pricing and scheduling

K-12 School Group Admission Pricing

K-12 school groups can experience a field trip to The Durham Museum with no admission cost to the museum. Thanks to our generous sponsors, underwritten admission is provided for K-12th grade groups with 10 or more students (adults not included in this count). This includes accredited public schools, accredited private schools and homeschool groups. School staff (1 per 10 students) will be admitted at no charge. Additional parents chaperones may pay a reduced rate of $5 (plus tax). Museum members attending as chaperones may use their membership card for admission.

bus funding

Limited bus funding is available for accredited schools within a 30-mile radius of the museum and with at least 40% of students who qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch services. Buses are provided on a first come, first-served basis for schools who qualify and have at least 30 students in the group.

The Durham Museum offers limited bus funding available on a first-come, first-served basis for schools that meet certain criteria. To qualify, your school should be within a 30-mile radius of the museum, serve a student population where at least 40% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch, and plan to bring at least 30 students on your field trip. The museum will fund up to $325 per bus and we can provide transportation to and from the museum. If there are special considerations, please email education@durhammuseum.org or call 402 444-5027.

After receiving confirmation of available funding, schools shall book their own buses and send the invoice to the museum. Invoices for qualifying Fall 2024 field trips must be submitted to the museum for payment no later than January 31, 2025. Invoices for qualifying Spring 2025 field trips must be submitted no later than June 30, 2025.

Pricing for Pre-Schools, Daycares, After-School Programs and Community Organizations

Underwritten admission does not apply to pre-schools, daycares, after-school programs and community organizations. These groups must include 10 or more students to receive a reduced admission rate of $5/student. Staff will be admitted at no charge and additional non-staff chaperones may pay a reduced rate of $5. Museum members attending as chaperones will not be charged.

scheduling your trip

Field trips can be booked on a day and time of your choosing. For us to provide you the best museum experience possible, we kindly ask that your field trip request be completed at least TWO WEEKS prior to anticipated field trip date. Booking further in advance in highly recommended for larger groups.

Teachers will choose from the options below to customize the programming for their visit. For assistance choosing your programs, booking or scheduling, please contact the Education Services department at 402-444-5027 or education@durhammuseum.org.

Pre-K Options:

1. All Aboard

Trains are fascinating! Buy a ticket at Union Station’s ticket window and head on down to track #1 for a tour of the museum’s train cars, caboose and steam engine. Learn about the kinds of cars on a train, the experiences children had while riding, and what the train signals and whistles mean. Our “O” scale model train adds to the railroading fun, allowing children to see how towns thrived from a railroad depot! All aboard!

2. Transportation Station

Have your tickets and tokens ready as you meet us at the station and explore modes of transportation from different time periods. Students will enjoy boarding a real train, learning about different train cars, “riding” a streetcar and learning about how the covered wagon experience changed the Great Plains.

3. Games Galore

It’s time to play! Learn about trinkets, knickknacks and pastimes from days gone by. Try your hand at different Plains Native American games, pioneer fun, parlor games and much, much more!

Elementary (K-6) Options:

1. All Aboard

Trains are fascinating! Buy a ticket at Union Station’s ticket window and head on down to track #1 for a tour of the museum’s train cars, caboose and steam engine. Learn about the kinds of cars on a train, the experiences children had while riding and what the train signals and whistles mean. Our “O” scale model train adds to the railroading fun, allowing children to see how towns thrived from a railroad depot! All aboard!

2. Historic Schoolroom

Step back to the 1890’s and see how different it was to attend a one-room school! Explore daily life from this time period through artifacts, stories and reciting real lessons students did in their classroom. Who will be the spelling bee champion or have the best penmanship? Students will also compare their visit to what they experience in classrooms today.

3. Neighborhood Store

Bring your shopping list along as we take a trip back to the time of streetcars and neighborhood grocery stores. Visit the museum’s Buffett Grocery Store exhibit and discover the fun of shopping for penny candy. Also learn how small grocery stories played an integral role in Omaha communities.

4. On the Trail with Lewis and Clark

Join the expedition! Learn about Meriwether Lewis & William Clark’s journey through the Louisiana Purchase. Explore the Corps of Discovery’s three important goals as they experienced the land that is now Nebraska and beyond.

5. Pioneer Life

Visit our log cabin and experience the life of a Great Plains pioneer. Learn about the types of homes people lived in, how large families made do with small living quarters, and the chores that children were expected to perform. Play prairie games, see pioneer clothing and take a turn at the butter churn!

6. Plains Native American Life

Explore the life of the Plains Native American tribes. Enter the Durham Museum’s tipi and earth lodge to interact with artifacts and meet Scout, our resident buffalo. Learn how the Plains Native Americans used the resources around them throughout the centuries.

7. Union Station Great Hall

Explore the beauty and grandeur of Omaha’s Union Station, wonderfully preserved by The Durham Museum. Learn about the building’s history both as a train station and museum, plus experience our 60-foot ceilings and “talking” statues.

8. Omaha Faces and Places

What do Paris, Chicago and London have in common with Omaha, Nebraska? They all hosted huge expositions many years ago that brought millions of visitors and put their cities “on the map”. Join us for a tour of a model, photographs and artifacts from the Trans-Mississippi & International Exposition (a.k.a. Omaha’s “World’s Fair”).

9. Omaha Homes and Families

Learn how people from all over the world lived as they came to Omaha to start a new life. From Omaha’s important immigration history to the homes they lived in, see how life changed for residents throughout Omaha’s past.

10. Transportation Station

Next stop, The Durham Museum! Students will enjoy “riding” a streetcar to catch their train and exploring the 1920s Cornhusker Club Car. After making new friends in the Lounge Car with fellow passengers, students will see their options of where to sleep for the night before discovering how people traveled before the railway!

11. Early Omaha

Ever wonder how Omaha got its roots? Learn about William D. Brown, Native American life and the struggles families faced in the early years of the city. Explore what it took for families like the Creighton’s and Dodge’s to establish the city’s first fire department, police unit and a public-school system.

12. Traveling Exhibit

Give your class a great opportunity to explore some of the nation’s top exhibits. Resources for pre and post visit activities are available for all tours. To view a complete traveling exhibits schedule visit the Current Exhibits page and Upcoming Exhibits page.

Teachers may choose from any of the options above to customize their visit. A traditional Building our City Tour includes options 1, 8 and 9.  A traditional Nebraska History Tour includes options 1, 4 and 6.

For more information on field trips, please contact the Education Services Department at 402-444-5027 or email education@DurhamMuseum.org.

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