The first surprise was that there is no fee for admission to this wonderful museum. The next surprise was the excellent variety and display of artifacts, including some hands-on activities that younger children will enjoy. Be sure to make this stop in your itinerary!
We attended a wedding shower in the small conference room here, and stayed to see some of the displays. The artifacts are tastefully displayed, not too crowded or thrown together, but nicely grouped for easy browsing. Our whole family, kids included, really enjoyed reading about the history of the Sandhills and western Nebraska. Well done!
A superb historical presentation of the Western Nebraska area, the farmers, ranchers, railroad and local businesses! Native American History mixed with the history of rural schools, this is a Smithsonian quality presentation!This is also a venue for tracing ancestry and an opportunity to host meetings and gatherings!
Dr Frank Knight (1865-1940), medical doctor, banker, politician, and above all, Nebraskan, left a bequest in his will which formed this museum. It's interesting in the sense that all the material is authentic and represents real spheres of lifestyles gone. For visitors of a certain age it will be nostalgic, for others it will feel like discovery...From milk bottles to rusted gold pans, to Native Indians Life, it's all there, waiting to be discovered, one more time. It's closed on Sundays
You can tell this is a well-funded operation! Excellent exhibits about life (as well as geological features) in the Sandhills. There's lots of narrative but great artifacts as well. The displays are impressive, obviously done with professional curation (there is a research library within the museum). We spent about an hour and a half there. If your time is limited and you are choosing between the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway Visitors Center In Broken Bow or the Knight Museum, there really is no comparison. The museum is free and opens weekdays at 8:00 a.m. - a boon to those traveling through. Week-end hours are different.
The Knight Museum underwent a multimillion dollar renovation which turned it into a world class museum. In addition to exhibits of the history of Alliance and the Panhandle, the museum regularly hosts exhibits from the Smithsonian and other prestigious institutions. The museum also has an excellent store with a myriad of moderately priced gift items ranging from books, t-shirts and art objects.
A small museum with an excellent selection of representative items from history, both native American and settlers. The role of the railroad in Alliance was particularly interesting. It has a nice little gift shop as well.
The Knight Museum is a great place to visit ,, displays are very well done ,, very informative ,, great for kids or any history buff interested in the west ,,very enjoyable .
This is an EXCELLENT small town museum. It has a large collection of railroad memorabilia, and really tells the story of how the railroads were a part of the town, and how a good portion of the town depended on the railroad in some way. The 12-minute video is well worth the time and explains the history of the area. The staff was exceptionally friendly and hospitable. They also have a small gift shop, as well as a pressed penny machine, with four separate designs. This museum is well worth some of your time. I love trains and their history, so I spent a lot of time in this section of the museum.
This was the nicest museum I visited in Alliance. It is not too big, but the displays are nicely done. Ranching, Native American life, Fossils, and the railroad are all covered. there is also a nice interactive display on the pioneer trails that go through the state. Worth a visit.