About the Museum

The Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer is a museum located in Grand Island, Nebraska intended to preserve the legacy of the Pioneers who settled the plains of Central Nebraska in the late 19th century. It features a living history village called Railroad Town, designed to evoke an 1890s-era prairie village and made up of many original period structures moved to the museum. The museum was originally announced in November 1960 and officially opened in 1967. Renovations to the museum began in 2014 and were completed in 2015. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 2015.The museum is named after Leo Stuhr, a local farmer and politician whose family were among the area's pioneer settlers. He donated land, money, and numerous artifacts that served as the foundation of the museum. The building that houses the bulk of the museum's exhibits, the Stuhr Building, was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone and was built by Geer-Melkus Construction Co., Inc.