This museum is free. The gift shop has shirts, magnets, toys, books, and some shirts. I learned a…read morelot about the history of the Union Pacific Railroad and the other earlier train systems in the west. The train models and replica are great. The train driving simulator was nice to try not to mention other interactive displays. This is a well curated museum and is definitely worth visiting.

This a beautiful museum. There's a lot of history to learn about with actual furniture that…read morebelonged to President Lincoln. This is a fun place for people of all ages, including children. There is also some very friendly staff to give you the history and info as you're walking through the three stories of this museum.

Night Lite was SO COOL! I am a huge fan of the Night Lite…read morebecause it's low light, no screaming kids, and a DJ! It was about $20 for a non member and $15 for members!

1. Lots of interesting hands on experiences 2. To me it was…read moremore for kids entertainment 3. There is a small kids' indoor playground 4. I personally loved the arts and crafts center, (took me back to my childhood moments) 5. Plenty of parking but they do fill up quick 6. Outside playground for the kids is nearby, as well as the river front 7. Staff is nice

Dad and I visited the Historic General Dodge House as a bookend to our trip to the nearby Union…read morePacific Railroad Museum. The house was built in 1869 and stands near downtown Council Bluffs as a stunning (and refurbished) architectural marvel. This was the home of Grenville M. Dodge, a Union Army general, politician, and a major figure in the development of the railroads across the American West. He was also a trusted counsellor to Presidents (Grant and Lincoln) and even served a term in Congress. Whether you want to drive by, walk around, or lose a couple hours inside, this place is well worth the visit. Also, don't miss the August Beresheim House right next door.

What a way to spend an afternoon in early November! When we walked up to the Beresheim House next…read moredoor to get tickets, we were immediately greeted and welcomed. What a way to set the stage for a wonderful tour. There were helpful movies to view, gifts to buy, and two lovely houses to see. Free parking across the street made access easy. The Dodge House was completed in 1869. The Victorian Age had traveled across to America; new inventions, ideas, exploration and expansion, and technology were on the rise. This growth and the industrial revolution can be witnessed throughout these museums. There are tour guides and pamphlets to take you back to the time period. The tour guides are well-educated in this period of history and explain details so thoroughly! The trees were in full autumn glory and Christmas decorations were going up! The tour guides are so knowledgeable. And the tour is amazing! The history, rooms, and antiques in this house are very interesting. So much to see; you'll want to come back again!

From iconic works by artists like Kehinde Wiley, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Auguste Rodin to stunning…read morecontemporary pieces, every corner gives you something new to feel, discover, and reflect on. And the best part? It's completely FREE!  Whether you're looking for a solo reset, a cute date idea, quality time with friends, or a fun family outing, this is the perfect place to slow down, get inspired, and pour back into yourself. Let me also add - great location for weddings and recently did Slow Sundays (yoga) here! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTDLEE28v/

Apparently a relatively recent rebuild as of this writing, this art museum inhabits a majestic…read morespace. The roads leading to the parking include some counterintuitive one ways and you can (and I did) end up in a dead end, but it's generally not busy enough to prevent you from figuring it out. Entrance is free, with one exhibition being a separate paid ticket. I appreciated a substantial portion of the collection devoted to the Native American peoples of the region and the early expansion of the United States. Having said that, it was also a global collection. I gave myself an hour to view it and had to rush just to get a brief run of the place. Some of the modern art didn't really come off for me, but overall it was a thought-provoking collection. There was also a substantial educational component, with rooms being devoted to what looked like early childhood education and more of a summer camp for older children. The site was well known to everyone I talked to in the city, and clearly a significant local institution, but one worth visiting regardless of where you are from.

RailsWest was absolutely wonderful. I just had my wedding here on May 17th and it was fabulous. Kat…read morehelped us with everything we needed. She made sure we had the tables and chairs we requested, plus closing the venue for the time block we needed. The day was almost magical, it was so wonderful. Several trains went by during our time there, so we got to hear the horn and feel the rumble as they passed. I am very pleased as a train enthusiast to have been able to have my wedding here. It was my first time marrying and I will always look back on that day with fondness. This was the best time of my life.

This Rock Island depot is only one of two remaining in the state of Iowa and is on the Natl. Reg…read more of Hist. Places. There are a number of rolling stock enclosed within a fence; my favorite is a CB & Q lounge car "Omaha" which contains a solarium. In the depot are a number of old fashioned displays of artifacts which belonged to the railroads serving the town. What I like most about these depot museums is the fact that I'll come across an item I have never seen before. In one room is an HO layout of Omaha/Council Bluffs. Outside are active rail lines of BNSF and Iowa Interstate.

This place is freaking awesome! We are visiting from Denver and I was so excited to visit. It…read moreabsolutely lived up to the hype! There were so many awesome artifacts and each item had its own notecard explaining the story. There were two of us and we used the black light flashlights and a spirit box, and it ran us $96. Price is a bit steep BUT the place was really cool and the staff is incredibly helpful and kind. The manager was giving us lots of stories on the building's history and some of the artifacts he actually helped retrieve! Such a special and fun experience, I can't recommend enough! Thank you, Museum of Shadows!

I REALLY wanted to love this place, as I LOVE all things paranormal, but sadly I was quite…read moredisappointed with this place, purely because of the lack of care and attention to detail. But because of how badly really wanted to love this place, I'm going to leave a super long review with points I really think could benefit you guys if you're open to it, and really help make this place flourish! So Each room we went into was just a big empty room, with a million cluttered artifacts lining the perimeter of each room, complete with the same laminated piece of paper typed up on word, accompanying literally every single item. So if someone wanted to read every single piece of paper in here, I have no doubts it would take AT LEAST 34 hours... And it's unfortunate bc they really did have a ton of awesome items with super interesting stories attached, but everytime you walk a couple more feet around the perimeter, you're again overwhelmed with the sheer amount of clutter/things to read. So I'd really recommend to the staff to try and change the layout of this place. Ideally the rooms would be smaller, so that you aren't overwhelmed by a big empty room. Even just some kind of cheap room dividers that simulate a divided up room would work. And the 2nd biggest recommendation I have would be changing up how you present information. At the very least that means just changing the sizes of the captions you have next to items, like making some of the captions in much bigger frames, and maybe keeping some small ones, there just needs to be more of a variety to keep the scene in front of your more interesting. And maybe don't have soo many captions that were excessively long, like you could sum up the item in just a couple sentences, and then save the entire detailed story about the item just for guided tours or something. Lastly- WHY IN THE WORLD DO YOU NOT LET PEOPLE USE THEIR PHONES? Don't you understand every time someone would take a pic of something in your museum and then post it on social media, that's LITERALLY FREE ADVERTISING for you! Trust me, you're only hurting yourself by not letting ppl share pics of their visit here.

This site is closed. Gates are shut on both roads leading to the parking lot and building…read more Sadly, the building is in disrepair. Looks like no one has maintained it for quite some time. Some markers on the walking path near the building have been damaged. Meanwhile, there are some interpretive walls with depictions of the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery which still look good.

The Durham Museum in Omaha is much better than this museum, but I think all railroad enthusiasts…read morewill really enjoy seeing the trains they have on display. The trains are outside and there is a very small indoor section with lot's to read. I have never spent much time in there since I'm always with my family. Nothing really interactive.