Shop focuses on Nebraska

LINCOLN — Nebraska is No. 1.

Well, not in the football polls this year, but certainly on the shelves in a new gift shop tucked away on the ground floor of the State Capitol.

Nebraska and the Capitol are the dominant themes of the books and gifts featured in the Landmark Store operated by the Nebraska State Historical Society.

The store’s grand opening will be 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 22. Buyers will receive a 20 percent discount during the grand opening.

The Landmark Store is in a room formerly occupied by the Capitol Corner Gift Shop, which closed earlier this year.

The store’s name honors the Capitol’s distinctive design. It was the first state capitol to radically depart from traditional statehouse architecture. Its modern design gave it national significance from the day it opened in 1932.

“The story of the Capitol is one that Nebraskans and people visiting the state can be very proud of,’’ said Deb McWilliams, who manages the historical society’s Landmark stores. “Lots of schoolchildren, other Nebraskans and people from around the world visit the building.’’

The store will feature books about Nebraska, the Capitol, educational materials and items made by American Indians and Nebraska artists.

The store marks the historical society’s first retail presence in the Capitol, McWilliams said.

The Landmark Store name also has been adopted at three other historical society shops. They are the Nebraska History Museum at 15th and P Streets in Lincoln, Chimney Rock National Historic Site near Bayard and at Fort Robinson State Park near Crawford.

The Capitol store’s regular hours will be 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is 402-471-2062.

Contact the writer:

444-1127, david.hendee@owh.com