Hours AND
Admission

Veterans receive $1.00 off daily admission. Thank you for your service!

AAA members receive a $1.00 discount when they show their valid AAA card.

Visitors who receive food assistance through SNAP or WIC programs are eligible for a reduced daily admission fee of $3.00 per person ages 6+ when they visit Stuhr Museum.

To receive this discount, you will need to show a valid SNAP EBT or WIC card, along with a photo ID. This discount is valid for everyone in your vehicle ages 6+; ages 5 & under are admitted free. In addition to the admission discount, you’ll also receive a 10% discount in the Stuhr Bistro or Silver Dollar for food and drink purchases.

These discounts are valid only during regular daily business hours of 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For questions about the Museums for All discount at Stuhr Museum, please contact info@stuhrmuseum.org.

Museums for All is a national, branded access program that encourages individuals of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. Over 800 museums participate in the program across the country, including art, history, natural history/anthropology, general museums, children’s museums, science centers, planetariums, nature centers, historic houses/sites, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and arboretums. For a list of all participating museums, click here.

Stuhr Museum offers free daily admission to active-duty military personnel and their families through participation in the Blue Star Museums program. The 2023 Blue Star Museums program begins on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, and ends on Labor Day, Monday, September 4.

The Blue Star Museum Initiative is a partnership between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across the country. It provides free admission to active-duty military identification holders and up to five immediate family members. For more information about eligibility and other questions, please view the Blue Star Museum’s Frequently Asked Questions page. Please note: Admission to events outside of our regular daily business hours of 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. is not included in the Blue Star Museums’ free admission program.

For the full list of museums nationwide offering free admission for military families, visit the Blue Star Museum’s website.

Did you know Stuhr Museum and Hastings Museum have a reciprocal membership? That means if you have a Hastings Museum membership, you also get free daily admission to Stuhr Museum! And in turn, Stuhr Museum members get free daily admission at Hastings Museum!

Group rates are available for parties of 10 or more when you book your visit in advance. For information regarding group rates, please contact Karly at events@stuhrmuseum.org or call (308) 385-5316.

The Leo. B. Stuhr Building, also known as the “Gem of the Prairie”, was designed by world-renowned architect Edward Durrell Stone. It is considered one of the most important pieces of architecture between Lincoln and Denver and features the Prairie Treasures Gift Shop, informative historic exhibits, and rotating art exhibits. Click here for our current and upcoming exhibits.
Estimated time: 1 Hour

STUHR BUILDING

The striking Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda was built in the design of a wagon wheel, with each “spoke” being a themed display of historic artifacts. The late Gus Fonner (1873-1959) was an avid collector of Native American artifacts and old west memorabilia, and this building is home to many of those items. Other attractions include “The Arrow Maker,” a stunning sculpture with an interesting history of how it came to be a part of the Stuhr Museum collection, and an exhibit featuring the Bartenbach Opera House in Grand Island. And be sure you say “hi” to Jock, our life-size wooden horse, while visiting the Rotunda!
Estimated time: 40 minutes

Perhaps one of the most special areas of Stuhr Museum is tucked away from modern highways and is truly a step back in time. From spring through fall each year, Railroad Town is bustling with activity as our interpreters live, work and interact with visitors as if it’s the 1890s. You can tour historic homes and businesses, take part in various activities such as laundry day or making a tinscicle at the Tin Shop. Visitors can also grab a bite to eat at the Silver Dollar Cafe, shop for souvenirs at the General Mercantile Emporium, and more!

During the winter, the buildings in Railroad Town are only open for special programming, however, visitors are more than welcome to take a walking tour of the town at their own pace. A parking lot is located right by the town for your convenience, but no driving is allowed inside the perimeter of the town. For information about programming during the winter, check out our events calendar.
Estimated time: 2 hours in the spring & summer / 30 minutes in the fall & winter

RAILROAD TOWN

The Farm Machinery & Antique Auto Collection Building is currently closed for the winter.

One of the nation’s most comprehensive collections of farm machinery can be found in the Farm Machinery & Antique Auto Collection Building at Stuhr Museum! This building, located in the northeast corner of our grounds, features a large collection of huge, steam-powered tractors, a variety of farm implements, and antique automobiles. 

Estimated time – 1 hour

Farm Machinery & Antique Auto Collection

While we talk a lot about the artifacts on exhibit and the buildings that contain them, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out the beauty in the outdoors at Stuhr Museum. We encourage you to take the walking trail through the charming Hornady Family Arbor as you travel between the Stuhr Building and Railroad Town. Smaller paths branch off from the main path with hidden gems for you to discover.

We also have areas that aren’t open to the public on a daily basis but are worth a visit to see anyway. The exteriors of the rural farm, Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Pawnee Earth Lodge, Log Cabin Road Ranche, and more are just waiting to be seen!
Estimated time: 45 minutes

Stuhr Museum is sensitive to the needs of the physically challenged visitor. While the Stuhr Building and Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda are accessible, many of the historic buildings are not, due to their 19th-century construction. Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Learn More

Special rates are available to groups of 10 or more with a confirmed reservation. Special programs and presentations are also available. Contact Facility Sales at (308) 385-5316.

Stuhr Museum welcomes motorcoach groups and offers special motorcoach tour rates. Boxed lunches for your group, as well as other programs, guides and entertainment are available by special request. Contact Facility Sales at (308) 385-5316.

Picnic tables are located near the Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda and at the southern edge of Railroad Town. A wheelchair-accessible picnic table is located near the Rotunda.

Modern public restrooms are located in the Stuhr Building, the Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda, in Railroad Town and on the south grounds next to the rural Church.

Guide and assistance dogs only are permitted inside the buildings. Outdoors, all pets must be leashed and picked up after properly at all times.

While overnight camping is not permitted on Stuhr grounds, the Hall County Campground (308) 385-5087 is just south of the museum, and Mormon Island State Recreation Area (308) 385-6211 is just off I-80 exit 312, just 4 miles south of Stuhr Museum. A KOA Campground is located east of Grand Island, and other State Recreation Areas are nearby on Interstate 80.

To find accommodation in Grand Island, contact Grand Island Tourism or give them a call at (308) 382-4400.

During your visit, authorized staff photographers may capture your image on camera. Please note that your paid admission allows Stuhr Museum to use your likeness in any and all publications and for marketing purposes. Still photographs, videotapes and audiotapes are permitted for personal use only and may not be published or used for commercial purposes. Due to the nature of many of our artifacts, photography inside buildings is prohibited.