Browse the eclectic displays and chat with docents in this museum and study centre containing one of the world’s largest quilt collections.
The International Quilt Study Center is a fascinating museum that showcases thousands of quilts and sheds light on customs and traditions involved in quilt-making. Presented inside a modern, glassy building, the museum’s galleries display about 5,000 quilts from 50 countries. Join a guided tour of the museum for a more comprehensive understanding of its exhibits.
Reserve at least four weeks in advance for the Behind the Scenes Tour, which offers viewings of the intriguing quilts in the storage and workroom areas. Learn from the exhibits and guides about how the art of quilt-making has developed from the 18th century until present day.
Take a look at the museum’s major collections, which include a range of antique and contemporary quilts. Among the highlights are the Byron and Sara Rhodes Dillow Collection, the Sara Miller Collection of Midwestern Amish Crib Quilts and the Mary Campbell Ghormley Collection of Doll Quilts.
Check out any traveling exhibits passing through the museum. Past displays have included such topics as mosaic patchwork quilts and folk art. See the Dillow Conservation Workroom, where volunteers clean and care for the quilts. Attend one of the many events put on in the center, including talks and workshops.
The site, which was founded in 1997, opens Tuesday through Saturday from morning until afternoon and on Sunday for a few hours in the afternoon. There is a fee to enter the site, with discounts for kids and seniors. Students and toddlers enter for free.
The International Quilt Study Center is in the southwestern corner of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus, which is a little northeast of the town center. Take a bus from the central district to reach one of the nearby stops in about 30 minutes. You can also drive and leave your car in the northern parking lot. Visit other nearby attractions including the Larsen Tractor Museum, Peter Pan Park and Fleming Fields.
