Best 12 Free Things To Do in Omaha

Visit The Joslyn Art Museum

Name and Location: The Joslyn Art Museum is an art museum located in Omaha, Nebraska.

History and Significance: Opened in 1931, Joslyn Art Museum was a gift to the city from Sarah Joslyn in memory of her husband, businessman George Joslyn. The museum holds significant collections of art across cultures and genres.

What to Expect: Spacious galleries displaying European, American, and contemporary art including sculptures, paintings, photography, and more. Also features traveling/temporary exhibitions, family programs, talks, special events and a museum shop/cafe.

Visitor Information: Open daily 10am-4pm, Thursdays open late until 8pm. Timed entry tickets $12 adults, discounts for seniors, students, etc. Limited street parking, additional paid lot behind museum. Wheelchair accessible entry.

The Joslyn Art Museum offers free access to magnificent masterpieces that span decades. Regular admission to the museum is free, so visitors can explore several galleries with works such as Andy Warhol’s pop art prints, Monet’s Waterlilies, and Chinese lacquerware from the Qing Dynasty.

Outside, unwind by the lily pond or see the colorful glass sculptures in the fountain area. Before entering the sculpture garden, stop by the museum café for a coffee or a snack. The Joslyn Art Museum is the best place to find free cultural enrichment because of its changing exhibits and unique events, such as live music and film series.

Lewis & Clark Landing Riverfront Park

Name and Location: Lewis & Clark Landing is a riverfront park located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska along the Missouri River.

History and Significance: Developed as part of recent riverfront revitalization efforts, Lewis & Clark Landing commemorates the landmark expedition with a public green space for recreation and events. Native landscaping and trails connect visitors to the river.

What to Expect: Riverside walking paths, open lawns, paddling/rowing access. Features memorials to the expedition, informational signage about local tribes and ecology. Site of festivals, charity walks and outdoor fitness events.

Visitor Information: Free access, open daily 6am-11pm. Limited free parking by boat ramp. Paid street parking nearby, TrailLink station accessible. Partly wheelchair/stroller friendly.

Lewis & Clark Landing Riverfront Park, which is situated alongside the Missouri River, offers a great view of Omaha’s growing skyline, a lot of green space, and meandering walking trails that are peppered with informative inscriptions about the renowned explorers’ journey. Cycling or taking beautiful walks are made possible by the pedestrian bridge that spans the river, which eliminates the need to deal with traffic.

The serene marina is home to boat berths, yachts, and paddling clubs where guests can watch rowing teams rehearsing complex water maneuvers. The park offers free outdoor yoga classes, lawn movie evenings, and even stand-up paddleboard clinics to teach newcomers to the tranquil pastime during the summer. Lewis & Clark Landing Riverfront Park is a great free outdoor location that offers community connection, cultural insights, and shoreline leisure.

Heartland of America Park

Name and Location: Heartland of America Park is an urban park located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska along the Missouri River.

History and Significance: Developed as part of recent Omaha riverfront renewal efforts, Heartland of America Park opened in 2006 reclaiming industrial land for public recreation. Part of Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail.

What to Expect: Attractions include fountains, waterfalls, walking paths, pedestrian bridge over railroad tracks giving scenic river views. Also features memorials for pioneer history and bison/wildlife conservation efforts.

Visitor Information: Free access, open daily. Limited free parking, additional paid street parking nearby. Main paths are wheelchair/stroller friendly. Pets allowed on leashes.

Heartland of America Park is an 18-acre park in central Omaha that offers a view of downtown and some artistic flair. The grounds are scattered with whimsical sculptures that encourage reflection and inspiration, such as Guardian Spirits, which promote unity and optimism, and The Thread, which honors links that bind communities together.

The park hosts a weekly Farmers Market featuring seasonal vegetables and handcrafted crafts from April through October, showcasing local producers and artists. There are also regular special activities held on the grounds, such as fitness fundraiser walk/runs and Earth Day cleanups. With its revolving art exhibits, community events, and elevated views, Heartland of America Park offers a wealth of free sensory experiences.

Fontenelle Forest Nature Center

Name and Location: Fontenelle Forest is a nature center and forest preserve located 15 minutes outside Omaha, Nebraska spanning over 1,400 acres.

History and Significance: Fontenelle Forest provides critical sanctuary for plant and animal life along the Missouri River Valley. The nature center opened in the 1960s to connect visitors to the natural world through immersive experiences.

What to Expect: Miles of wooded hiking/biking trails, interactive exhibits, canoeing, ziplining, raptor feedings, geocaching and other family activities. Picnic areas and gift shop onsite.

