Company Profile
Company Overview
Housed in Omaha’s historic Union Station, The Durham Museum serves as one of the region’s premier education centers and family destinations. The museum’s exhibitions and education programs explore a wide range of subjects, regional and national, in the fields of history, culture, science, and industry. Key to the museum’s strong emphasis on education is the distance learning program, which links museum visitors, schools, and other venues throughout the region with curriculum developed by our team and our partners nationwide.
Company History
The organization was founded in 1974 as the Western Heritage Museum. In 1995, Union Station was renovated as part of a $25 million capital campaign, and in 1997 the museum was renamed in honor of Charles and Margre Durham. In 2002, the museum became an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and has since built relationships with the Library of Congress, National Archives, Chicago’s Field Museum, and other renowned educational resources. In 2007, the museum completed a $1.5 million rejuvenation of its permanent exhibitions and opened the 266-seat Stanley and Dorothy Truhlsen Lecture Hall in the former 1899 boiler plant. Additional restorative work was completed in 2009 to preserve Union Station’s art deco architecture as well as to guarantee the long-term viability and preservation of the facility and the collections housed within its walls.