Hastings Museum, Hastings: Photos, Reviews & Location

Displays illuminating Nebraska’s culture & natural history, plus a planetarium & theater.

At a glance

#5 of 9 Tourist attractions in Hastings

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.61

1.1 km from the center of Hastings

Rating breakdown

5 ★65%
4 ★30%
3 ★5%
2 ★0%
1 ★1%

1330 N Burlington Ave, Hastings, NE 68901, United States

hastingsmuseum.org

+1 402-461-2399

Photos of Hastings Museum (47)

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Quick facts

What is the rating of Hastings Museum?: Hastings Museum is rated 4.6 out of 5 based on 170 reviews.
How does Hastings Museum rank in Hastings?: Hastings Museum is #5 of 9 Tourist attractions in Hastings by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Hastings Museum located?: 1330 N Burlington Ave, Hastings, NE 68901, United States — 1.1 km from the center of Hastings.
How can I contact Hastings Museum?: Phone: +1 402-461-2399 · Website: hastingsmuseum.org

Reviews (13)

Jim Donley 2024 Aug 27

My grandchildren and I enjoyed two movies at the Lied Super Screen theater, “Blue Whales” and “Fungi: The Web of Life” on Monday, August 26. I was hoping our movie tickets in the amount of $44.00 would also allow admission into the museum itself, but that was not the case. After paying another $16.00, we did enjoy our time spent in the museum, but I don’t think the planetarium had any programs for us to attend. At least, the front desk didn’t inform us of any. My grandchildren were also disappointed there wasn’t any popcorn available. All that being said, the Hastings Museum was a great way to spend three hours with my grandchildren on a hot August day!

Lamentations 2024 Jun 04

I love your museum but, please hold negligent parents more responsible and kick them out. Im a member, and was there with my 21mo old daughter, playing in the nature nook. A parent was in there, with head buried in her phone, paying no attention to her 2 boys, 6-7yrs old. They were running around like wild animals. One of them laid out my little girl. I told the kid and parent to be more cautious and responsible, and got no apology or remorse, for making my girl cry. And the kids and parent just carried on just as they were. We left within 10min of coming in, or I would’ve laid out the rude and careless parent.(not really )
Attendees who are irresponsible and harm other people’s kids have no business being there. Hold them responsible, and kick them out.

Michelle Kim 2024 May 13

The museum had a lot of variety of things from meteorites, animal figures to guns and antique cars and more but of course my favorite part was the Kool-Aid exhibit and the journey of how Kool-Aid came about to years of history. Reminiscent of some childhood and it was fun.

Travis Laird 2023 Dec 19

Growing up here was a kid this was one of the coolest places around and it hasn't changed. With the addition of the super screen theater and a few new things over the years it's become a place my kids love to go as well.

Robert Dixson 2023 Oct 05

I found it amazing that they had that much stuff inside the confines of the museum walls without being crowded. We gave it 3 hours on a Sunday and didn't see even half of the exhibits. Our next stop was Kearney, and on a day where one of our attractions fell through, we drove back to Hastings and spent another 4 hours going through the rest of the museum. I'm from Omaha, and our museums aren't half that well stocked. Hats off to Hastings for preserving the past! This was money well spent!

Grant B. 2023 Sep 24

This is a wonderful hidden gem! I was surprised by how much there is to see here, and my 3 year old also loved the place and it kept him occupied for a couple hours. Would highly recommend!

Douglas Hank 2023 Aug 19

A wonderful museum, we enjoy museum's like this. A lot of history explained here. So glad we stopped here. Thank you for a wonderful time.

Achterberg hardwood floors 2023 Jul 30

When I was a kid in the late 60's or early 70's my dad took the family to this museum on the way to Colorado from Illinois. I vividly remember one of the displays was a native American found mummified in a cave somewhere. He was in a reclined position and wearing a soldiers cavalry jacket.

Hank Breshears 2023 Apr 04

Kool, Man. Inventor of Kool-Aid left the museum as a legacy. A very nice museum with lots of exhibits, most NOT about Kool-Aid, for a small town (or even a big city). Exhibits will appeal to both young and old. A history of Kool-Aid and how it came to be is on a separate floor from the natural history exhibits.

Myron Jackson 2022 Jul 19

My goal was to actually see the Kool-Aid exhibit at this museum. But I was very impressed and surprised at the rest of the facility. There is a planetarium with regular shows. There are a bunch of antique vehicles in the basement area. Their dioramas with various animals on the main floor. It is quite a collection and well worth the admission price. There is an elevator for those who need that accessibility. It was interesting seeing the history of Kool-Aid. Museum included everything from a replica of a store to costumes of the pitcher. There are lots of photos and displays of advertising and products from that time. Including variations on kool-aid. Museum is easy to get to. It's adjacent to an arboretum which is another pleasant excursion. There was a nice museum gift shop. It's very well done.

Nick Zuck 2022 Jun 13

A pretty cool museum. We mainly went for the Kool-Aid exhibit and it was a good one, as far as museum exhibits go. Probably not worth the drive from Omaha…. But still fun, nonetheless.

Justin Gerloff 2022 May 19

It's been one of my favorite places to explore since I was a kid. The Planetarium is one of my favorite parts about this museum. The IMAX screen is also a great time to watch movies on. Very nice museum.

Shelby Miller 2020 Feb 17

All kinds of things to see and learn about here! From prairie settlers, to a planetarium, kool aid exhibit and lots of animals... we had lots of fun! An awesome employee offered us a tour and info about how things were acquired/ some of the changes that they hoped to make or add. This is a great inexpensive place to visit!