Visitor Information: Open year-round with varying hours. Standard admission is $11 for adults. Extensive free parking provided. Some areas wheelchair/stroller accessible. Private event rentals available.

Just north of Omaha, the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center is surrounded by native woodlands, prairies, and wetlands where visitors can immerse themselves. You may recognize native wildflowers, see local wildlife, and just enjoy the fresh air and open green areas along the over 15 miles of trails. The Nature Center’s interactive, kid-friendly displays teach about local ecosystems, water systems, flora, and sustainability.

Guided tours are given by naturalists who discuss the conservation efforts being made to preserve the native flora and fauna in the more than 1000-acre forest. This bioregion has been sustained for eons by vibrant wildlife, which is immediately accessible through yearly activities like summer butterfly releases or guided spring wildflower treks. Through outdoor exploration and participatory learning, Fontenelle Forest provides a unique chance to directly access Nebraska’s prairie land history at no cost to visitors.

Catch a Show at Omaha Community Playhouse

Name and Location: The Omaha Community Playhouse is a performing arts theater located in central Omaha, Nebraska.

History and Significance: Founded in 1924, the Playhouse is one of the oldest and largest community theaters in the United States. It has a reputation for high-quality theatrical performances across multiple stages.

What to Expect: A wide variety of live theater including comedies, dramas, musicals, and productions aimed at young audiences. Features award-winning local talent. Hawks Mainstage seats over 600.

Visitor Information: Showtimes vary by production. Tickets available online or by phone. Parking lot and garage adjacent to theater building with paid parking. Concessions and cocktails available onsite.

While tickets to large theaters can cost up to $100, the Omaha Community Playhouse offers free or contribution admission to excellent local performances of comedies, dramas, and musicals. Every week, they have Music Café nights where singers and lyricists on tour play new songs for small crowds in a laid-back coffee shop setting.

To give the public a preview, Playhouse actors may occasionally also give away free teaser performances of upcoming plays or short improv comedy segments. The Playhouse offers discounted ticket promotions so that theatergoers can attend shows even when they require purchased seats without going over budget. Omaha Community Playhouse offers a wide range of free and inexpensive performance alternatives for those seeking accessible and reasonably priced entertainment.

Omaha still offers free, unforgettable experiences in a variety of arts, culture, entertainment, and recreation to suit your interests, so don’t worry if you’re trying to cut back on holiday expenses or day trip expenditures. Enjoy these 12 free attractions that Omaha is happy to share with tourists as much as it does with longtime inhabitants, including live music, immersive exhibits, moving public artworks, and parks teeming with natural beauty.

Stroll Through The Old Market

Name and Location: The Old Market District is a historic warehouse district located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska.

History and Significance: It originated as the city’s original business and wholesale district in the late 1800s. Many of the brick warehouses have been renovated into shops, restaurants, bars, and art galleries. The area is known for its vibrant culture and nightlife.

What to Expect: Victorian architecture housing a mix of local eateries, boutiques, produce markets, and entertainment venues. Art, shopping, dining, street performers, and people watching. The Omaha Farmer’s Market operates seasonally.

Visitor Information: Free to visit. Shops typically open from 10am-9pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm Sundays. Street parking available, garages nearby. Walking friendly.

Soak up Omaha history and local culture strolling the cobblestone streets of the Old Market District. The several block area features historic brick warehouses now housing cafes, boutiques, galleries and other businesses with no admission cost.

Watch street performers while window shopping colorful stores and studios or relax awhile people watching one of the small parks scattered throughout the Market. Pop into artisan cheese, candy and spice shops for free samples of specialty goods crafted locally. The architectural diversity and vibrancy of this restored neighborhood make Old Market a quintessential Omaha attraction to casually explore without spending a dime.

Hike Hummel Park Trails

Name and Location: Hummel Park is a wooded park area containing hiking and biking trails, located in northeast Omaha, Nebraska.

History and Significance: Hummel Park has a complex past, but today offers quality trails for hiking/walking amid peaceful woods along the Missouri River. Some claim paranormal phenomena associated with old buildings on the grounds.

What to Expect: Mostly flat wooded trails that make for good hiking, running, mountain biking with some nice valley overlooks. Seen as a nature getaway inside city limits. Abundant wildlife. Remnants of abandoned structures can be found.

Visitor Information: Free access. Open daily 8am to 11pm. Parking available at the trailhead lot. Restrooms not available. Pack water and use caution around crumbling structures.

Nearly 4 miles of hiking trails connect the native prairie grasses, forests, and streams along the Missouri River shoreline in Hummel Park, which is located just north of Omaha. Easy-to-follow, level, hard-surfaced trails provide beautiful valley vistas and opportunities to see migratory bird species on day treks.

