Education
Museum Field Trips
Museum Field Trips
We are proud to provide engaging on-site visits to the Nebraska History Museum. Check out our programs for the upcoming school year below and sign up for a specific program by clicking the link in the description. Our field trips are designed to bring history to life and are created with educators and students in mind.
Please review our field trip policies before scheduling your visit. If you have any questions, please email us at HN.MuseumEducation@nebraska.gov, and one of our educators will be happy to assist.
On-Site Learning: Nebraska History Museum
Chronologically Nebraska (Recommended for 7th – 12th grades)
Field Trip: What year was Kool-Aid invented? Who was the first woman to earn an MA in anthropology from UNL? Test your knowledge and race through Nebraska History as you explore the Nebraska History Museum! Students will build their own timeline using our Chronologically Nebraska card game and the information they find in the museum!
This field trip supports the following Nebraska education standards:
- SS x.1.2.b Analyze the significance of patriotic symbols, songs, and activities in terms of the historical, social, and cultural context.
- SS x.4.1.b Analyze the impact of historical events in __ using symbols, maps, documents, and artifacts.
- LA.x.RI.1 Determine the implied or explicit central idea of an informational text and how it develops over the course of a text.
Time: 30 – 60 Minutes
Tour size: 10 – 100 students
Price: Free for registered education groups
Curious Curators (Recommended for 3rd – 6th grades)
Field Trip: Who are curators? What are artifacts? How do museums tell stories? Students will discover what curators do first-hand as they identify and analyze artifacts throughout the museum to curate their own exhibits about Nebraska.
This field trip supports the following Nebraska education standards:
- LA.x.RI.4 Explain how text features (titles, headings, table of contents, glossaries, captions, graphs, maps, and/or other visuals) contribute to meaning.
- SS x.1.2.b Investigate the meaning of state symbols, songs, and holidays.
- SS 4.4.3 Analyze past and current events through Nebraska history.
- SS x.4.4.c Gather, analyze, and communicate historical information about Nebraska.
Time: 60 minutes
Tour size: 10 – 75 students
Price: Free for registered education groups
Exhibit Explorers (Recommended for K – 6th grades)
Field Trip: Ready, set, find the artifacts! A museum educator will meet with your students to provide background about the museum before releasing them to explore the exhibits. Students will pick one of our themed scavenger hunts (agriculture, Nebraskans, the arts, or science and technology) and investigate up to two different floors in this self-guided experience.
This field trip supports the following Nebraska education standards:
- LA.x.RI.4 Explain how text features (titles, headings, table of contents, glossaries, captions, graphs, maps, and/or other visuals) contribute to meaning.
- SS x.1.2.b Investigate the meaning of state symbols, songs, and holidays.
- SS 4.4.3 Analyze past and current events through Nebraska history.
- SS x.4.4.c Gather, analyze, and communicate historical information about Nebraska.
Time: 30 – 60 minutes
Tour Size: 10 – 100 students
Price: Free for registered education groups
Nebraskans (Recommended for 3rd – 5th grades)
Field Trip: Why is this object in a museum? Discover the stories of notable Nebraskans and their connection to artifacts at the Nebraska History Museum. Students will uncover the stories of the real Nebraskans behind museum artifacts. Then, students will draw pictures of their discoveries to take back to school.
This field trip supports the following Nebraska education standards:
- SS 4.4.4c Gather, analyze, and communicate historical information about Nebraska.
- LA x.RI.1 Determine the central idea of an informational text and how it is conveyed through key details.
- LA.4.W.5 Write informative/explanatory pieces to examine a topic or text and convey ideas and information.
- LA.x.W.6 Locate and summarize relevant evidence from literary and/or informational text sources to answer questions about a topic
Time: 60 minutes
Tour size: 10 – 75 students
Price: Free for registered education groups
Self-Guided Tours
To request a self-guided field trip at the Nebraska History Museum, please fill out the form below. Thank you!
FAQ
How much do Nebraska History Museum field trips cost?
- School groups, including public, private, and homeschool groups, participating in preregistered educational programs will receive free admission to the Nebraska History Museum. All other groups will be charged regular admission.
- Self-guided tour groups, including those from school groups, will be charged regular Nebraska History Museum admission rates ($3 per student, $5 per adult). Admission must be paid upon arrival.
Can homeschool students register for Nebraska History Museum field trips?
The Nebraska State Historical Society welcomes homeschool students and their families. Although many of our museum field trips are not designed to meet the unique needs of homeschool students, we strongly encourage homeschool families to attend our monthly “Homeschool Days” events.
Is there a group minimum/maximum?
Due to the nature of the activities in our field trip programs, all groups must have a minimum of ten students. Each field trip program has a maximum number of students, which is listed in the program description. Larger groups may request multiple tour times.
How many chaperones are required? What should chaperones do?
- A student-to-chaperone ratio of 10:1 is required, but groups may bring additional chaperones.
- Adult chaperones are expected to actively participate with students during their visit. For more information, please refer to our chaperone guide.
What if I need to cancel a field trip?
If you can no longer visit the museum, please contact us as soon as possible by the Nebraska State Historical Soceity Education staff at hn.museumeducation@nebraska.gov. Our educators can work with you to reschedule. If you need to cancel the day of your workshop, please call the museum front desk at 402-471-4782.
What are the expectations for student, school staff, and chaperone behavior?
- Help protect Nebraska’s history. Do not touch artifacts and museum displays.
- Use quiet voices.
- Please walk in the museum.
- Keep all food and beverages out of museum exhibits. Guests may leave any food and beverages at the museum front desk.
- Please do not use flash photography.
Groups that damage museum property, use disrespectful language, or are not accurately supervised will be asked to leave the museum.
What should we bring for our field trip?
Students are encouraged to leave water bottles, backpacks, and other personal items on the bus. Museum carts have limited storage space for personal items. Food and drinks are not allowed in the exhibit spaces.
Where can we park?
Limited parking is available in front of the museum for buses and school transportation vehicles. Metered parking and parking garages are available around downtown Lincoln. Information about parking options in downtown Lincoln can be found here.
What if my school group is running late for our tour?
If you are running late, please contact the museum front desk by calling 402-471-4782. Due to time constraints, field trips that are 15 minutes late may be modified or changed to a different workshop. If you are more than 15 minutes late, the Nebraska State Historical Society reserves the right to reschedule or cancel your field trip.
What if inclement weather changes our schedule?
If your workshop is canceled due to inclement weather, our educators will work with you to reschedule.
Can students visit the gift shop?
Students must be accompanied by an adult when shopping in the museum gift shop. If school groups restrict students from shopping in the gift shop museum, they should help the museum staff enforce that expectation. The museum gift shop is closed on Mondays.
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