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Summer Workshops

A geometric logo features an interlocking dark teal "L" and orange "N" on a light gray background with a faint mountain outline.

Nebraska History Museum Summer Workshops

The 2026 Summer Workshop program dates are here!

Please review our summer program policies before scheduling your visit. If you have any questions, please email us at HN.MuseumEducation@nebraska.gov or call us at 402-471-1674, and one of our educators will be happy to assist you.

 

Red, White and Blue Ribbons
The Homesteader's Handbook

Red, White and Blue Ribbons

 

Step right up and dive into the history of Nebraska fairs and discover how celebrations bring communities together! We’ll explore the first Nebraska Territory fair, the Trans-Mississippi International Exposition, and the Nebraska State Fair, before students will create a new fair to help celebrate America250 or Nebraska’s 160th in 2027!

Students will also design eye-catching posters for their fair and play a game to match a fair theme to one of the 50 states.

Program Length: 60 minutes
Age: K and Up
Group Size: 10-30 students
Student to Adult Ratio: 10:1

Click to Register

The Homesteader’s Handbook

 

Travel back in time with Sam the Prairie Dog as he discovers his Great Grandpa Fred’s life as a homesteader. Students will help Sam decode photos of his grandpa to learn about work on a homestead—building a sod house, collecting “bison chips” as firewood, and how to source food.

Students will be encouraged to practice analyzing primary sources in a way that is accessible to all ages.

Program Length: 60 minutes
Age: K and up
Group Size: 10-30 students
Student to Adult Ratio: 10:1

Click to Register

2025 Summer Workshop Photos

Two boys sit at a table during Summer Workshops, drawing with crayons on paper; one wears a blue "M" cap, the other wears glasses.
A young girl works on a worksheet with a woman wearing glasses and a name tag seated beside her, participating in Summer Workshops in a classroom with other students in the background.
Children observe museum displays, including a large windmill structure mounted on the wall, in a well-lit exhibition room—part of the engaging Summer Workshops offered by the museum.
Four children read an informational display about a wheelchair labeled "Shadow" in a museum exhibit during one of the museum's Summer Workshops.
Two boys sit side by side at a display during the Summer Workshops, with one holding an informational card featuring an artifact and text.
A woman stands near a digital screen with a quiz during Summer Workshops, pointing at it, while a student raises a card featuring a face illustration in a classroom setting.
A woman and three children watch a video about food preparation on a screen at a museum exhibit, discovering ideas perfect for Summer Workshops.
Four children sit around a table working on coloring sheets with crayons during Summer Workshops, while another person stands in the background.
Four young children closely examine and read a display case with artifacts and information at a museum exhibit during one of the Summer Workshops.

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About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Director Daryl Bohac. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

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Chimney Rock
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