“History never really says goodbye. History says, ‘See you later.’” So said Uruguayan journalist, writer and activist Eduardo Galeano in his 2013 book “Children of the Days: A Calendar of Human History.”
And while there are any number of ways to take that, we thought it was apropos as the Museum of the Great Plains announced a temporary closure this week.
The closure will allow it to address a growing and significant list of maintenance projects; projects that have been set aside for far too long and, organizers recognized, were putting the artifacts that chronicle our region’s history at risk.
Those projects include completely replacing the building’s exterior wall system, a complete replacement of all roofing, replacing and renovating damage to the interior of the facility, and upgrading the building’s mechanical and electrical systems.
If that sounds like a lot, it is. Just over a year ago, we reported on the staff ’s efforts to protect historical items. If you recall those stories, they included exhibits covered by blue tarps, hopefully, to mitigate damage from a leaky roof.
In May of 2025, other reporting showed images from the entry where visitors were greeted with tarps and buckets to catch the errant precipitation.
But this isn’t a new problem. Our archives found numerous stories going back 30 years in which city officials were addressing a problematic roof at the facility.
Funding to address years’ worth of problems were part of the 2024 city referendum termed Propel 2040, which sought to address, not just the museum’s structural deficiencies, but also parks, issues at the library and a more aggressive program to address substandard roadways.
This project is a big one, to be sure. Completely shutting down a facility like this should give everyone an indication as to the severity of the situation. Normally, you’d just partition it off and work on one area at a time. It’s obvious planners thought the short-term pain of a complete closure would be the most efficient way to get everything fixed.
The plan is to close the building to the public Aug.
18 (the outdoor exhibits such as the trading post, depot and schoolhouse will remain open and free during the building’s renovation).
Work will begin later this year and is expected to take all of next year with a reopening planned for early 2028.
Like we said, that’s a lot.
It’s also about time.
So, the museum might as well be quoting Galeano: “It’s not goodbye. It’s see you later.”