Lexington Children's Museum Thrives in Renovated Pizza Hut

The interactive museum provides hands-on learning for families in a former fast-food space.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The Children's Museum in Lexington, Nebraska has found a new home in a renovated Pizza Hut building, offering a wide range of interactive learning centers and activities for young children and families. The museum, led by director Pat Longly, started as programs at the local library in 2010 before expanding into its own dedicated space.

Why it matters

The Lexington Children's Museum represents a creative repurposing of a vacant commercial space, transforming a former fast-food restaurant into an engaging educational hub for the community. Its hands-on exhibits and programming aim to provide enriching experiences for young children that may not be available at home.

The details

The museum features a variety of interactive learning centers, including dress-up areas, medical and school play spaces, a grocery store, puzzles, a puppet center, and a toddler area. There is also a transportation-themed section with a rocket launch simulation, a train table, and a kayak for pretend fishing. The museum periodically updates its STEM-focused exhibits, with the current theme highlighting the Arctic.

  • The Children's Museum started offering programs at the local library in 2010.
  • The museum operated in a downtown Lexington building for four years before the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The museum has been located in the renovated Pizza Hut building for the past four years.

The players

Pat Longly

The director of the Lexington Children's Museum, who started offering programs at the local library in 2010 before expanding the museum into its own dedicated spaces.

Lexington school system

The local school district that brings field trips to the Lexington Children's Museum.

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What they’re saying

“Our idea is to have a spot for young families. Little ones need to come and interact and have things that they wouldn't normally have at home.”

— Pat Longly, Museum Director (1011now.com)

The takeaway

The Lexington Children's Museum's transformation of a former Pizza Hut into an engaging educational hub demonstrates the potential for repurposing vacant commercial spaces to meet the needs of local communities. By providing hands-on, interactive learning experiences for young children, the museum is fulfilling an important role in supporting early childhood development and enrichment.