If you’re interested in the history of slavery and the abolitionist movement in Nebraska then the Mayhew Cabin and John Brown’s cave is a great place to start. There is a small museum that goes over the history of slavery and abolition in this part of the country, which can be a great tool for making the subject more relatable to kids. As an added bonus for those with kids the museum portion can be easily conquered in less than 30 minutes before you head out to the cabin and cave.
The Mayhew Cabin is a great example of the type of homes that early settlers in eastern Nebraska would have lived in, the cabin features period furniture and is open for anyone to walk through on both the main floor and the upper level which is scorching hot in the summer.
The cave is essentially the cellar to the cabin with the twist of a tunnel leading out to the creek just north of the cabin. The cave is said to be a fairly faithful representation of the space used by runaway slave on the Underground Railroad in the 1800’s but the tunnel has been enlarged to allow people to walk through it. The original tunnel was just big enough for an adult to crawl through.
In addition to the museum, cabin and cave there are also several other buildings from Nebraska’s past including a train station, schoolhouse, and A.M.E church.
With admission prices $3 for adults and just $1 for kids it’s absolutely a great visit for anyone looking to learn more about the history of Nebraska.