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Contact Us!

205 E. 5th St
Neligh, NE
402-887-4212
After Hours Please Call
402-929-0330, 402-562-3733

Museum Hours

May-August Hours
Tuesday - Sunday
1 PM - 5 PM
September-November Hours
Thursday - Sunday
1 PM - 4 PM
December-April
By Appointment Only
Call 402-929-0330
Tours last 45-60 minutes
Closed Most Holidays
Our facility is air conditioned and handicapped accessible.

Admission

Adults: $5   
Seniors: $4  
Students K-12: $3  
Under School Age: Free
School Field Trips: $1 per student, accompanied
by teacher
Bus Tours Welcome
Group discounts may be offered, call to confirm.

Gift Shop

We have a gift shop available with souvenirs, books and more!

The Story Behind The Pierson Collection

The Pierson Collection
    The Pierson Collection actually began in 1939 with a Great Horned Owl that he took with a .22 short cartridge at 200 yards and had mounted for a charge of $2. Today, this bird is a protected bird of prey and cannot be legally hunted or sold.
    "As I grew up in a rural area where there wasn't much else to do in spare time, I developed a great interest in the outdoors and have, since a young age, been interested in hunting and observing wildlife," Dr. Pierson said. "An advantage at that time (during the Depression) was that my hunting added to the family's food supply -- pheasant, rabbit, squirrel and duck. Most often I brought home jack rabbits, which my mother prepared with tomatoes and rice -- a modified Spanish rice -- which was tasty and nourishing."
    Museum specimens have been collected on many trips in the United States and to foreign countries, both north and south of the equator. The big game consists mostly of the largest specimens of each animal Dr. Pierson could find, which is customary in hunting. A number of specimens are record class and some are rarely seen in collections. Some licenses are no longer available because of the scarcity of animals or because of political changes. The meat from game taken, except for that used in camp, was given to local natives. Generally, only the oldest adult males were hunted, so in no way does this deplete the herd. In fact, biologically, it improves it. Licensure fees are often the only monies available to combat poaching and improve a wildlife habitat.
    In 1981, a large collection was auctioned at Christie's in New York, and Dr. Pierson saw an opportunity to buy some animals which he could never attain otherwise. Some animals were simply too expensive to hunt. His purchase added to his collection many rare animals from around the world. Specimens added from this auction were the ibex, tahr, markhor, jaguar, bongo, second leopard from India, colobus monkeys and extra mountain sheep. Six months after the purchase, Dr. Pierson had his first bypass surgery, confirming his statement that he was getting too old to hunt at 20,000 feet. Later added to the collection were a Bengal Tiger purchased from the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha after several tigers suddenly died there. The polar bear was purchased at auction in 2002.

Get To Know Dr. Pierson
    Dr. Kenneth Pierson was born on January 17, 1921, in western Nebraska. Dr. Pierson graduated from Kearney State College and the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. He interned in Temple, Texas, and practiced a short time in Ada, Oklahoma, and Kearney, Nebraska. He received his surgery training at City Receiving Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.
   In 1952 the Pierson family settled in Neligh, and Dr. Pierson had the first surgical patient and delivered the first baby in the new Antelope Memorial Hospital. Dr. Pierson was in the army reserves for a number of years and served two years of active duty in Paris, France, in 1957 at Camp Des Loges, American Hospital, 196 Station Hospital and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), where he treated many prominent admirals and generals.
    The Piersons returned to Neligh in 1959 and were active in the community, working to turn the Neligh Mill into a historical site and placing a marker beside the grave of White Buffalo Girl.
    In 1973, Dr. Pierson and his son, Eric, went on their first African safari, where the elder Pierson bagged four of the "Big Five" - a black rhinoceros, an elephant, a lion, and a Cape buffalo. A leopard was added on his next trip.
    After years of community fundraising, the Pierson Wildlife Museum and Learning Center opened on July 4, 2002, during Old Mill Days. Dr. Pierson died on February 10, 2005, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

"In traveling to many places, I've learned a good deal about the various people of the world and the way they've adapted to the living conditions and climate. To observe life in the desert, in the jungle, in a swamp, on an iceberg -- it's all an education for someone living in Antelope County. These trophies represent my best efforts in meeting lots of challenges -- miles and miles on foot, horseback, in a Land Rover, boats and float planes, camps set up in all kinds of weather, mountains climbed, and rivers waded. I have enjoyed the hunts and hope you enjoy seeing the collection."
                              - Dr. Kenneth Pierson

To learn more about Neligh, Nebraska, please visit www.neligh.org.