Recognizable by the imposing elephant sculpture in front of its façade, the University of Nebraska State Museum is a fascinating and comprehensive natural history institution. It has an informative and entertaining discovery center and a colossal fossil collection, among other highlights. Learn about wildlife history in different parts of the world through the intriguing exhibits.
Enjoy the spectacular Fulldome Digital Shows in the Mueller Planetarium. The immersive experience in a domed theater enables you to digitally view the early stages of the universe and fall through a black hole, among other mesmerizing scenes and experiences. Study the night skies over Nebraska and watch a laser show.
Explore the various exhibits in the museum. The Tree of Life section contains interactive displays that reveal the evolutionary links between more than 70,000 species in a timescale of 3.5 billion years. Go to the Bizarre Beasts area to learn about Earth’s most unusual animals.
Explore the vast Paleontology of Nebraska collection, which is divided into the Elephant Hall, the Fossil Rhinos and Horses section, the Toren Gallery of Ancient Life and the Mesozoic Gallery. The former contains one of the world’s largest mammoth skeletons.
Browse the items for sale in the Discovery Shop, which has games, toys and figurines alongside rocks, minerals and jewelry.
The museum opens daily from morning until afternoon. It stays open later on Thursdays and opens at noon on Sundays. Purchase entrance to the museum and pay a small additional amount for the planetarium. Get discounts for kids and free entrance for toddlers and local students.
The University of Nebraska State Museum is located in the Morrill Hall part of the central campus in the heart of Lincoln. Take a bus to one of the stops on a nearby street or drive and leave your car in the parking lot north of Morrill Hall. See other nearby attractions, such as the Memorial Stadium, the Don Love Memorial Library and the Sheldon Museum of Art.
