Legacy of the Plains has been working to build and expand our museum’s exhibits inside the Main Exhibit Gallery and from this point until the grand opening scheduled for mid-September 2016, the gallery is closed. All new state-of-the-art displays will be installed during the course of the next three months. Volunteers have been working hard in the last few weeks to move large artifacts on the museum’s grounds into the gallery. There will be dozens of exhibits throughout seven main themes: Trails and Transportation, Ranching and Livestock, Dryland Farming, Irrigated Farming, Business and Trade, Domestic and Dwellings, and the High Plains Art Gallery.
The primary reason for this closure is safety of our museum’s visitors. With all this movement, equipment, fumes from various machines and electrical installation, the main gallery is at this moment, a construction zone.
So what is there to do at Legacy of the Plains? Plenty! Just because our Main Exhibit Gallery is closed doesn’t mean we can’t still show you a good time. Inside the building, our pre-show gallery is still a great hit, and gives a basic introduction to the seven zones as well as a “sample” of the high standards we have for the Main Exhibit Gallery. Also on display for the summer is the “Commerce and Trade on the Oregon Trail” temporary exhibit researched and designed by Western Nebraska Community College’s (WNCC) history class. Kids love the Oregon Trail game! For more information, please click our link Commerce and Trade on the Oregon Trail.
Outside around the museum’s campus is hundreds of antique farm machinery and equipment with different tractors, combines, harrows, plows, and so forth. Our Annex Building just behind the museum also houses some of the restored tractors, some automobiles, buggies as well as a 1930’s glider. The blacksmith shop just to the east of the main building has some great blacksmithing tools and forges worth checking out. Of course, one of our show-stopping pieces is the Wiedeman Farmstead Home featuring a 1950’s era themed main floor with a 1930’s era themed basement. Guided tours are available during operating hours of this historic Gering home. (Virtual tours will be coming soon!)
With everything else here we have to offer, you can plan to spend at least an hour on the grounds. Always check on our Facebook page and Instagram to see upcoming events. And of course, we invite everyone to come in September to see the finished product!