WWII in Hastings Bus Tour
2024-06-21 08:30 - 10:30 (America/Chicago) | Hastings Museum
SOLD OUT!
When: Friday, June 21
When: Tour starts 8:30 a.m.
Where: Tour begins and ends at the Hastings Museum
Price: $35 +tax for Museum Members | $50 +tax for Non-Members
Tour also available on Saturday, June 22.
Join us for a 2-hour bus tour that highlights the Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD), downtown Hastings, and key housing districts. The tour ticket also includes all-day admission to the Museum, and Theatre admission to D-Day: Normandy 1944, narrated by Tom Brokaw (trailer below). Get a sense of what it was like to live in Hastings during one of its boom periods. The city’s population nearly doubled between 1942 and 1943. Where did they live and work? Come find out!

If you would like to be notified when our Fall or 2024 tour dates are selected, send us an email.
Questions? Give us a ring at (402) 461.2399.
Get TicketsThese tours are funded in part by a grant from:

WWII in Hastings Bus Tour
2024-06-22 08:30 - 10:30 | Hastings Museum
Sold Out!
When: Saturday, June 22
When: Tour starts 8:30 a.m.
Where: Tour begins and ends at the Hastings Museum
Price: $35 +tax for Museum Members | $50 +tax for Non-Members
Tour also available on Fri, June 21.
Join us for a 2-hour bus tour that highlights the Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD), downtown Hastings, and key housing districts. The tour ticket also includes all-day admission to the Museum, and Theatre admission to D-Day: Normandy 1944, narrated by Tom Brokaw (trailer below). Get a sense of what it was like to live in Hastings during one of its boom periods. The city’s population nearly doubled between 1942 and 1943. Where did they live and work? Come find out!

If you would like to be notified when our Fall or 2024 tour dates are selected, send us an email.
Questions? Give us a ring at (402) 461.2399.
Get TicketsThese tours are funded in part by a grant from:

Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas Training
2024-06-22 09:30 - 12:00 | Hastings Museum
Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas – Hastings Field Training
Saturday, June 22, 9:30am – Noon

The Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas is a statewide community science project actively tracking and conserving our native bumble bees. Anyone is welcome to join the Atlas—no experience is needed. Come work alongside researchers to help fill knowledge gaps about our native bumble bees!
At this field training, Xerces Society staff will teach the basics of surveying at Hastings Museum. This event will be a great way to learn how to use your insect net, collect data according to project methods, identify local bumble bees, connect with fellow volunteers, and get any lingering questions answered!

Before attending this training, it is recommended that you review the online training material or the participant handbook. Materials can be found here: https://www.bumblebeeatlas.org/pages/nebraska

Registration required, event limited to 20 people: https://arcg.is/0W1W5H1

Preschool Playday: July 13
2024-07-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Hastings Museum
Preschool Playday
Saturday, July 13, 10-11 a.m.
Theme: Apple of my Pie
Roll out the science as we make our own pie crusts trying different chemical reactions to make the best pie crust. We will make our own apple pies and a craft a pie to smell on our way home!

Calling all Preschoolers: Preschool Playday offers quality time for youngsters and their favorite adults. Preschool Playday always offers a little bit to learn, a hands-on activity or craft, and a lot of fun. Join us on the second Saturday of each month. This program is FREE for Museum Members or included with regular Museum admission! Participation in each Preschool Playday is limited to 20 children.
Please RSVP by noon the Friday before by calling (402) 461-2399. If you and your child have paid Museum admission to attend Preschool Playday, your admission is good for the entire day. We encourage you to stay and enjoy the exhibits, or catch a planetarium show. It’s all included.

Solar Observing, July 20
2024-07-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Hastings Museum
FREE fun on the third Saturday of each month from 11 am – Noon. Join us for an opportunity to use our specially equipped telescope and safely look at the sun. Weather permitting, you’ll see the star at the center of our solar system in rich, rewarding detail. This program is offered April through September, so this is the first solar observing opportunity this year! This event goes on hiatus October through March. No RSVP necessary. Check in at the front desk or meet us on our front patio! Interested in more out of this world fun? Check out the shows in our Planetarium.
.

Voter Surpression
2024-07-21 13:30 - 15:30 | Hastings Museum
Humanities Nebraska Speaker: Preston Love Jr.
Sunday, JULY 21, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Join us for a FREE program.
No RSVP is needed.

