Morrill Hall to host Sensory Friendly Sunday on Sept. 8

Sensory Friendly Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at the University of Nebraska State Museum at Morrill Hall, will provide a quieter, more supportive museum experience for children and adults with special needs and their families.

Children and adults with special needs and their families are invited to attend Sensory Friendly Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at the University of Nebraska State Museum at Morrill Hall.

The event will offer a morning at the museum for families to experience the new fourth floor and participate in activities in a quieter, more supportive environment. Areas of the museum will be altered, including exhibit audio being turned down or off.

Tactile objects, including the watershed table, will be available throughout the museum for visitors to touch. More touch objects will be available in the fourth-floor Science Exploration Zone and the first-floor Discovery Center.

Librarians from Lincoln City Libraries will host story times at 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and noon. Visitors can enjoy music, movement and stories in Elephant Hall. Mueller Planetarium will also offer a free planetarium experience. Visiting families are encouraged to come and go as they please.

Sensory kits will be available at the front desk. Each kit includes noise-canceling headphones, earplugs and fidgets to use in the museum.

“We are committed to supporting our special-needs families,” said Susan Weller, museum director. “We look forward to providing this unique, customized museum experience for them, and are grateful for donor support that enables us to better serve our community.”

Museum admission is free from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. thanks to support from the Claire M. Hubbard Foundation. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. Registration comes with information to help plan a visit. Register here.

Regular museum and planetarium admission will begin at 12:30 p.m.