Through a couple of frugal life bloggers that I regularly read, I found out about Museum Day Live! which is a day where museums offer free entry. I love a good museum, so I checked to see if there were any local museums participating. Fortunately, there were a few (including the Hastings Museum and the Stuhr Museum), but Mike and I chose to go to the Nebraska Firefighters Museum in Kearney, Nebraska. Mike is a volunteer firefighter and an EMT, so we’d noticed this place several times when driving by, but had never stopped.
Museum Day Live!
The process of getting our free tickets was really simple. I filled out a form on the site, and the passes were e-mailed to me. We didn’t even have to print them out, as we could show the PDF file right from my smart phone. If you’re interested in finding out more about Museum Day Live! you can check it out here.
Nebraska Firefighters Museum
As for the Nebraska Firefighters Museum, it was larger inside than I’d expected. There were quite a few things for children to do, including trying on bunker gear, driving a small fire truck, and activities in the Smoky the Bear section. I think children would love spending a bit of time here.
Additionally though, there was quite a lot of historical information to inform and entertain adults as well. I was intrigued by the different gear and tools that firefighters have used over time. Some of it was quite similar to what is used today, while some of it was almost laughable in its simplicity. And reading about the history of the fire departments throughout the state was quite informative.
Outside of the museum is a monument to Nebraska firefighters. There are plaques along both sides to honor firefighters’ service. The main plaques at the front of the monument honor those firefighters killed in the line of duty. I got a little choked up in looking at those names and thinking about their families. I don’t like to think about the fact that Mike puts himself in harm’s way when he goes on a fire call, but the reality is still there.
Probably my favorite part of the museum was the historical vehicles. I’m a car nut to begin with, but these are just in another class altogether. They are just simply incredible to look at.
Overall, I think that a stop at the Nebraska Firefighters Museum is worth the time and cost even if you aren’t able to catch a free museum day. Admission to the museum costs $6 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for youth, and is free for children under 5 years. If you’d like more information about the museum, you can go to their website here.
Have you ever been there before? What did you think of the museum?