Omaha Children’s Museum Leaders Embrace Creativity, Play, and Community

June 1st, 2026

At the Omaha Children’s Museum, learning often begins with curiosity, movement, and imagination. Whether children are building, pretending, drawing, or experimenting, the museum’s mission centers on helping families discover the world together through play.

For interim CEO Erin Foley and Director of Education and Guest Experience Ben Ross, that mission feels deeply personal.

Both Foley and Ross grew up in Omaha and attended Central High School before leaving the city to pursue education and careers elsewhere. Eventually, both found their way back home — and back to an institution that reflects many of the values they carried with them throughout their lives.

Foley believes one of the most important parts of art and creative exploration is the ability to better understand others and ourselves.

“Art can sometimes help communicate things that are difficult to say out loud,” Foley explained during an interview with KVNO Arts. “It allows people to express emotions, ideas, and experiences in ways that go beyond words, whether that’s through painting, movement, music, or writing a story.”

Ross says the museum’s success comes from giving children permission to actively participate and explore.

“It’s a place where kids are encouraged to touch, build, experiment, and ask questions,” Ross said. “The museum says ‘yes’ to curiosity. That hands-on experience is what makes learning memorable.”

That philosophy has helped the museum continue evolving into a community-centered space where education and creativity work side by side. Exhibits, workshops, and special programming are designed not only for children, but for families learning together.

For both Foley and Ross, communication and creativity are closely connected. They see the arts as a way for people of all ages to better understand the world around them and to connect with one another through shared experiences.

Though they arrived at the museum through different professional paths, both leaders describe the organization as a place where imagination and exploration can help shape a brighter future for Omaha families.

From hands-on exhibits to artistic expression, the Omaha Children’s Museum continues to encourage something both Foley and Ross believe is essential: giving children the freedom to play, discover, and create.