PSST: This talk pairs perfectly with our summer exhibit: I AM A MAN, civil rights photography from the 1960s.
In 1870, The 15th Amendment to the Constitution provided for all males, regardless of color, the right to vote. This initiated a challenging historical cycle reflecting the good and bad of voting rights in America. Following the 15th Amendment’s passage, African American males registered and voted in significant numbers The positive evidence can be found in the historical records of Black elected officials, and in election results in southern states, state and local offices, and even in Congress.

The success of the 15th Amendment was met with strong resistance by Jim Crowism and the beginning of a new cycle of voter restriction. Voter impediments and restrictions ran rampant until, as the cycle continued, the restrictions were met by the Civil Rights Movement, a new stage in the cycle, with the positiveness of the 1965 Voting Rights Act making voter restrictions illegal, and resulting in a new surge of Black elected officials. The cycle continued with the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision of Shelby vs Holder, and with it came the dismantling of the power, and effect, of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. With that decision, the cycle of restrictions took a new, aggressive life. We now find ourselves in renewed debates and struggles over voter restrictions, North, South, East and West, that some argue surpass the restrictions of Jim Crow.

The Speaker: Preston Love Jr. is an Author and Adjunct Professor of Black Studies at University of Nebraska-Omaha.

More events

In Spanish: Tours & Film
2024-07-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Hastings Museum
Tours & Film in Spanish
En español abajo!
Movie: Dinosaurs of Antarctica 4:00 p.m. in Spanish
Guided Tours in Spanish: 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Q&A Session: 5:30 p.m. (yup, in Spanish)
Enjoy the Nature Nook (with several several exhibit descriptions in Spanish), mounted animals on display in the main diorama hall, and much more! We hope to see you there! Museum Hours on June 21: 1-6 p.m. Museum Admission: Adults $9, Children $7 (Or, check out special Museums for All $1 admission below) Dinosaurs of Antarctica Movie: $5.50

PSST: Do you know about … Museums for All? Hastings Museum offers reduced prices for those receiving SNAP benefits. Bring your SNAP card and a form of ID to pay only $1 per person (up to 5 people). Ask at the front desk!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Entrada al Museo: Adultos $9, Niños $7 (Lee sobre nuestro descuento de $1 por boleto en el espacio abajo!)
Película de Dinosaurios de la Antártida: $5.50
Película “Dinosaurios de la Antártida” en español 4:00 p.m.
Recorridos guiados en español: 4:30 p.m. y 5:00 p.m.
Sesión de Preguntas y Respuestas en español: 5:30 p.m.
Pssst.. Quieres saber del Programa Museos para Todos?
Este programa ofrece precios reducidos para los que reciben beneficios de SNAP. Trae tu tarjeta de SNAP y una forma de identificación para pagar solo un dólar por persona (hasta 5).
Horario del Museo el 21 de julio: 1-6 p.m.
Disfruta del rincón de naturaleza (con muchas descripciónes en español), animales montados en exhibición, y mucho más! ¡Esperamos verte ahí!

Trolley Tours
2024-08-01 - 2024-08-03 | University Avenue, 800 Turner Ave, Hastings, 68901
Pedal Trolley Tours: Downtown
All tickets: $35
This is a 21+ event. | BYOB | NO Glass containers
Valid ID is required for all tours!
We’ve added a new type of tour to our repertoire, a Joyride Pedal company bike tour. Choose from three different themes and 12 different tour times. Tours are approximately two hours long. The pick-up location will be announced soon. Two museum tour guides will help you pedal and keep the fun facts flowing.

University Avenue
Meet at: Depot Plaza | 416 N. Minnesota Ave
Thursday, August 1: 6-8pm
Friday, August 2: 6-8pm **SOLD OUT**
Saturday, August 3: 6:30-8:30pm

Get Tickets

Preschool Playday: Aug 10
2024-08-10 10:00 - 11:00 | Hastings Museum
Preschool Playday

Saturday, August 10, 10-11 a.m.
Theme: Evolving Kool-Aid
What is August in Hastings without Kool-Aid? Uncover nearly 100 years of Kool-Aid history as we travel back in time to the early 1900s and discover how Edwin Perkins made Kool-Aid into a world-wide success. We will get adventuresome with Kool-Aid as we invent our own flavors and create our own Kool-Aid packet to take home.

