The purpose of the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History is to provide an educational experience of the history of the Great Plains and all of North America through permanent and temporary exhibits, as well as educational programs for all ages which may include school programs, special events, guest lectures, planetarium programs and IMAX films. To achieve this purpose, the museum strives to meet all professional standards in collecting, preserving and interpreting objects of natural and cultural history as they relate to North America and the Great Plains. Recently we hosted migrant workers' children through the Head Start program, which was funded by a grant from the Hastings Community Foundation. The outreach program of the planetarium provides Saturday night programs at the Hastings College Observatory as well as field trips to see spectacular star events. Many of our exhibits and programs are funded through sponsorships by local businesses and individuals.
Staff continues to develop innovative and exciting programming.
Membership to the museum continues to grow with major changes in the number of types of memberships and benefits they offer. A reciprocity agreement with Stuhr Museum was added. This area will expand with even more amenities. Premiere memberships are up 23 percent from one year ago. For the six years ending in May 1999, more than 989,000 people have attended the facility to be entertained and educated by museum exhibits, planetarium shows, IMAX films and the museum store.