Located just four minutes north of Interstate 80 at the intersection of Highways 281 and 34 is the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer.

The centerpiece of the museum's campus is the Stuhr Building, which was designed by the late world-renowned architect Edward Durell Stone. Stone's most famous building is the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The 200-acre facility is much more than just a "museum"; it is one of Central Nebraska's leading educational and cultural attractions. The living-history museum is open 362 days a year, but it is summertime when the most activities take place.

From May 1 to Sept. 30, staff members dressed in period clothing are on hand at Railroad Town to interpret and demonstrate life on the Great Plains in the 1890s.

Most of the buildings in Railroad Town are restored structures from Grand Island's and Hall County's past.

The Stuhr Building is open year-round and features a vast collection of treasures and pioneer exhibits, including period rooms, tools, household articles and furnishings from Nebraska's past. The building also features an elegant two-story atrium, with fountains and curved staircases leading visitors to the exhibits.

Also open year-round is the Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda, which houses an extensive collection of Native American and Old West artifacts. The collections reflect the conflicting cultures of the Plains Indians and the early settlers.

Another featured attraction is the Pawnee Earth Lodge. This reconstruction represents one of the oldest communities in Nebraska.

Stuhr also has a static train exhibit, which features an engine, a coach car and a caboose. The train showcases one of the famous "iron horses" which helped settle the west.

Numerous hands-on activities are conducted on a daily basis at the museum. Visitors can learn about these activities by visiting the gift shop.

One of the most well-known buildings is Grand Island-born actor Henry Fonda's birthplace home. Fonda was born on May 16, 1905, and went on to earn an Academy Award for his role in "On Golden Pond."

Museum info

Hours: Open seven days a week, 362 days a year; Mondays-Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

Contact: Stuhr Museum, 3133 W. Highway 34; phone, (308) 385-5316; Web site, www.stuhrmuseum.org.