Calling all Preschoolers: Preschool Playday offers quality time for youngsters and their favorite adults. Preschool Playday always offers a little bit to learn, a hands-on activity or craft, and a lot of fun. Join us on the second Saturday of each month.
This program is FREE for Museum Members or included with regular Museum admission! Participation in each Preschool Playday is limited to 20 children. Please RSVP by noon the Friday before by calling (402) 461-2399. If you and your child have paid Museum admission to attend Preschool Playday, your admission is good for the entire day. We encourage you to stay and enjoy the exhibits, or catch a planetarium show. It’s all included.

Nature Photography
2024-08-11 14:00 | Hastings Museum
Wild Wonders: Photography 101
Date: Sunday, August 11, 2-4 p.m.
Location: Museum and outside, weather permitting
Individuals (adults) and Families: ages 5 and up
Wild Wonders is a nature-based family program. For our Nature Photography 101 event, our guest speaker Amy Sandeen will be sharing her knowledge on the subject! We are absolutely thrilled to have her as a guest!
The Wild Wonders program offers great opportunities for all ages to learn and explore the natural world! Join us for activities, hikes, presenters, and chances to get outside and enjoy the world around us.
Note: Dress for the weather. We’ll likely be going outside. Bring your cell phone or camera to capture the moments!
This program is FREE for Museum Members or included with regular Museum admission! Participation in this program is limited to 40 people. Please RSVP by noon on the Friday before by calling (402) 461-2399. If you and your child have paid Museum admission to attend, your admission is good for the entire day. We encourage you to stay and enjoy the exhibits, or catch a planetarium show. It’s all included.
More About The Speaker, Amy Sandeen

Amy grew up in Hastings, Nebraska, then lived and worked in St. Paul/Minneapolis for 18 years before moving back to her roots in 2008. She was the executive director of Prairie Loft in Hastings from 2008 – 2022. Sandeen currently works at the Crane Trust creating programs and activities that promote community engagement, education, and partnerships. Her drive to create connections is inspired and informed by more than 30 years of professional work in experiential education and nonprofit leadership. She serves on local and state boards and facilitates workshops to build nonprofit capacity growth. Amy is a musician and photographer, and loves sharing outdoor experiences with others.

Egg Drop
2024-08-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Hastings Museum
Sunday, August 18
FREE Egg Drop!
Part of Kool-Aid Days Weekend
1-3 pm Egg Vessel Assembly
3 pm Egg Drop Begins

Open to the first 125 participants, eggs will be provided | One egg per person.
All egg vessels must be assembled on site.
Museum will have limited materials.
We encourage you to bring your own materials to ensure proper amount of supplies.
Vessel cannot exceed 10 inches in diameter

2 levels: Egg-inner and Egg-spert

Approved materials include but not limited to: newspaper, cardboard, tape, plastic food containers, napkins, cotton balls, paper towels, toilet paper, sponges, Ziploc bags, grocery bags, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, empty Kool-Aid packaging, scissors, clothing, and fabric.
Prohibited Materials: food (including eggs), liquids, balloons, and glass

The Museum maintains the right to refuse
any material not on the approved list.
Egg-inner vessel cannot exceed
10 inches in diameter
Egg-spert vessel cannot exceed
5 inches in diameter

Help us spread the word about this cool, free event!

Preschool Playday: SEPT 14
2024-09-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Hastings Museum
Preschool Playday

Saturday, SEPT 14, 10-11 a.m.
Theme: Pirate Preschool
Arrr! We are looking for treasure during our Pirate Preschool. We’ll be making our pirate hats, walking the plank, discovering doubloons, and practicing other pirate skills.

Calling all Preschoolers: Preschool Playday offers quality time for youngsters and their favorite adults. Preschool Playday always offers a little bit to learn, a hands-on activity or craft, and a lot of fun. Join us on the second Saturday of each month.
This program is FREE for Museum Members or included with regular Museum admission! Participation in each Preschool Playday is limited to 20 children. Please RSVP by noon the Friday before by calling (402) 461-2399. If you and your child have paid Museum admission to attend Preschool Playday, your admission is good for the entire day. We encourage you to stay and enjoy the exhibits, or catch a planetarium show. It’s all included.

