In 1988, the Prairie Museum of Art & History was opened in a new 21,500 sq. ft. pre-stressed concrete museum building. Over the next few years, the Cooper Barn, Eller House, Nicol School, Lone Star Church, Vacin Barn and the sod house were added to the 24-acre site.
The Prairie Museum is unique in being both a repository for Thomas County historical materials and artifacts and host to the collection of dolls, glassware, ceramics, toys, furniture and other items collected over a lifetime by Nellie Kuska.
The Museum provides interpretive exhibits on regional history as well as on the artistic traditions embodied in the Kuska collections. They are not mutually exclusive enterprises, since the Kuska story is part of local history, and each item in the collection has history of its own.
The complex covers 24 acres and is home to indoor and outdoor exhibits, temporary exhibits, and annual programming. Throughout the year, the museum also showcases the work of area artists.