Mobile children’s museum to be in Imperial

The Nebraska150 Celebration’s “Truckin’ Through Nebraska: A Mobile Children’s Museum” is just two-and-a-half weeks out from its arrival for a two-day display in Imperial.

Scheduled for setup at the city office parking lot, its hours of operation will be: 

Sunday, June 11, from noon to 7 p.m., and

Monday, June 12, 8 a.m. to noon 

Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend. While exhibits in the Mobile Children’s Museum are intended for children ages 5-12, audiences of all ages are welcome, noted Jo Leyland, who is coordinating its local visit. 

The museum kicked off its 26-week, 42-community tour across Nebraska last month and will continue its stops through October.

It’s contained in a 53-foot, state-of-the-art, custom air-ride, double-expandable trailer specially designed and outfitted for traveling museum exhibits. The unit is climate controlled, has GPS tracking, Wi-Fi, its own generator and is ADA accessible. 

Interior exhibits include areas where kids will build shelters and test them in a wind chamber or earthquake simulator, design their own 10-acre homestead, test their knowledge of Nebraska, create their own movie, explore toys from the past, craft their own postcards and more. 

Exhibits will also surround the exterior of the trailer, allowing for optimal play and learning space. Those exhibits will include a timed “chore” challenge obstacle course, foam block invention area, a toy creation station and more.

A few volunteers needed  

Leyland said the community is very excited to host the children’s museum for the southwest Nebraska area. 

“We hope that children and families from the entire region will be able to enjoy this unique opportunity,” she said. 

She is still looking for some additional volunteers to help with various tasks during the two days the museum is here.

Leyland said she has 11 on each shift filled right now, but could use two more volunteers, one Monday morning and one Sunday evening. Contact her at the Imperial city office, 308-882-4368, if interested.

For a full list of communities the Mobile Children’s Museum will visit this year, visit www.ne150.org/museum.  

The Mobile Children’s Museum is a partnership with the Omaha Children’s Museum and is sponsored in part by Cargill, Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, First National Bank, Peter Kiewit Foundation, BNSF Railway, Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America—Nebraska Chapter, AGC Nebraska Building Chapter, TransCanada, Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation and Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST 529).  

Alphabetical list of communities

1. Albion July 18-19

2. Beatrice Oct. 1-3

3. Broken Bow Aug. 4-6

4. Burwell July 27-29

5. Central City Sept. 18-19

6. Chappell June 4-5

7. Columbus Sept. 14-16

8. Crofton June 29-July 1

9. Falls City Sept. 28-29

10. Grand Island Aug. 25-27

11. Hastings Aug. 12-13

12. Hebron Sept. 4-5

13. Holdrege Aug. 21-22

14. Imperial June 11-12

15. Kimball June 1-2

16. Lexington Aug. 31-Sept. 2

17. Lincoln Sept. 22-24

18. Madison July 13-15

19. McCook June 8-9

20. Mullen June 21-22

21. Nebraska City Oct. 6-8

22. North Platte June 16-18

23. Ord July 21-23

24. Plainview April 29-30

25. Ravenna Aug. 8-9

26. Red Cloud Aug. 17-19

27. Seward July 4-6

28. So. Sioux City April 26-27

29. Valentine June 24-25

30. Wayne July 8-9

31. York Sept. 8-10