Jack, a Durham Museum volunteer, holds a photo of his grandfather conducting the same train he sits in at the museum.


The Durham Museum is full of treasures. Among the most valuable are the volunteers and the stories they tell. With some volunteers giving more than 400 hours per year, they captivate visitors with tales of Omaha history.

“People don’t want to have somebody read a script. They fall asleep. People want to be entertained,” says Jack, a Durham Museum volunteer.

Jack came to the Museum after his storytelling talents were discovered on an Ollie the Trolley tour where, as a passenger, he enhanced the tour by sharing additional tidbits of Omaha history with the crowd.

 “I just know Omaha.”

Now 12 years later, Jack has narrated metro history to guests from all over the world. He spends most of his time in the Pullman car, which happens to be part of a train his grandfather conducted.