Exhibit opens Wednesday

At some point in everyone's life we think about the future. Not the near future, but the far-off future that only our children's grandchildren's children will see. Some believe that the future will include flying cars, metropolis' in the sky, people living on the moon or a family of cyborgs, human/computer creatures, living next door to you.

Fifty-plus years ago people had an idea of what they thought things would be like today. Some really expected that, in 2003, we would be driving flying cars and eating full, hot meals that popped out of a computer like on the cartoon "The Jetsons."

It is the strange, out-of-this-world and often possible ideas of the future that inspired the Smithsonian Exhibit "Yesterday's Tomorrows."

Yesterday's Tomorrows has been traveling throughout Nebraska since March of this year and makes a McCook stop for 4 1/2 weeks starting Wednesday.

The exhibit consists of five kiosks that explain popular views of the future during from the late 19th century to the 21st. Kiosks include news media, printed items and popular entertainment ideas that show what people of the past thought the community of tomorrow would be. There will be examples of futuristic homes, transportation, weapons and other daily items and activities. It is hoped that the exhibit will encourage people to talk about their hopes and dreams for their own community.

The Museum of the High Plains Historical Society is hosting the exhibit and is sponsoring many activities in conjunction with the exhibit.

One day events include speaker Historian John Carter at the museum, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday; the grand opening of the exhibit Saturday, 11 a.m.; speaker Dave Murphy, historical architect, at the McCook Community College Hormel Center, Monday, starting at 6 p.m.; tours of Community Hospital of McCook, Sept. 16, 1-4 p.m.; and a Fox Theater program in conjunction with Heritage Days, Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m.

Other events at the museum include a Palisade photo exhibit, McCook 8th grade student poster exhibit, McCook 4-H clothing exhibit, and "A Century of Cars" on Sept. 13 only, where one car representing each decade of the 20th century will be on display at the High Plains Museum.

Community Hospital of McCook will have a display for three weeks that includes the iron lung and medical instruments of the past, present and future. McCook Public Library will have science fiction reading materials on display and the George Norris Home will have pre-World War II quilts to see, all for the duration of the Smithsonian exhibit in McCook.

One of the highlights is the McCook Community College's sci-fi film festival which started Sept. 3 and continues through Nov. 5. The schedule for films include Metropolis, Sept. 10; Bride of Frankenstein, Sept. 17; Blade Runner, Sept. 24; Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Oct. 1; A Clockwork Orange, Oct. 8; Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon, Oct. 22; Silent Running, Oct. 29; and The Day the Earth Stood Still, Nov. 5. College credit is available for the film festival.

All Yesterday's Tomorrows events are open to the public and free, except for the Fox Theater event, Sept. 27.

The Museum of the High Plains, 423 Norris Ave., is open Tuesday- Saturday, 1-5 p.m., and Sunday, 2-4 p.m. Arranged tours can be made by calling (308) 345-3661 or (308) 345-1839.

This Smithsonian exhibit is made possible by a grant from the Nebraska Humanities Council to the Museum of the High Plains in McCook. It is hosted by the museum, McCook Community College, Community Hospital of McCook, McCook Public Library, The Norris Home and Fox Theater of McCook.

For more information contact the Museum of the High Plains at (308) 345-3661.