Film & Discussion
2024-09-29 14:00 - 17:00 | Hastings Museum
Join us for a special afternoon collaboration with enCourage Advocacy Center
EVENT: Join the enCourage Advocacy Center and the Hastings Museum for an afternoon to increase understanding of domestic violence. Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) is observed in October to raise awareness and recognize victims.
DONATION DRIVE: The event will kickoff a month-long item drive to support the enCourage Advocacy Center. Look for the purple box in the Museum’s lobby. Donate items and get $1 off your Museum Admission SEPT 29 – OCT 31. Here’s what they need:

Paper Products
Facial Tissues
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Groceries
Canned Goods
Gatorade
Snack Items
Cleaning Supplies
Any brand & any size of:
Women’s Deodorant
Men’s Deodorant
Shampoo & Conditioner
Childcare Items
Diapers sized 3-7 (any brand)
Pull-ups
Baby Wipes
Diaper Rash Cream
Vital Communication
Unlocked Used Cellphones
Unlocked New Cellphones
Cellphone Charging Cords
Get Tickets

Live Bird Program
2024-10-13 14:00 - 15:00 | Hastings Museum
Join us for a program from the Edgerton Explorit Center.

Members: $3
Non-Members: $6

Experience some of the most majestic creatures found in nature and their valuable link to natural systems. Join us for this unique opportunity to view and learn about raptors here in Nebraska. This program includes fun and fascinating facts about these amazing creatures by promoting the identification of raptors, their natural habitat, and habits associated with their surroundings.

Bird Program TicketsWant more Raptor fun?
Get tickets to our Wild Wonders program instead. These tickets include the bird program, museum admission, and hands-on lab dissecting owl pellets and reconstructing skeletons of prey animals.
Wild Wonders Tickets

Wild Wonders: Live Birds
2024-10-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Hastings Museum
Join us for a special Wild Wonders program with the Edgerton explorit Center.

Members: $3
Non-Members: Kids: $10 | Adults: $12 | Seniors: $11

Experience some of the most majestic creatures found in nature and their valuable link to natural systems. Join us for this unique opportunity to view and learn about raptors here in Nebraska. This program includes fun and fascinating facts about these amazing creatures by promoting the identification of raptors, their natural habitat, and habits associated with their surroundings.

Following the presentation, participate in a hands-on lab dissecting owl pellets and reconstructing skeletons of prey animals. This ticket also includes Museum Admission.
This program is limited to only 40 participants. Get your tickets today.
Wild Wonders TicketsOnly interested in Live Birds?
You can get a ticket to the bird program only. Follow the link below.
Bird Program Tickets

Comet Viewing
2024-10-15 19:30 - 21:00 | Brickyard Park
A Unique Astronomical Event!
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will appear in all its splendor over our night sky on September 27 through the last week of October. Astronomers are calling this “the comet of the century” and believe it will be exceptionally bright, similar to Halley’s comet in 1986 or NEOWISE in 2020.
Get an up-close look at this celestial object with the Museum’s telescope on Oct 15 at 7:30 pm at Brickyard Park near the western tree line. Planetarium coordinator Kirk Rosberg will be on hand to tell you all about what you are seeing.
Comet viewing will be from 7:30 pm to 8 pm, followed by a Live Sky Tonight. See constellations in the autumn sky and hear Greek mythology involving Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Perseus, Pegasus, and even a sea monster.
Members of the public are welcome to bring binoculars. This event is weather/clouds permitting! If it is too cloudy, the event will not be rescheduled.

Andy Interrupted
2024-10-19 19:00 | Hastings Museum
Do you know the story of Andy the Goose? Get it direct from the granddaughter of the fella who fashioned those famous goose shoes!
The absurd details of a local true family story you didn’t know you needed to hear.
After Grandpa Gene, an eccentric inventor, crossed paths with a footless grey goose, he modified a pair of size 0 baby shoes and fitted the bird. This quirky act of kindness led to a confident goose strut, 1980s pre-viral fame and … murder! Join humorist Jessica Korgie as she shares the absurd details of a true family story you didn’t know you needed to hear. Andy Interrupted, the Andy the Goose story.
Join us for this event, scheduled on the 33rd anniversary of Andy’s death. (Yes, we’re leaning in to the Halloween-y creepiness of that.)

