A new museum, tucked away on 23rd and M Street, highlighting the history of South Omaha officially opened Wednesday night.
The South Omaha Museum is the only museum in the metro dedicated to the history of The Magic City.
The museum is the brainchild of former Omaha South High School history teacher Gary Kastrick.
Kastrick had been accumulating pieces of South Omaha memorabilia for decades, and had previously housed the museum in his South High classroom.
When Kastrick retired, he couldn't find a new home for the collection, so he stored it away in his basement just waiting for another chance to educate the community about South Omaha's rich history.
Now, that time has come.
Museum spokesperson Marcos Mora says their first exhibit is "The Smell of Money: South Omaha's Livestock Industry," which will highlight the booming business of livestock in South Omaha. "He's got some wonderful items. He's got one of the original pens, actually, from the Stockyards. We've got that set up with a lot of artifacts and photos that go way back."
Mora says there will be rotating exhibits at the museum on a regular basis. "So, our next one will be in conjunction with the Cinco de Mayo event. A history of the Cinco de Mayo Festivals here on historic south 24th Street. That will start on May 3rd."
The Stockyard Exhibit runs now through April 15th.
The museum will be open Thursday through Saturday starting next week, with tours available by appointment as well.
For more information about the museum visit their website here.