"Dressing the Abbey" is a costume exhibition highlighting fashion from one of the most widely watched television dramas in the world, “Downton Abbey.” You will be taken on a guided tour of Union Station’s Durham Museum to experience original costumes worn by the stars of “Downton Abbey” that depict fashions of the British aristocracy in the early 20th century. The exhibition showcases the turbulence and changes in the late Edwardian era through the 1920s.
The award-winning costumes were created for the show’s aristocratic Crawley family and their servants who inhabit the fictional English country estate of Downton Abbey. The costumes range from country tweeds and riding outfits; servants’ uniforms and footmen’s livery; to lavish evening attire crafted from sumptuous fabrics and decorated with intricate embroidery, lace, and beading. Dressing the Abbey weaves popular culture, fashion, and history into this amazing exhibition.
After the guided tour, you will have additional time to explore all the pieces/exhibits the museum has to offer, including the Education Alley’s feature “Theatre Row: Stage and Screen in the Early 20th Century Omaha.” During the first half of the 20th century, along Douglas Street between 14th and 16th, was a boom of theater houses whose development tells a story of the evolution of stage to screen. This exhibit highlights four giants of early theatre houses on Omaha’s “Theatre Row:” The Empress, The Moon, The Rialto, and The World Theatre. Like shows of old, stories presented will fascinate and enthrall you.
Finally, enjoy a wonderful lunch comparing notes and socializing at one of the premiere dining locations in Omaha’s Old Market, the Upstream Brewing Company, before heading back home.