our short story

Inviting children to create, discover, and learn through the power of play.

The Lincoln Children’s Museum is a 23,000 sq. ft, three-floor destination for a child’s imagination! Here children can unlock future inspiration through the power of play. Our hands-on exhibits and programs give children access to a treasure trove of knowledge in arts, sciences, and humanities. And that knowledge supplied through imagination can then be applied throughout the rest of their lives!

Unlock adventure by becoming a Museum member, or swing by the Museum next time you’re in downtown Lincoln! No matter your family, a visit to the Museum will help your little ones uncover what they can be or where they can go all through learning while they play.

museum happenings

there’s always news worth sharing around here!

2023 play report

see our stories

cleanliness philosophy

At the Museum, there’s a lot of smiles, a lot of laughing, and a lot of growing! To ensure that the environment we provide is healthy and safe, we adopt an unwavering commitment to cleanliness. We want to make sure you as caregivers know that we as an organization care as much about your children’s surroundings as you do!

Our Safety Committee works diligently to make sure that processes, procedures, and trainings are in place surrounding health, wellness, and cleanliness in all aspects of the museum. We have a number of dedicated cleaning staff members, as well as an external commercial cleaning company to keep the Museum in the cleanest possible state.

Thank you in advance for helping us keep the Museum a fun, healthy place to Create, Discover, and Learn through the Power of Play!

see what we're doing to help

All exhibits, associated props, food and snack areas, common areas, and bathrooms are disinfected on a regular basis using safe and approved materials and solutions.

Surface and spot cleaning (as well as formal cleanliness checks) takes place daily and during open Museum hours. Deep cleaning occurs after hours.

Our Playologists are tasked and trained to properly clean all spills, grime, “accidents”, or leftover items on the Museum floor are taken care of immediately and appropriately.

Kazoo’s USTOP café is managed, maintained, and cleaned following all food handling rules and regulations set by the Department of Health and Human Services. We implement a strict reporting illness policy for our café workers.

If you’re visiting the Museum and you spy a spot that needs special attention, or someone in your party inadvertently makes a mess (hey, it happens) we encourage you to alert one of our Playologists! Chances are, there is already someone on the way with cleaning supplies in hand.

Shoutout to Complete Children’s Health, who sponsors hand sanitizer and dispensers that can be found in multiple spots throughout all 3 floors!

Likewise, if you or your kiddo is feeling under the weather, we ask that you stay home until everyone is well. Sick individuals should stay home for 24 hours after symptoms of illness have subsided.

Use the opportunity to teach and model common wellness practices with your kiddos

wipe or blow runny noses and dispose of used tissue
tightly cover coughs and sneezes
wash or sanitize hands after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose
wash or sanitize hands before and after eating
wash and sanitize hands after bathroom breaks

we are a heart-safe designation!

With the help from Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, the Lincoln Children’s Museum is a Project ADAM’s heart-safe organization. That means LCM staff have completed additional training to be CPR and AED trained and have a practiced emergency plan to respond to a collapse, giving everyone we come in contact with the best possible chance to survive a cardiac event.

Learn more about Project ADAM here.

Staff Directory

Educational Affiliations

The Lincoln Children’s Museum and members of our staff are part of these distinguished associations championing children and early education:

Board Members

The Museum’s Board of Directors oversee and set policies and operations that will go on to impact the future of the Museum. Our Directors meet and work with our staff to establish goals, strategies and standards for the Museum that turn into awesome experiences for your family!

officers

president

Jaydon M. Pence

president elect

Haleigh Carlson

treasurer

Jeff Sheets

secretary

Marcus Plouzek

past president

Doc Chaves

members

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Meghan Albenesius

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Rachel L. Glock

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Holly Lewis

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Emily J. Wells

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Tyler Denker

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Darren Jack

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Shelly Luger

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Mackenzie Long

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Shannon Fallon

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Tim Lassen

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Daniel Siedhoff

then and now

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In 1987, a group of committed parents and educators came together to concept a hands-on learning Museum for children in Nebraska. After a 10-day “Sights and Sounds” exhibit in 1988 that attracted 10,000 families, a permanent Museum opened in December 1989 containing a dozen simple, handcrafted exhibits.

Now, the Lincoln Children’s Museum offers three floors and 23,300 sq. ft of interactive learning through numerous exhibits sponsored by various local organizations! Children can shop for groceries in Hy-Vee, learn about farm-to-table connections at Kimmel Orchard, or serve up an ace at the Husker Sports Area.

The Lincoln Children’s Museum is a member of the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), and we encourage guests to visit other children’s museums throughout the country when traveling. You can purchase a “Museum Traveler” membership to receive reduced admission to nearly 200 children’s museums nationwide!

The Museum is a private non-profit, 501(c)(3), and receives no city, state or federal tax dollars. When you give to the Lincoln Children’s Museum, you’re giving a future of limitless possibilities to the children of Lincoln.

donations for organizations

Lincoln Children’s Museum is a proud supporter of events, schools and charitable causes in and around our community that are child-focused. While we would like to support every one of these causes, we cannot always ensure our participation. If your cause meets the following criteria, you would be eligible for a donation from the Museum:

Located and providing services within 25 miles of Lincoln

Current standing as either a 501 c(3) charitable organization or public/private school

Child-centered mission

request a donation!

To request a donation, please submit a detailed description of your event using the form below. Donation requests must be made 60 days prior to the event. Donation requests are fulfilled once a month on the last Monday of each month. You will be notified via email if your donation request was granted or denied. Once notified, you may pick up your donation at the welcome desk during regular Museum hours.