lincoln county historical museum

My old doctor's picture (and his equipment) and my great grandparents items given to them from the Rosebud Indian Reservation are on display. They taught on this reservation many years ago.

Closed for the winter In Oct Huu???? It's a museum isn't it. It was a beautiful day and as a beneficiary of the great people of Bangor Maine who come out to the airport to meet returning warriors I hoped to honor the North Platte Canteen who took care of the warriors in WWII by visiting the exhibit but the museum was closed for the winter. Not a great example of the pioneer spirit found elsewhere in Nebraska.

I have never seen such a professionally equipped museum. Well planned. Excellent pieces. Knowledgable staff.

To get an excellent idea of the area’s history, you should stop by the Lincoln County Historical Museum in North Platte. The museum grounds are home to a look at the story of the Platte River valley.The entrance gives you an immediate look back. The three doors used as the entrance to the museum are from the original North Platte Canteen. It was a spot along the railroad where more than six million troops visited during World War II, 1941-45. The canteen closed in 1946.The main building houses a great exhibit on the canteen and the people who were there – both soldier and local volunteer.Other items of significance are also contained in the building – a diorama of old-time North Platte, a medical instrument display, telecommunications, and society’s goods – clothing, accessories, music and furniture.The museum has an old film projector from the Fox Theater downtown. The former movie house is now home to community theater productions.The World War II Canteen exhibit appealed most to me. The set up was interesting. Sitting among war souvenirs and reminders was a kitchen area with simulated fruit, vegetables and drinks.The war items on display were impressive. Weapons and uniforms adorn the area.A Nazi flag is on display behind glass. It’s noted that the flag was captured by an American and that it is displayed as a reminder of war’s consequences.A battered American flag is displayed nearby.An exhibit highlights the love story of Virgil and Ethel Butolph. Virgil started writing to Ethel in 1942 during his deployment. His buddy was writing Ethel’s sister at the time. Virgil thought it would be nice to have someone to correspond with.Their relationship grew during the ensuing years until they met face-to-face in September 1944. Virgil was from Kearney and was coming home for a furlough. He wanted to meet Ethel in person. He proposed and they were married Sept. 19, 1944. Her dress and his uniform are on display, along with their story.As you step outside the main building, you’re transported to the 1800s. The outdoor section of the museum is home to 16 original buildings.A windmill and cistern stand near the front of the pack. A cistern is basically a water tower.A flag flies atop a pole that once belonged to nearby Fort McPherson. A cabin that was located at the Maxwell-based fort sits close by.I have no idea what it is about old jail cells and my wife. But, she managed to get herself tossed into an old brig again. This has happened to her in previous visits to Alcatraz, USS Midway and an old-time jail in Oklahoma City.We checked out the Birdwood Schoolhouse. The one-room school was one of a few in the area.The Trinity Lutheran Church offers a place of worship on the plains.A couple of houses were open for viewing. The first we checked out was the Ericsson House. The second was the childhood home to William Jeffers. Jeffers, whose father worked for the railroad, worked his way up from a janitor and “call boy” (ran to crew members’ homes to give them their work schedules) to lead the Union Pacific Railroad as its president in the late 1930s.You can take a gander at what was needed for progress with old-fashioned ditch plows on display.The railroad’s importance is again displayed with a depot and caboose. Inside the depot, visitors get a view of an old station – train schedules on the wall, as well as luggage on the benches.Visitors can close out their trip through history with a walk on the boardwalk featuring a general store and barbershop.

We could have spent an entire day here! There is an impressive collection of historical photos, artifacts, etc. Our favorite part, though, was learning about the canteen that served the soldiers during WWII. They have several historic buildings outside at the back of the museum as well and have an audio tour that you can access with your cell phone. In addition, they have a "treasure hunt" for the kids to find items throughout the displays that don't belong. If the kids find all the items, the receive a prize! The museum is well laid out and has A LOT to offer. It was well worth our time and our kids loved it!!!

