Sarpy County Museum eyes new land for a 25,000-square-foot heritage center and pioneer village

BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) — The Sarpy County Museum is in talks over new land that could become the next home of the museum.

I caught up with Sarpy County Historical Society President Deb Reinard, who told me plans are in the works for a new "Heritage Center and Pioneer Village" that she says will be interactive and immersive.

"Everybody can go in. We will have classes in there and instructions going on about a blacksmith or how to churn butter or the kids can go into the school house," Reinard said.

Reinard says the 2.7 acres of land at 90th and Highway 370 that was purchased about three years ago is too small for the new vision. While the historical society has found new property, she says they are still in negotiations.

"We're looking for about 15 acres because the new heritage center will be about 25 thousand square feet and it won't just be a heritage center one building. We're hoping to have a church a one room school house, a pioneer home, just everything you might see in a pioneer square. There's nothing like that around here in the metro area," Reinard said.

As for donor funds, Reinard said they were used to help pay for storage as well as invest in the land at 90th and 370, which the society hopes to sell. She also told me funds for their vision will come from partnerships between corporate, community, local and national foundations.

"It's going really well, we have a grant development group that's working with us and also a design team," Reinard said.

In July, the museum had to vacate its building after the City of Bellevue received an environmental report showing structural and environmental concerns, moisture damage and mold growth.

"We spent about 6 months and 6 thousand dollars in archive packing materials to pack everything up and then 25 thousand dollars to move everything and it's all in storage now. It's safe it's climate controlled, we're actually doing a lot of inventory now," Reinard said.

While Reinard says she couldn't share many details about the new land as they are in negotiations, she says they hope to have more concrete details in a few months.

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