Durham Western Heritage Museum
Constructed on the site of the Union Station in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, the Durham Western Heritage Museum opened to the public in 1975. The Union Pacific Terminal, as it was also known, was completed in 1931 and is the first Art Deco railroad station in the United States. Technologically advanced for its time, Union Station served 1.5 million travelers during its first year of service. The station ceased to offer passenger service in 1971, and after significant renovations the Durham Western Heritage Museum was installed in this historic facility. Today it is known as the Durham Museum and focuses on the history of the American West, often hosting exhibits from the Smithsonian and the National Archives.
The Durham Western Heritage Museum, now referred to as the Durham Museum, offers visitors a look back into the history of the west through exhibits and presentations designed to educate and inform its guests. Located within the historic Union Station building in downtown Omaha, the museum is architecturally important as the first Art Deco railway station in the United States and one of the best examples of Art Deco construction anywhere in the Midwest. The building features steel frame construction with glazed terra cotta cladding in a pastel shade of cream; it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, due to both its architectural significance and its role in the growth of the Omaha metropolitan area.
The Durham Museum offers a wide range of exhibits that explore the American West and the influence of the railway system on the growth of western states. In recent years, however, the focus has shifted to more general themes; this is due in part to partnerships the museum has forged with the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and other nationally recognized institutions throughout the United States.
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Photo above courtesy of TEDizen