Numerous original buildings including 3 homes, a church, blacksmith's shop, one room school. train depot and others are available to walk into and are fully furnished. Inside the museum you are able to explore a canteen from WWII, dentist office, beauty parlor all from before 1950s. MUCH MUCH MORE! Amazing to look at and learn. The price...$5.00!

Wonderfully loved collection of local history, some with tremendous national importance, others just interesting. The exhibit on the World War II canteen is the best part in the museum. I loved the video taped oral histories that you can watch. The village out back is tremendous. Well worth the stop. You can tell it is a labor of love by volunteers. Just as in prior generations. The people of the area are wonderful and to be commended! I was happy to pay to share it for a moment.

This is a nice museum run by great people who love their history. They have taken pains to preserve palpable memories of our collective past, including the remains of the train depot that provided comfort to millions of servicemen on their way to World War II. North Platte saw fit to bulldoze this outstanding historic site decades ago, but the historical society saved portions of the place, including the doors you pass through to enter the museum today. The exhibit on the "North Platte Canteen" (as it came to be known) provides ample testimony from servicemen who enjoyed good food, drink, and hospitality on their central Nebraska stopover, as well as interviews with the (mostly) women who sacrificed their own rationed staple items to cook for the soldiers. The North Platte Canteen was a legend of the era, and this museum presents a fine tribute, given its budget.Other sections of the museum are more typical to county museums in Nebraska, including a volumninous collection of arrowheads and spearpoints, along with a tip of the hat to the region's paleontology. The bulk of the museum space is dedicated to household goods of days gone by - again, not unlike other county museums. I will say that their collection is more choice than most, however. Many items on display remind me of things things I've seen displayed as antiques in wealthy Nebraska homes, and the material is organized better than most museums with it's budget can manage, both in the building proper and in the "town" out back.One real strength of the museum is it's focus on the role of women in Lincoln County history, both in its Canteen exhibits and its anique collection. Many museums of its size find it easy to concentrate on male-dominated fields like industry or the military. This museum puts energy into how people built their daily lives, with household contributions across genders. I found that very refreshing, along with the curiosity and enthusiasm shown by the volunteers and staff. This is a great visit for the history buff.

The place was to open at 9am. We got there at 10am and the door was still locked. Fortunately it was opened for us. The staff are evidently volunteers and were very helpful. Definitely interesting explaining the history of North Platte and the buildings on the grounds were very interesting.

The museum has done a great job of preserving some old houses, cabins, a church, a school and more. It's like stepping back in time. The Canteen story is also very sweet. Good stop!

This is a very well put together museum that a lot of people pass on by. I have visited here many times over the years, and they change the museum artifacts often.

We went to this museum mainly to see the North Platte Canteen exhibit but ended up spending almost 3 hours here! There are some very interesting exhibits. It was a bit cold and windy the morning we were there so we didn't spend much time exploring the buildings outside. Plenty to see inside though! Be sure to allow enough time to watch the entire video of the North Platte Canteen. It gives you the full history and is very touching.

There is a wonderful display of the service that North Platte and surrounding communities provided our military service personnel when traveling through North Platte on the train. When the train stopped here, the servicemen and women were treated to homemade sandwiches, eggs, birthday cakes, cookies, coffee, etc. and lots of hospitality for the brief time they were there. Left life-lasting memories for all involved. The museum also has a great display of out buildings to go through, besides the additional displays inside the museum. A must see for anyone interested in the "human interest" side of the war.

Generally I avoid museums like the plague but this museum was a big surprise especially for a relatively small town. You can see it in about 90 min if you rush through but to see the historic farm commercial buildings on the property you can easily spend 3-4 hours. The movie "WW-II Canteen at N. Platte" is a must see to appreciate troop movements and small town hospitality during the war. The movie is around 20 minutes but is major network class, Highly recommend for its historical significance - a gem to find in a small town.

Rated poor based on attitude only. We did not pay full price and go through anything as there were only 30 minutes left for viewing. The only people there were the workers! What a shame. Why not consider half price after 4 PM or something similar? Not a very friendly place for tourists.