
Highest-rated specialty museums in Nebraska by visitors
In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, founded the Ashmolean, the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."
According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.
Museums are anchors of our communities. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.
Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.
Here, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in Nebraska on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

#24. Kearney Area Children's Museum
- Rating: 4.3/5 (38 reviews)
- City: Kearney
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. Nebraska Firefighters Museum
- Rating: 4.4/5 (41 reviews)
- City: Kearney
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#22. Lee's Legendary Marbles and Collectibles
- Rating: 4.2/5 (36 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#21. Cody Park Railroad Museum
- Rating: 4.6/5 (21 reviews)
- City: North Platte
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. Edgerton Explorit Center
- Rating: 4.7/5 (31 reviews)
- City: Aurora
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. Trails & Rails Museum
- Rating: 4.2/5 (31 reviews)
- City: Kearney
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. The Plainsman Museum
- Rating: 4.8/5 (32 reviews)
- City: Aurora
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#17. National Museum of Roller Skating
- Rating: 4.3/5 (54 reviews)
- City: Lincoln
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#16. Sod House Museum
- Rating: 4.1/5 (70 reviews)
- City: Gothenburg
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. Boneyard Creation Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (20 reviews)
- City: Broken Bow
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. The National Willa Cather Center
- Rating: 4.6/5 (59 reviews)
- City: Red Cloud
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Mansion on the Hill
- Rating: 4.5/5 (24 reviews)
- City: Ogallala
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#12. Lincoln County Historical Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (87 reviews)
- City: North Platte
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#11. Lester F. Larsen Tractor Test & Power Museum
- Rating: 4.4/5 (44 reviews)
- City: Lincoln
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. Union Pacific Railroad Center
- Rating: 4.2/5 (33 reviews)
- City: Omaha
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. Kregel Windmill Museum
- Rating: 4.7/5 (32 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. Nebraska Prairie Museum
- Rating: 4.8/5 (63 reviews)
- City: Holdrege
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#7. Museum of the Fur Trade
- Rating: 4.7/5 (230 reviews)
- City: Chadron
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#6. Boys Town
- Rating: 4.7/5 (122 reviews)
- City: Boys Town
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. International Quilt Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (200 reviews)
- City: Lincoln
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Harold Warp Pioneer Village
- Rating: 4.3/5 (324 reviews)
- City: Minden
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. The American Automobile Experience
- Rating: 4.9/5 (274 reviews)
- City: Kearney
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#2. Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
- Rating: 4.4/5 (575 reviews)
- City: Ashland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#1. Museum of American Speed
- Rating: 4.9/5 (1,124 reviews)
- City: Lincoln
- Read more on Tripadvisor
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.