Nebraska Prairie Museum

10/15/2026

What a fall it has already been at the Nebraska Prairie Museum!

This morning on KUVR’s Town Talk, Micah Huyser looked back at an incredible annual Fall Festival, talked about our upcoming collaboration with the Iron Horse Arts District’s Haunted Holdrege, and previewed our Prairie Program on October 20 at 7:00 p.m.

The conversation also turned to give2GROW and the tremendous impact this community-wide day of giving has on the Museum and so many organizations across the area.

Catch the full Town Talk interview below!
KUVR 1380 am/96.9 fm Phelps County Community Foundation Iron Horse Arts District

10/13/2026

Support Local History During give2Grow!

The Nebraska Prairie Museum is proud to once again partner with the Phelps County Community Foundation for give2Grow, our community's annual day of giving.

Every gift made to the museum helps us continue our mission of preserving, interpreting, and sharing the history of Phelps County and south-central Nebraska through exhibits, educational programs, collections care, and community events.

This year, a portion of the funds raised will help support Project: Facelift, our ongoing effort to improve the museum's appearance and strengthen its presence in our community through exterior improvements, updated signage, enhanced lighting, and other upgrades designed to make the museum more welcoming for visitors.

Your support helps ensure that the stories, artifacts, and heritage of our region remain accessible for future generations. Whether your gift is large or small, it makes a meaningful difference.

Early Giving is live! Visit https://www.give2growphelps.org/

10/07/2026

So excited to see this coming together! Stay tuned to see the final results. Fantastic work by this up and coming generation.

10/03/2026

A week has passed since our 2026 Fall Festival, and we're still reflecting on what an incredible day it was.

From giant pumpkins and living history demonstrations to great food, family activities, the corn maze, and countless conversations between friends and neighbors, this year's Fall Festival was a wonderful celebration of community. None of it would have been possible without the support of our sponsors, volunteers, demonstrators, vendors, growers, entertainers, and the hundreds of people who chose to spend part of their day with us.

To our sponsors: thank you for making our Fall Festival the success it was!

Phelps County Community Foundation
DeWald Deaver & L'Heureux Law Firm
Phelps Memorial Health Center
Holdrege Memorial Homes
First State Agency
Bruce Furniture
Durable Service

While we're still enjoying the memories from this year's event, planning for 2027 is already beginning. Fall Festival is held each year around the same time, and our full calendar of events for the coming year is typically released in January. Be sure to follow the Nebraska Prairie Museum page so you don't miss announcements about next year's Fall Festival, Prairie Programs, exhibits, special events, and everything else we have planned throughout 2027.

Thank you again for making Fall Festival 2026 one to remember. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

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10/02/2026

Fall Festival wouldn't be complete without great food, and this year's vendors certainly delivered.

Throughout the day, visitors enjoyed delicious BBQ, ice-cold slushies, authentic chuck wagon cooking, fantastic Mexican food, and many other tasty treats while exploring everything the festival had to offer.

One of the things we love most about Fall Festival is seeing friends, neighbors, and families gathering around picnic tables, visiting between activities, and enjoying a meal together.

A huge thank you goes out to all of our food vendors who helped feed hundreds of visitors and contributed to the welcoming atmosphere that makes Fall Festival such a special community event.

What was your favorite thing you ate at Fall Festival this year?

10/01/2026

One of the best parts of Fall Festival is seeing families spend the day together and watching kids experience all the activities the event has to offer.

From pumpkin painting and face painting, meeting animals, and discovering hands-on activities throughout the Museum grounds, there was plenty of fun for young visitors and their families.

The Nebraska Prairie Museum exists to serve our community, and there is nothing more rewarding than seeing children learning, exploring, creating, and making memories with their parents and grandparents.

Thank you to all the families who joined us this year. We hope you had as much fun attending as we had hosting you.

If you attended with your family, we'd love to hear about your favorite memory from the day in the comments below!

09/30/2026

A Champion Has Been Crowned!

One of the biggest highlights of this year's Fall Festival was the annual Nebraska's Largest Pumpkin Competition.

Growers from across the region brought their giant pumpkins to Holdrege for a chance to earn prize money, bragging rights, and the coveted title of Nebraska's Largest Pumpkin of 2026.

This year's winner was a pumpkin named TAZ by grower France Stinchcomb from Cheyenne Wyoming at 981lbs

Thank you to everyone who attended the weigh-off, cheered on the competitors, and helped celebrate another outstanding year of giant pumpkin growing in Nebraska.

09/29/2026

09/29/2026

Our 2026 Fall Festival was a tremendous success, and much of that success is thanks to the incredible demonstrators, craftspeople, historians, and volunteers who shared their time and talents with our visitors.

Throughout the day, guests had the opportunity to experience history firsthand through hands-on demonstrations, traditional crafts, historical exhibits, and engaging conversations. These talented individuals helped bring the past to life and created memorable experiences for visitors of all ages.

Whether you spent time at a living history camp, watched a craft demonstration, learned a new skill, or simply enjoyed visiting with our demonstrators, we hope you walked away with a greater appreciation for the people, traditions, and stories that helped shape our region.

Thank you to every demonstrator who helped make Fall Festival such a special day. Your passion for history and education is what makes this event truly unique.

09/28/2026

Had a fantastic, record breaking turn out for this year's Fall Festival! Thank you to everyone for helping make that happen. (Drone footage and video provided by our curator Samuel Banzhaf)