yet, it is not all what it seems. Modern readers can look back to these works and see stereotypes or wildly outlandish claims not rooted in science or fact. Today we have the benefit of looking back, but one day our current natural history guides might be in an exhibit of their own.

Photo: Studer’s Popular Ornithology | 1881  |  The Byron Reed Collection | MISC 164

Merit Badge Workshop: American Heritage
$8/members and $10/non-members ($5 per chaperone)

American Heritage is all about knowing the past and how it connects to the present. The Durham Museum is the perfect combination of past and present. Housed in Omaha’s former Union Station, The Durham Museum is offering scouts a chance to meet all of the requirements of the American Heritage badge in a one-of-a-kind historic setting.

Find out more about Scouting Programs at The Durham »

To reserve your spot, contact the Education Department at 402-444-5027 or email education@DurhamMuseum.org.

19th Century Celebrities: A Modern Translation

Exhibit on display March 21, 2020 – October 3, 2021

Throughout the 19th century, standards for women were enough to be called rules. She must not only be a woman but be a lady too. To be a lady one must marry and have children, depend on her husband financially and stay out of the public sphere. Some women opposed this thinking, especially those who became performers. This exhibit highlights a few such women who persisted with their art and rose to fame despite the prejudices against them.

Photo: Portrait of Lotta Crabtree  |  circa 1900-1920  |   The Byron Reed Collection  |  BR5C13

Beyond the Vote

Exhibit on display March 6 – January 30, 2022

Over 100 years ago, women got the right to vote. The Durham is pleased to present a unique exhibition experience exploring the lasting impact of the 19th Amendment. Beyond the Vote blends iconic images of the past from our partners at the Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress with original contemporary artwork created by five local artists. The exhibit explores themes at the heart of the suffrage movement—both for and against—and how those same themes about a woman’s place in the world continue to resonate today.

Photo: 1954, John Savage/Omaha-World Herald Collection  |   The Durham Museum Photo Archive  |  JS13-045

Featured Artists Select each artist to learn about them and their exhibit piece.
Ariel Panowicz	Celeste Butler	Nancy Friedemann – Sánchez	Renee’ A. Ledesma	Sophie Newell

Supported Locally by
Whitmore Charitable Trust

Join museum educators and volunteers for an enhanced exhibit experience.

Daily activities are included with museum admission. Timed tickets are encouraged but not required. Walk-ins welcome. To reserve your admission time go online or call (402) 444-5071.

James Cameron – CHALLENGING THE DEEP

Exhibit on display May 22 – October 3, 2021

Join The Durham Museum in welcoming the North American Premiere of James Cameron– CHALLENGING THE DEEP! Immerse yourself in an underwater world in an exhibition that traces explorer and filmmaker James Cameron’s passion for deep ocean science, technology and exploration, including material on his record-breaking dive to the bottom of the planet in the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, the submersible he co-designed and co-engineered.

Experience how James Cameron’s passion for understanding and exploring the ocean has shone a light on one of the most important and least explored parts of the Earth. The exhibition immerses you in an underwater environment using cinema-scale projections, artifacts and specimens from his expeditions. Explore the spectacular and mysterious abyss and discover the shipwrecks of Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck. See artifacts from the design and construction of the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, which was built to withstand water pressure of 16,000 pounds per square inch.

Learn about how technologies pioneered by Cameron for underwater recording, lighting, communication and diving are employed both in his filmmaking and exploration. You’ll also see original film props and costumes from The Abyss and Titanic, including the iconic Heart of the Ocean diamond. Discover the world of a man driven to explore and meet the challenges of the deep.

James Cameron — CHALLENGING THE DEEP is a traveling exhibition produced by the Australian National Maritime Museum, in association with the Avatar Alliance Foundation and is toured internationally by Flying Fish.

Supported Locally by
			Media Support Provided by

Omaha Uncovered: Revealing History Through Art and Story

Exhibit on display August 7 – November 21, 2021

History is revealed to us in many ways. Objects, art, stories and memories all serve as connections to our past. This fall, The Durham Museum is proud to partner with the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center for a project in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of Omaha Union Station. Over the course of four months, conservators will be “on exhibit” actively restoring a historic mural entitled “Aerial View of Omaha” that once hung in the lobby of the Omaha Bee newspaper office. The beautifully painted mural looks west from the Missouri River towards the western horizon and elegantly captures the layout of the Omaha of the past and present. Lovers of maps, history and art will enjoy seeing the faded mural brought to new life over the duration of the project.

Sporty Women: The Desire to Compete

Exhibit on display February 1, 2020 – December 31, 2021

Equal treatment for women in sports is as modern a topic today as it was for women 100 years ago. Concepts of proper lady-like behavior both in actions and dress were present from the early days of female athletics. Using images from The Durham Museum Photo Archive, this exhibit highlights elements of conflicting standards that allowed women to compete in sports if they maintained the appearance of femininity. The selection of images traces changes over time to uniforms and sports women can play while highlighting the long-term conversation about the role of women as athletes.

Photo: Early sporting dress | 1911 | Homer O. Frohardt Collection | The Durham Museum Photo Archive HOFP-1927