If you have kids under 12 in Lincoln, this is the place. Three floors of exhibits built for doing, not looking: kids run a miniature town as newscasters, veterinarians, firefighters, and grocers; climb through a real airplane and a simulated spaceship; work the stage on the lower level with costumes and lights; and lose track of time at the giant water table and the interactive hot air balloon. The three-story cuckoo clock in the atrium is the landmark every Lincoln kid remembers.
The museum takes access seriously: Wednesday mornings from 8 to 9 are free, and through Museums for All, families with SNAP or WIC EBT cards get in for $5 a person. Groups must include a child 12 or under with a caretaker 16 or older — yes, adults can’t just wander in solo.
Expect 90 minutes to two and a half hours. It’s at 1420 P Street, right downtown, which makes it an easy anchor for a family day — zoo in the morning, museum in the afternoon, dinner in the Haymarket.