Sponsored by:
This is a 21+ Event. IDs are required.
Cash bar is available.
Our concession stand will be open!
$25 Comedy Show Tickets on SALE NOW!
Comedy show TicketsSaturday, October 19, Hastings Museum has an event with comedy, fame, history, mystery, and MURDER! … And a footless goose!
Do you know the real story of Andy the Goose? Get it direct from the granddaughter of the fella who fashioned those famous goose shoes! She’ll tell the story through first-hand stories of her grandpa, video clips, and more visual aids on the Museum’s super screen. We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome humorist Jessica Korgie, back to Hastings for a rollicking night of local history. Join us for a 21+ night of comedy at the Hastings Museum. Tickets on sale now, $25 +tax. Call (402) 461-2399 or purchase online at HastingsMuseum.org. Cash bar will be available.
New to this nugget of local history? Here’s the quick version:
Part 1: In 1987 a goose was hatched in Harvard, Nebraska, with legs but no feet. When an eccentric inventor living in Hastings, spotted the goose while visiting his sister, he was moved with compassion. He adopted the goose and fitted him with size 0 baby shoes that dramatically improved his quality of life.
Part 2: This quirky act of kindness got nationwide attention. It landed Andy the Goose and his owner Gene Fleming on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson; on the pages of PEOPLE magazine; and a deal with NIKE for a lifetime supply of size O shoes (Andy wore them out pretty frequently).
Part 3, the tragic ending: Andy disappeared on October 19, 1991, and was found dead and dismembered the next day in a local park. The community raised $10,00 as a reward to help apprehend the killer. The murder remains a mystery.
The stage show, which is not family-friendly, will talk about Korgie’s life before Andy, the rise to fame, “a murder most fowl,” and what happened after that. This show has previous been staged at the Benson Theatre in Omaha. This event is co-sponsored by KHAS radio.
More about the Speaker: Jessica Korgie was a teenager in fall 1988 when her grandfather, the late Gene Fleming, first was given the footless goose. Two generations of her family lived together in an old building on the grounds of the former U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot where her grandfather, an inventor, always kept life interesting. Korgie is a humorist and active in theatre. She tells stories about her quirky not-so-mundane life. Korgie is also a storyteller and interpreter for the National Park Service.

Game Day Traditions
2024-10-20 13:30 | Hastings Museum
Spirit of Nebraska: A History of Husker Game Day Traditions
Humanities Nebraska Speaker: Debra White
Sunday, October 20, 1:30 p.m.
Join us for a FREE program.
No RSVP is needed.

White tells the history behind how school spirit developed at the University of Nebraska, and Husker game day traditions. In sharing her book, The Spirit of Nebraska, White describes her journey to attending college, becoming a college cheerleader and the path to writing her first book. With her story, she conveys the message that no matter how irregular or divergent a person’s path, if they follow their passion and heart, anyone can accomplish their dreams.
With a PowerPoint presentation for added interest, White guides the audience through some of the interesting and unknown information that she uncovered about Husker history and traditions. White displays vintage University of Nebraska cheer memorabilia from her collection, tells stories and interjects humor throughout her presentation, which ends with the first all campus cheer created at the University of Nebraska in 1889.
About the Speaker: Debra Kleve White

Debra Kleve White is a native Nebraskan. As a graduate of the University of Nebraska (UNL) and a former Yell Squad member (1977-1980), her education and college experiences led her toward a path of gratitude and a desire to give back to the University. In doing so, she developed her passion for history and research, concentrating on the UNL athletic department and Spirit Squad, where her love lies. Her background is in education where she worked at the University of Texas at Austin for 12 years in the College of Education’s Institute for Public School Initiatives. Also, she worked in a career as a real estate broker in Austin, Texas for 38 years. In her spare time White would return to Lincoln to research the history of the UNL Spirit Squad and sports. After 15 years of research and 5 years of writing, her first book was released titled: The Spirit of Nebraska: A history of Husker Game Day Traditions – The Tunnel Walk, Mascots, Cheer & More. The foreword to the book was written by Tom Osborne.

More events

Paint & Sip 21+ fun!
2024-11-16 18:00 - 20:30 | Hastings Museum
PAINT & SIP: Learn the basics of portrait painting
RSVP Deadline: NOV 9
No need to travel far for some evening fun!

Members: $15
Non-Members: $20

Bring your friends or partner and get your creative juices flowing. Also, bring a photograph to work from. Join us for an evening of fun as we discover the world of Leonardo DaVinci. Why Leo? Now through DEC 19, we’re hosting a temporary exhibit Leonardo DaVinci: Artist and Engineer. It’s a unique tactile exhibit underwritten by the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. We thought this event was the perfect program to add on.
Must provide IDs at the door. Cash bar will be available
This program is limited to 30 participants. Get your tickets today.
PSST: And, the program has a minimum of 15 participants. So bring a group. Invite a friend!

