NORFOLK, Neb.— A northeast Nebraska man is putting his collection on display, in the form of a museum in a small town.

Jim Keim bought the old Royal school building a year ago, for a place to put his milk bottles.

“For the last 8-10 years I’ve been looking for somewhere to display all my milk bottles, 2,500-3,000 I really don’t know how many I have. My kids don’t want them, my grandkids don’t want them,” Keim said. 

But for Jim, the history and memories with the collection are one to cherish.

Jim has been in the dairy business his whole life. He got his first bottle in 1967 when he worked in Wyoming.

“A fellow came in there, salesman came in asked about some old milk bottles, I was working at the lab at the time so I gave him one. He said the boss said I could have one," Keim said. "So I said I collect barbed wire,  I collect insulators, I’m in the dairy business maybe I should be collecting milk bottles.”

His collection grew from there, growing even more when the internet made it easier. He would get around five bottles a week after that.

Now he has two rooms in his house dedicated to them. He will soon be moving them to the new museum, having specific rooms for certain bottles that are a little closer to home.

One room will have all Nebraska and Iowa bottles. 

The building was in rough shape when Jim got his hands on it. The roof, floors, and windows all need repaired to make it safe. 

“Basically I've been working on it one, two maybe three days a week, whatever time I can get away from down here at home," Keim said. "Hopefully I will have it, one floor of it ready, I'm hoping by Memorial Day."  

Along with the bottles, Jim will display dairy equipment around the building and hopes to have an old style dairy bar where guests can enjoy ice cream, soda, and more right there in the museum.

Many things in the museum are his or his family's, though some were donated to him.

Jim is still looking for more though, he has been looking for a Staska-Dairy bottle for 30 years.