The Larsen Tractor Test & Power Museum occupies the original Nebraska Tractor Test Lab on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s East Campus, at N 35th and Fair Streets. Nebraska’s 1919 Tractor Test Law required every tractor model sold in the state to prove its advertised performance, and testing began here in 1920. Machinery fans come to see where farm equipment first faced independent scrutiny.
The museum is named for Lester F. Larsen, the lab’s engineer in charge for three decades beginning in 1946. He helped start the collection and save the building (source: VisitNebraska). Inside, roughly 40 antique and unusual tractors line the floor alongside test instruments and engines. Exhibits trace the testing process from early dynamometer runs to modern standards. The story starts with the Waterloo Boy, the first tractor officially tested here. Restored machines sit next to rarer oddities, and reviewers praise the clear, hands-on explanations of how testing reshaped tractor design.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Admission is free, with a suggested donation. Most visitors spend about an hour. Weekday mornings are the quietest time to visit. Hours change seasonally, so confirm them on the museum’s website before you go, especially for weekend visits. Parking is available on East Campus, but check the posted university permit rules. Afterward, walk to the UNL Dairy Store for ice cream made on campus. The active Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory, which still evaluates tractors under OECD codes, operates nearby.
