Omaha

What We Found

How pioneer trails shaped Omaha streets

Everything has a historical context, even the roads you drive on. Omaha's Military Avenue has a history that stretches back to the 1847 Mormon road to Utah. (more…)

Fonda Family and the Omaha Community Playhouse Share Legacy Spanning its Hundred Year History

This article appears in the Winter 2023 issue of Nebraska History Magazine, a quarterly publication of History Nebraska. Family-plus members receive four issues per ...

Nebraska’s first school newspaper celebrated a radical idea: free schools

Published weekly by Omaha high school students starting in 1859, the Free School Advocate celebrated an idea that was was not yet fully embraced across the US: free ...

Dan Desdunes: New Orleans Civil Rights Activist and “The Father of Negro Musicians of Omaha”

  Jazz critic and historian George Lipsitz has observed that "established histories of jazz tend to focus on a select group of individual geniuses in only a ...

Archeology of the Sedentary Siouan Tribes in Nebraska

While Nebraska is known for its remarkable record of Pawnee archeology, the state also is home to an important archeological record of tribes known collectively as ...

Winter Quarters GPR Survey

Early in September, State Archeology Office staff assisted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Omaha with a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey of ...

On This Day: Armistice Celebrated Early

  The armistice to end World War I signed at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month was greeted with great rejoicing in Nebraska towns. ...

The 1918 Flu Pandemic in Nebraska

World War I killed some 15 to 19 million people, but the 1918 flu pandemic was far worse. As the flu raged around the world, Nebraska communities responded. (more…)

Help Perserve and Share History

Become a Member

Being a member is the easiest way to be involved in our mission to preserve and share our state's rich history. Find out how!

Volunteer

Volunteers work with NSHS staff members to support our mission

Start Your Career

Interested in joining the NSHS team? Keep an eye on job listings!

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.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.