lester f. larsen tractor test & power museum

Very Good. I went to the museum with my father on 3/10/2015. The museum cost is a suggested donation of $3 per person. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and pleasant. If you grew up around tractors you will really enjoy the tour. The actual test lab that they are currently using is right across the way. We were given a tour of that as well. They do most of the track testing in the spring and the fall (because the test can only be run under certain temperature conditions). They were not busy track testing when we went.They were testing the lifting power of a 3-point hitch on a smaller tractor which we were allowed to observe from a safe distance. Great ag history lesson. Helpful people.

Located on the Univ of Nebraska campus, the museum is the original small building that at one time any tractor to be sold in Neb had to tested for power, fuel economy, etc. This place became the standard for independant tractor testing to this day in the western hemisphere. Wife and I were passing through and wanted an interesting side excursion to stretch our legs. I always have loved agriculture and history too. This place has both. Roy, a retired volunteer, is very knowledgeable about the tractors and equipment on display and gave us a personal tour. The crown jewel of collection is 1 of 6 known Ford tractors to exist that were built to piggyback off Henry Ford's name. When Henry wanted to build tractors he couldn't use his own name, he had to use Fordson. When we got to the end, Roy asked if we wanted to see the modern test facility next door and passed us off to a super lady who walked us around and explained what all was done there. We felt like honored guest and could not believe how open and hospitable everybody was! Then we went to the campus dairy nearby for ice cream!

I went here on a lark - always knew it was there but had never stopped by in all of my trips to Lincoln. Wow, am I glad I did. The museum has a tremendous collection of tractors but the stories added by the guide really brought to life the advances in technology that have driven the amazing improvements in agriculture over the years. There's far more here than just tractors - the museum also includes a huge array of farm tools and accessories. We were also able to visit the tractor testing lab next door. Don't pass up this opportunity if you have it. This is the only tractor testing lab in the Western Hemisphere and test results are extremely important benchmarks in the industry. The origin of the lab came from legislation in the 20s that required every tractor sold in Nebraska to have been tested by the lab. Apparently there were a lot of junk tractors being sold to farmers. Today's lab is a state of the art facility that puts the machinery through a thorough series of tests that make sure the buyers know the exact parameters of any piece of equipment that they purchase. Bottom line - if you're in Lincoln, add a little time to your schedule to visit this museum.

The staff and volunteers here were an absolute joy to meet. Jerry greeted us warmly in the museum and talked us through the exhibits. A found the was a good range of tractors and the gallery is not to be missed, quite inspirational.We were fortunate enough to be shown the test facility by a charming lady (whose name I didn't catch sadly). This was very integrating to both my husband and I and we were delighted when we mentioned the specific tractors my father owns back home and we were given the test reports for these. We saw the prototype tractors which the students have built and the many awards which these have previously won.We drove by the next morning en route to the Sunken Gardens and couldn't believe our luck when we saw testing taking place, so we stopped to watch, what a bonus!Everyone we met was enthusiastic and welcoming. This was a really enjoyable experience.

I had not visited this museum for over 20 years and was pleasantly surprised at how much has been added and improved. The museum itself is small but the volunteers are well-informed about the featured machines. Signs inform you of original specs along with cost at the time of manufacture. Many have original rubber. Testing is done in the Spring and Fall or when temps are below 80 degrees. You are allowed to tour the entire facility now and can observe the students and techs testing the various equipment. Our guide did a fabulous job of putting all the highly technical info into layman's terms and was enthusiastic about what was being done there. It is the only facility of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. There is a donation jar at the entrance and you are encouraged but not imposed upon to contribute. If nothing else, seeing the behemoth tractors up close is quite an experience.

I lived for 30 years at the beach and don't know much at all about tractors, but this place was so cool! It is in a tiny nook on the University of Nebraska and we were just looking for something to do as we were traveling cross-country to Yellowstone. What a good decision we made to stop here! There were very old tractors and more plus the guide there offered to take us to the testing lab and show us how they do the required tractor testing. Kids of ALL ages, young and old would love this place!

knew the history of the place before arrival but was a little disappointed. museum appears to be undergoing a renovation. if you're a tractor fan, its worth the trip. otherwise your wife will harass you for years.

This collection provides a good, up close view of tractors over the past century. A museum volunteer will likely add much to your knowledge of these essential farm machines.

I grew up on a farm, and all I could think of at every tractor was "wow, Daddy would have loved this place..." They had tractors of every manufacturer and era that you could possibly imagine and then the collection of hand tools is also really interesting also. Don't forget to visit the laboratory where they actually do the testing and see the huge equipment they use to test the tractors. It is amazing! Really a very interesting and educational trip for people of all ages, but especially for anyone who lives on or grew up on a farm.

Located on the University of Nebraska East Campus. The museum houses about 100 tractors going back over 100 years. Right next to the museum is the school's tractor testing track. No tractor manufacturer will put a tractor on the market until the University of Nebraska tests it and issues a rating.