Get Tickets

Decoding da Vinci
2024-11-24 13:00 - 16:00 | Hastings Museum
Tickets are still available. Call today!
Join us for a special program that pairs perfectly with our current tactile exhibit: Leonardo da Vinci: Artist and Inventor

Members: FREE
Non-Members: Kids: $7 | Adults: $9 | Seniors: $8
This ticket includes all day Museum Admission.

Step into the world of Leonardo da Vinci and discover the art of “saper vedere,” or “knowing how to see,” as we explore how our senses are heightened without sight. Join us for an engaging day of hands-on activities that highlight the importance of ADA-friendly spaces for the 2.2 billion people affected globally. Recreate da Vinci’s ingenious inventions! Put on your thinking caps and immerse yourself in a unique blend of creativity, sensory exploration, and innovation as we unlock the secrets of da Vinci’s world together.

This ticket also includes Museum Admission.
This program has a minimum of 20 people and a maximum of 50. So invite your friends, and sign up today!
Get Tickets

Wizard of Oz
2024-11-30 | Hastings Museum
Saturday after Thanksgiving!
All tickets: $5.50

Join us for the The Wizard of Oz on the Super Screen. We’re celebrating the film’s 85th anniversary!

The Wizard of Oz (1939)
PG | 1 hr 50 mins
Two Shows on NOV 30
Saturday, NOV 30 at 2 & 6:15 pm

Get Tickets

SAT & SUN 2-Day Sale
2024-11-30 | Hastings Museum
Thanksgiving Weekend: Shop at the Museum!
Shop Small Saturday, NOV 30, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Museum Store Sunday, DEC 1, 1-6 p.m.

25% OFF for Members*
15% OFF for All Others*
*Some items are excluded.

Check us out for Kool-Aid items, art & science kits, old time toys for kids, puzzles, books, and the best selection of stuffed toys in town! We’re closed on Thanksgiving, but the weekend after … stop in for great sales!

DEC 7 - Two Shows
2024-12-07 | Hastings Museum
40th Anniversary Film!
Gremlins (PG) 1 hr 46 mins
Don’t miss this fantasy, comedy, scary, Christmas film! The story follows young Billy Peltzer, who receives a strange creature as a pet, which then spawns other creatures that transform into aggressive imp-like monsters that wreak havoc on Billy’s town on Christmas Eve. (See!?! It’s TOTALLY a Christmas film!)
Two Shows on DEC 7
Saturday at 2 & 7:15 pm
Tickets: $5.50
PSST: Howie Mandel provides the voice of Gizmo! Who knew?

Get Tickets

Wildlife in Winter
2024-12-08 14:00 - 16:00 | Hastings Museum
FREE with Museum Membership or paid museum admission that day.
Register by Noon, Friday, Dec. 6
Dress for the weather, we’ll likely be going outside!

Wildlife in Winter: Where do the animals go when the weather turns cold? Do they stay, do they leave, do they sleep? In this program we will explore and learn about animal adaptations that help them survive in a harsh winter climate. We’ll discuss black squirrels; barred owls and Eastern and Western Screech owls; House Finches; polar bears; snowshoe hare; caribou; and lynx!

Wild Wonders is a nature-based family program that takes place every other month. Each program centers around a hands-on nature topic. This is a great opportunity for ages 5 and up, as well as adults, to learn and explore the natural world around us! Join us for activities, hikes, presenters and opportunities to get outside and enjoy the world around us.

Capacity: 40 people

Get Tickets

FREE film!
2024-12-14 | Hastings Museum
Rated (PG) | Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes
The Grinch and his loyal dog, Max, live a solitary existence inside a cave on Mount Crumpet. His main source of aggravation comes during Christmastime when his neighbors in Whoville celebrate the holidays with a bang. When the Whos decide to make Christmas bigger and brighter, the disgruntled Grinch realizes there is one way to gain peace and quiet. With help from Max, the green grump hatches a scheme to pose as Santa Claus, steal Christmas and silence the Whos’ holiday cheer once and for all.
This film is FREE to Members
FREE to those with tickets that day’s Holiday Fun event
FREE to all others who have paid Museum Admission that day
The morning of Dec. 14, we’ll also host our annual Holiday Fun event. That events sells out almost every year. Get your tickets today if you are interested in attending. The theme of that event is: Green & Grinch(y): Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-Noon. Play games, create art, and get free photo ops with Santa AND the grinchy guy. Also included is free admission to a film on our super screen. We’re even including some science stations. This event sells out almost every year. Make plans today to join us!

