There’s no better way to learn about the past than by visiting a museum. Nebraska has many of them; in fact, it seems like there’s at least one museum in every town. There’s one in western Nebraska that’s full of fascinating, little-known history – and it’s the only one of its kind on the planet.
The Museum of the Fur Trade is located three miles east of Chadron in western Nebraska. The one-of-a-kind attraction opened in 1949 on the former site of the Bordeaux Trading Post, which was established in 1837.
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The museum’s founder, Charles E. Hanson, Jr., sought to memorialize one of the country’s oldest and most important industries: the fur trade.
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In the 19th century, furs were an essential part of the trading system between Indigenous peoples and European settlers.
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In those days, Indigenous peoples traded their excess furs and meat to the settlers for goods like textiles, imported food, and weapons.
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Many of those items have been well preserved and cared for over the years so we can see them today. Objects like tins of food, gunpowder, and tobacco sit alongside clothing, jewelry, and animal trapping tools. The Museum of the Fur Trade is also home to the largest collection of historic weapons which were made exclusively for trading with Indigenous peoples.
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Artifacts of daily life are on display as well. Clothing, jewelry, and household items from Indigenous peoples’ homes give a unique insight into the lives of Native cultures in the 19th century. All told, there are more than 6,000 artifacts on display in the museum.
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One of the most popular parts of the museum is the recreated trading post near the main building. It’s a faithful representation of what the Bordeaux Trading Post looked like to those who did business there so long ago.
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You can step inside to see more artifacts and imagine what it must have been like to visit this place in its heyday. It’s a whole lot different from the shopping places of today, one of which you can visit while you’re here: the museum gift shop.
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Visit the museum in the summer to attend Fur Trade Days. This festival features people in period attire demonstrating what life was like in the fur trade days. It’s a unique opportunity to look back in time at a pivotal point in Nebraska’s history.
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The museum is open daily from May through October and by appointment only from November through April.
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Learn more about this fascinating museum on its website or Facebook page. You’ll find it on Hwy 20, three miles east of Chadron. Admission is very affordable; at the time of publication, the fee is $6 for adults 18 and older, and children get in free with a paid adult.
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Have you ever visited this unique attraction? Let us know what you thought of it in the comments!
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Address: 6321 US-20, Chadron, NE 69337, USA
