Cities/Lincoln/University of Nebraska State Museum - Morrill Hall

University of Nebraska State Museum - Morrill Hall

4.7(1.2K)google

5.0(2)yelp

Adult $9.5·Child(4-18y) $5.5·Infant(under 3) Free·Special FreeUSD(This price excludes Mueller Planetarium shows, which require an additional ticket purchase)

Family

Overview

The University of Nebraska State Museum (the NU State Museum) is a natural history museum housed in Morrill Hall on the campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. Founded in 1871, it features biodiversity, paleontology, and cultural diversity from across the Great Plains. It became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2013.

Practical Info

Morrill Hall, 645 N 14th St, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA

MonClosed

Tue9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wed9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thu9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Fri9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Sat9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Sun12:00 – 5:00 PM

Suggested Duration2-3.5 hours

Best TimeAn excellent year-round educational spot. Aim for 10:00 AM on a weekday during the fall semester (September-November). This gives you the quietest window to marvel at the world-class mammoth fossils in Elephant Hall before catching a midday planetarium show.

Getting ThereSituated on the UNL city campus at 645 N 14th St. Campus parking is restricted, so drivers should head directly to the Avery Parking Garage at 14th & Avery St, then walk 3 minutes to Morrill Hall. Via transit, StarTran Routes 24 and 25 service the campus hub.

(402) 472-2637

museum.unl.edu/

Travel Tips

Located within the active UNL city campus, perimeter spaces deploy automated digital license-plate enforcement; non-university drivers must pay via corporate parking apps.
The Mueller Planetarium shuts its access doors sharp 10 minutes prior to cinematic projections; midnight or midday seat lockouts permit zero re-entry privileges.

Photo Tips

Photo Rules

The world-class Elephant Hall fossil mounts require balanced lighting; tripods stretching over 1.2 meters and high-intensity strobe banks are blocked without media passes.

Reviews

Positive

Famous as 'Elephant Hall,' the world-class skeletons of prehistoric mammoth and ancient proboscideans are grand and visually unmatched.
As a university-run history museum, the academic value is immense, covering paleontology, local geology, and top-tier planetarium dome shows.
Placards utilize high-definition graphics and text; accessibility is up to standard, with plenty of elevators and seating across all floors.
Admission is highly affordable (university perk prices), offering superb value for students and families in a quiet, non-commercial environment.

Heads up

Nestled deep in the main UNL campus, campus parking lots ban off-campus vehicles on weekdays, making finding public parking a nightmare.
There is no dedicated full-scale diner or proper deli-cafe inside; if you get hungry, you must walk out of campus to find food off-site.
Some upper-floor mineral and Native American galleries feature text-heavy, dense placards that lack dynamic multimedia, failing to engage young kids.
On days when the nearby Memorial Stadium hosts home football games, campus traffic completely paralyzes, making driving there impossible.