By Nebraska State Historical Society
Bayard, NE - Admission is free at the Ethel S. and Christopher J. Abbott Visitor Center at the Chimney Rock State Historical Site from Friday, Dec. 26, through Wednesday, Dec. 31, for local families and those traveling through the Panhandle this holiday season. The weeklong free admission to the museum and scheduled programs are made possible with funding from the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation Abbott Funds.
The Dec. 26 program, sponsored by the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation, centers on a “Little House on the Prairie” theme, presented by Western Nebraska Coordinator Sandra Reddish of the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation.
Daily programming from Saturday, Dec. 27, through Wednesday, Dec.31, includes presentations and programs beginning at 10 a.m. – Guns on the Oregon Trail; 11 a.m. – Nebraska’s Monument Valley Slide Show; 2 p.m. – Life on the Oregon Trail; and 3 p.m. – Drones and other Chimney Rock Videos. All events are MT.
New programming begins Saturday, Dec. 27, at 1 p.m. MT, with the "Evolution of Nebraska," by historian Brian Croft. He’ll lead a guided discussion about how Nebraska came to be and why it has been referred to as being formed out of the so-called Great American Desert. His talk will include archival maps that help story.
The new programming continues Sunday, Dec. 28, at 1 p.m. MT with “Winter Travel on the Oregon Trail.” Winter travel can be perilous. Winter emergency kits for vehicles are recommended. Imagine having to make the same trip across Nebraska or the whole Oregon Trail in 1844. Chimney Rock State Historic Site Manager Loren Pospisil will talk about traveling in the dead of winter along the Great Platte River Road.
Pospisil is excited about the opportunity this is for local families and travelers driving through western Nebraska. “This is different from what we’ve done in the past,” said Pospisil. “Our objective is to provide an opportunity to families who might not be able to visit the museum during the regular Tuesday – Saturday business hours in the winter season.
“If you have some late Christmas shopping to do, this would be a great opportunity to browse our gift shop with items for all ages.”
The Walk to the Rock trails, managed by the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation and always free to experience, will also be open and available for guests.
Holiday-related refreshments will be served daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT.
For more information about these programs at the Chimney Rock Museum at the Ethel S. and Christopher J. Abbott Visitor’s Center, visit https://history.nebraska.gov/ or call 308-586-2581.
About Nebraska State Historical Society (NSHS)
NSHS collects, preserves, and shares Nebraska’s history for all people. NSHS operates the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln and historic sites around the state, including Chimney Rock Museum at the Ethel S. and Christopher J. Abbott Visitor Center, Fort Robinson History Center, Neligh Mill State Historic Site, Thomas Kennard State Historic Site, Senator George Norris State Historic Site, John Neihardt State Historic Site, and over 570 historical markers placed across Nebraska. NSHS administers the State Archives and Library; the State Historic Preservation Office; the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center; the Office of the State Archeologist; publishes Nebraska History Magazine and books; and is responsible for the administration of the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission. More at https://history.nebraska.gov and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.