Holiday Fun: DEC 14
2024-12-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Hastings Museum
Theme: Green and Grinch(y)
Hey families, don’t miss our Holiday Fun event, Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-Noon. Play games, create art, and get free photo ops with Santa AND the grinchy guy! Also included is free admission to a film on our super screen. We’re even including some science stations! This event sells out almost every year. Make plans today to join us!

Members: $4
Non Members: Children $11, Adult (13-59) $13, Senior (60+) $12

This event includes all-day Museum admission & the holiday film: The Grinch (PG) 2018, 1h 30min, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch
.

Tickets are required for our Holiday Fun event. Simply call (402) 461-2399 or purchase online. Tickets are not needed for the holiday film on this day. The film will be first come, first seated! Showtime will be announced soon.

Get Tickets

FREE Film!
2024-12-24 | Hastings Museum
Join us on Christmas Eve: See White Christmas on the super screen and celebrate the film’s 80th anniversary! The music and costumes are amazing. This classic film stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen.
This film is FREE to Members
And FREE to Non-Members who have paid Museum Admission on the day of the showings. We hope you can join us!
White Christmas (1954) (PG) | 1 hr 50 mins
Two Shows on DEC 24
Tuesday, Dec 24 at 11 am & 1:30 pm

FREE Event in Theatre
2025-01-12 13:00 - 13:45 | Hastings Museum
Where: Here at the Museum
When: Sunday, JAN 12, 1-1:45 p.m.
New photos from the James Webb Space Telescope! Kirk Rosberg, the Museum’s Planetarium Coordinator, will take us through new images from the telescope projected on on our super screen. Don’t miss it! First come, first seated. No tickets needed. No RSVP required. FREE! Join us! (And help us spread the word!)

Cocktails with the Curators
2025-01-23 19:00 - 22:00 | Hastings Museum
Doors & Cash Bar open at 6p | Stations start at 7p
Enjoy drinks, snacks, and fun stories about our collection and exhibits. Meet our curators and get their behind-the-scenes secrets! Tickets to this 21+ event are just $15 plus tax for Members. Tickets for all others are $20. That includes admission and snacks. A cash bar will be available. Here’s a preview of what the evening will hold:

Station 1: Get an inside look at how we clean our dioramas!
Station 2: Enter an attempted-murder mystery story from the late 1800s in downtown Hastings.
Intermission, enjoy our newest Tactile Exhibit & load up on snacks.
Station 3: See artifacts from an Ingleside dentist and hear his story. (Let’s just say dental tools improved over the years.)
Station 4: Learn how museums decide when, where, and why they’ll part with items. Sometimes animal specimens are just no longer useful to our collection, and occasionally we have to make room for new stuff. Learn the rules! (There are SO MANY rules)

Don’t miss this ALL NEW Cocktails with the Curators. Admission and snacks included. Cash bar is available. Get your tickets today!

This event has limited attendance, so no more than 20 people are with each curator at a time.
Get Tickets

Dirty Things Tours: 6 & 8 pm
2025-02-13 18:00 - 18:45 | Hastings Museum
Dirty Things Tours
Has it been awhile since you’ve been out for a night of fun? Don’t answer that. There’s no need to air your dirty laundry here. These 45-minute tours cover a variety of topics that are all dirty in one way or another. Sometimes dirty means grimy or gross, other times dirty means … well, you know (wink wink).
We will talk dirty, tell dirty jokes, and *gasp* even say a dirty word. But don’t worry, nothing racier than an R-rated movie. These tours are for those who are at least 18 years old. We’ve done all the dirty work to arrange a great night out.

If you’ve had fun on one of these tours before, join us again! Our 2025 Dirty Things Tour features ALL NEW topics! Don’t give us that dirty look: these tours are perfect for Valentine’s Day–or a Galentine’s celebration. We encourage you to pre-purchase tickets. Walk-ins welcome only if space allows. For a good time call (402) 461-2399.

Space is limited, register today!
45-Minute TOUR TICKETS:
Members $5 | Non-Members $10 +tax
Get TicketsThursday, FEB 13 – 6p or 8p
Friday, FEB 14 – 6p or 8p
Saturday, FEB 15 – 4p or 6p
