Book a School Tour
WELCOME!
We're excited you're planning a school tour to the Plainsman Museum!
Explore below to learn more about what we have to offer school groups, and learn how you can book your own tour experience.
School Tour Admission Rate
$4.00 per student
Teachers, chaperones and bus drivers get in for FREE
Our Buildings, Exhibits & Galleries
On our 6-acre campus we have our Main Building, Agricultural Museum, a One Room Schoolhouse, the Bates House, and a Blacksmith Shop.
Main Building
The Plainsman Museum's Main Building houses the central rotunda area, pioneer sod house, log cabin, historical Main Street boardwalk, military exhibit, archives and more!
This building is open year-round. In December it is decorated for our annual Winter Wonderland of Trees.
Agricultural Museum
The Wesley Huenefeld Agricultural Museum contains our collection of antique agricultural equipment, which includes tractors, cars, trucks, a threshing machine, steam engine, historical homestead and more!
This building is open seasonally from April - October.
It is closed November - March.
One Room Schoolhouse
Our One Room Schoolhouse gives visitors a glimpse into what it was like to attend a pioneer school. This particular schoolhouse was in use from 1874 - 1954, and it was brought to the Plainsman Museum in 1986.
This building is open seasonally from April - October.
It is closed November - March.
The Bates House
The Bates House is our Victorian-era house built in the 1870's by Gen. Delevan Bates and his wife, Lana Bates. Gen. Bates fought in the Union Army in the Civil War, and after the war he and his family moved to Aurora.
This building is open seasonally from April - October.
It is closed November - March.
Blacksmith Shop
The blacksmith shop was originally owned by William Grieser of Hampton, NE and contains various pieces of blacksmithing machinery and tools.
This building is open seasonally from April - October.
It is closed November - March.
Note: Currently, our Main Building is the only building equipped with heating, so the other buildings may be a bit chilly during your visit if you come in the spring or autumn. If you plan on visiting our other buildings during your tour, we recommend bringing at least a light jacket, sweater or hoodie to help keep you warm.
Visitor Amenities
Restrooms
We have restrooms available in our Main Building and Agricultural Museum. The Main Building also includes an ADA/family restroom.
Wheelchairs/Wheelchair Accessibility
All of our buildings are wheelchair accessible. We also have up to three wheelchairs (not motorized) available for visitors to use during their tour. Use of the wheelchairs is free of charge.
Visitor Seating
Throughout our Main Building and Agricultural Museum we have benches and seating available for visitors.
ADA Parking
We have ADA parking available in our parking lot.
Museum Maps & Informational Brochures
At our front desk we have museum maps and informational brochures available.
When You Arrive
Parking - If you plan on coming with any school buses or vans, we recommend taking the route outlined below to enter our parking lot.
Directions:
From I-80
- Take Exit 332
- Go north (toward Aurora) for about 3 mi.
- Turn right onto E 12 Rd.
- Turn left onto 17th St.
- Turn left into the parking lot.
From Intersection of Hwy 34 & 14 in Aurora
- Turn south on Hwy 14 for approximately 0.5 mi.
- Turn left onto E 12 Rd.
- Turn left onto 17th St.
- Turn left into the parking lot.
If you need additional parking space, please let us know during the booking process.
Check In
All visitors are to check in at the Main Building's front desk. For school groups, please let the desk attendant know which school you are with. Students and chaperones will then assemble in the Main Building's rotunda area after admissions are processed.
Your School Tour
Self-Tour
At the Plainsman Museum our exhibits are designed for an optimal self-tour experience! For school group tours, a museum staff member or volunteer will give you a brief orientation after you check in. From there you are free to explore the galleries and buildings at your leisure. Signage throughout our buildings will help explain to students and chaperones what they are seeing within the exhibits.
*NOTE: While our Main Building is open year-round, our other buildings are open seasonally from April - October, and are closed November - March. If you have any questions about our buildings and/or open hours, please contact the Plainsman Museum directly.
QR Code Enhancements
We also have QR code enhancements students and/or chaperones may interact with using their smartphones or tablets! Options available through our QR codes include...
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Video tours of key exhibit areas.
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First-hand accounts of pioneer life read aloud by local voice actors, and accompanied by photos from the museum's archives.
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Various immersive audial experiences that allow visitors to hear the sounds of an old pioneer depot town, life in a sod house, a wagon train encampment, and more!
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Exhibit quizzes and scavenger hunts to test your observation skills.
Guided Tour
For school groups we also have a guided tour option available! For this tour, students will be divided into groups (no more than 12 students per group), with the groups rotating between exhibits. These tours are led by volunteer docents. Guided tours are offered in the following timeframes:
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1 hr.
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1.5 hrs.
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2 hrs.
NOTE: The timeframes are for the total tour time. Group times at each exhibit station are divided within the total timeframe.
The Edgerton Explorit Center
Get the best of both history and science for your school group when you visit both the Plainsman Museum and our neighbor - the Edgerton Explorit Center! If you would like to visit the Plainsman Museum and the Edgerton Explorit Center in the same day, we recommend checking with the Edgerton Explorit Center first for available booking hours, and then let us know which options you would like us to look at coordinating with. Any bookings with the Edgerton Explorit Center are to be made with the center directly.
FAQ's
Q: Are there any museum rules the students, teachers and chaperones need to be aware of as we begin our tour?
A: The same rules that apply at school also apply at our museum! We also ask that visitors use their indoor voices, walk while inside our buildings, and look with your eyes instead of your hands. If there are any exhibits you may interact with, we will have signs indicating which ones you may interact with, and instructions about how to engage with them.
Q: If we choose the guided tour option for our school group, what are the expectations for the teachers and chaperones?
A: For each of the student groups (up to 12 students per group), we would like at least 1-2 teachers/chaperones to accompany them on the guided tour. As students rotate between tour stations, teachers and chaperones are to help guide the students between these different stations as directed by our volunteer docents.
Q: We are interested in eating our lunch around the time of our tour. Are there any meal seating options available in the area?
A: For lunch seating, Refshauge Park near the Plainsman Museum has picnic seating available. If you're coordinating a tour between the Plainsman Museum and the Edgerton Explorit Center, we recommend asking the Edgerton Explorit Center about using their meal seating for your group. If neither of these options work, please let us know during the booking process and we will try to help you find other accommodations.
Book Your Tour
To book your tour with us, you may contact the Plainsman Museum directly via...
Phone: 402-694-6531
Email: plainsman@hamilton.net
Or you may fill out the request form below. A museum representative will get back to you within 2-3 business days of your request being submitted to confirm any arrangements.
*NOTE: All booking requests must be confirmed by a museum representative before they are considered finalized. If you have any questions about the booking process, please contact the Plainsman Museum directly.
In the event of school tour cancelation, the Plainsman Museum will require 24 hours notice. Thank you!