RESTORING OUR Art Deco Ceilings
In January 2023, The Durham Museum began the second phase of a project to restore Union Station’s ornate Art Deco ceilings. The project was completed in early June. Come see how it looks!
Check out our helpful FAQs page for details on areas being impacted, timelines and more.
PROJECT FAQS
The museum has a fund designated to support the ongoing care of Omaha’s Union Station and the museum housed within its walls. If you are interested in supporting projects like these, you can donate online or by calling the museum at 402-444-5071.
DONATE TO THE MUSEUM’S MAINTENANCE FUND
Union Station Restoration Updates
Ceilings of National Historic Landmark Fully Renewed
07/19/23
“You’re not just designing a building. You’re designing a piece of the city.” This quote by architect Moshe Safdie is included in our current traveling exhibition Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO® Bricks. When we visited this exhibit prior to bringing it to Omaha, I was struck by the power of those words. I have spent the past 19 years walking… Continue Reading Ceilings of National Historic Landmark Fully Renewed Progress update: Museum Shop on the move (again!)
06/07/23
UPDATE, 6/9: The Museum Shop is open again and back in its original home in the Great Hall. Thank you for your patience! Our restoration project is coming to a close and the work by Evergreene Architectural Arts looks amazing! We are currently in the process of moving the Hitchcock Museum Shop back to the Great Hall, meaning the shop… Continue Reading Progress update: Museum Shop on the move (again!) Progress update: Please enter the museum through the east doors
04/12/23
We continue to make great progress in restoring our historic ceilings here at The Durham Museum. A reminder to our guests, upon arriving at the museum, please enter through the doors on the east end of the building. This is currently the only accessible entry for our guests. Our normal entrance, closer to the west end of the parking lot,… Continue Reading Progress update: Please enter the museum through the east doors Extra, Extra! The Durham’s ceiling project on the front page!
04/04/23
“A lot of times a building like this has been painted a few times. Luckily, this hasn’t been too much. Sometimes you go into an old building and there are 20 layers of paint. Luckily, everything here was fairly close to what it was (save for) a couple of differences in colors.” Check out this story — and some wonderful… Continue Reading Extra, Extra! The Durham’s ceiling project on the front page! West Corridor restoration brings back forgotten colors
03/15/23
We continue to make progress with the ongoing ceiling restoration project, and visitors can now see some of the finished work for themselves inside the West End Corridor. The most noticeable change you will see on the west end is the dark brown “steps” flanking the beams and framing the ornamental ceiling panels. Those “steps” were previously green. Why the… Continue Reading West Corridor restoration brings back forgotten colors Using an old trick to restore our decorative ceiling panels
03/06/23
Sometimes it takes an old trick – one once used by Michelangelo, in fact – to restore an old structure. Our friends from EverGreene Architectural Arts recently turned to the art of tracing and using charcoal dust to restore the art on the decorative ceiling panels in the West End Corridor. Throughout the life of the ceiling, there has been… Continue Reading Using an old trick to restore our decorative ceiling panels Soda Fountain will be Closed February 7-10
02/06/23
Durham Museum visitors, our Soda Fountain will be closed Tuesday-Friday (February 7-10) as workers begin to set up the east side of the Suzanne and Walter Scott Great Hall for ceiling restorations. We’ll have your favorite eats and treats ready to serve again beginning Saturday! We apologize for the inconvenience, and we thank you for your patience through the restoration… Continue Reading Soda Fountain will be Closed February 7-10 From KMTV 3 News Now: Omaha’s Durham Museum Works to Restore Historic Great Hall Ceilings
01/26/23
Check out this story from KMTV 3 News Now on the restoration project taking place at Union Station. The story includes great insight into why the project is taking place, and Marc Sova puts from EverGreene Architectural Arts into perspective the uniqueness of the building. “There is not a lot of really fantastic Art Deco buildings of this size in the… Continue Reading From KMTV 3 News Now: Omaha’s Durham Museum Works to Restore Historic Great Hall Ceilings Check out how workers get the restoration process started
01/17/23
How long does it take to erect scaffolding in the west wing of The Durham Museum? About three days, give or take. Luckily, we condensed it to about 43 seconds! Our hard-working friends from Kiewit Corporation and BrandSafway were on site last week, setting the stage for a five-month ceiling restoration project. They turned it over to EverGreene Architectural Arts,… Continue Reading Check out how workers get the restoration process started The Durham Museum to Restore Art Deco Ceilings
01/09/23
This week, The Durham Museum will begin the second phase of a project to restore Union Station’s ornate Art Deco ceilings. Following the completion of a recent multi-year restoration of Union Station’s exterior, the museum has turned inward to begin addressing repairs to the ornate historic ceilings of Union Station. Since early 2020, the museum has been working with EverGreene… Continue Reading The Durham Museum to Restore Art Deco Ceilings 