Signs that are strategically placed highlight sites of interest, such as Storybook Point and Lion’s Den, which have whimsical wood carvings, or Butterfly Hill’s prairie wildflowers that support monarch butterflies. Bring a lunch to eat at a picnic table along the way or at picturesque Missouri River viewpoints. Hummel Park paths give the ideal free outdoor retreat in Omaha, complete with stunning scenery, wildlife, and the tranquil sounds of nature.

See also: Top 12 Free Things To Do in Louisville

Attend Rivers’ Edge Concert Series

Name and Location: The Rivers’ Edge Concert Series is an outdoor concert series that takes place along the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

History and Significance: Rivers’ Edge provides a picturesque concert setting since the series began in 2005. An opportunity to picnic/relax with local community bands performing on a covered stage outdoors.

What to Expect: A family-friendly outdoor music environment during the summer months. Showtimes in the evening, music series runs on weekends May through September. Attendees bring blankets/folding chairs.

Visitor Information: Free admission. Located at Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park in Council Bluffs along the Missouri River. Parking available onsite. Some vendors, but outside food/drink allows.

Located directly across the river from Omaha, Council Bluffs’ own outdoor concert venue, Rivers’ Edge, is conveniently accessible for free performances by local and national bands. The riverfront stage has already hosted well-known vocalists like Andy Grammer, Maddie & Tae, and Los Lonely Boys. On-site food and drink sellers provide concertgoers with fuel for the evening.

While still able to accommodate dynamic sound and lighting systems, the small venue brings fans closer than most touring bands can with lawn or stadium seating. The annual Rivers’ Edge concert series offers free, lively entertainment in Omaha’s backyard, with anything from children’s performances in the morning to country artists at night.

Tour Union Pacific Railroad Museum

Name and Location: The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is a railroad history museum located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, near Omaha.

History and Significance: Located in the former Carnegie Free Public Library building (1900), the museum opened in 2003 dedicated to Union Pacific and railroad history. The beginning of the Transcontinental Railroad took root in Council Bluffs in the 1860s.

What to Expect: Historical exhibits, artifacts and model train layouts detailing the construction and expansion of the railroad and Union Pacific’s role. Interpretive walking tour of railroad sites nearby. Gift shop.

Visitor Information: Open Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 10am-4pm. Free admission. Metered street parking or garage across the library. Not wheelchair accessible, stairs at entrance.

The Union Pacific Railroad Museum uses restored equipment and interactive exhibits to tell the narrative of the transcontinental railroad system inside the historic 19th-century UP rail terminal. In addition to seeing enormous steam engines that helped pioneer cross-country growth, visitors may explore comprehensive model train displays and climb inside vintage rail carriages like an 1890s boxcar.

Train fans can sit in the pilot’s seat of a locomotive and control signals or observe the terrain that crews have traveled through thanks to interactive displays. In Omaha, where gold is driving the spike connecting central lines, a tour would not be complete without a stop at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, where you can learn about railroad history for free.

Explore Lauritzen Gardens

Name and Location: Lauritzen Gardens is a botanical garden located in Omaha, Nebraska.

History and Significance: Originally the family estate of Omaha business leader Charles Lauritzen, the gardens opened to the public as a nonprofit botanical center in 1995. It features 100 acres of botanical displays across 20 unique garden areas.

What to Expect: Visitors can explore a variety of themed gardens like the Victorian garden, herb garden, and arboretum. Seasonal floral displays, model railways, and children’s activities. The Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory is a must-see.

Visitor Information: Open daily from 9am-5pm. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids over 4 years old. Onsite parking available. Tram tours and facility rentals offered.

Lauritzen Gardens, which spans 100 acres along Omaha’s riverside, offers a variety of indoor and outdoor areas where the public can enjoy free flower displays, unusual plant species, and imaginative landscaping. The arboretum and walking pathways feature a variety of trees and natural places, while the Victorian and herb gardens produce elaborate designs.

Don’t miss the colorful Blooming Butterflies display, which takes place every year from March to October. Additionally, garden workers provide free educational presentations, children’s painting classes, and garden tours that highlight the site’s conservation efforts to save rare or endangered plant species. Lauritzen Gardens offers magical natural areas that are open and accessible to everyone for a leisurely afternoon spent admiring the beauty of horticulture.

See Wild Birds at Chalco Hills Recreation Area

Name and Location: Chalco Hills Recreation Area is a public park located southwest of Omaha, Nebraska near the Platte River.

History and Significance: Originally opened in the 1980s, Chalco Hills offers diverse recreation options conveniently close to Omaha. Birdwatching has become popular due to wetlands/grassland habitat attracting many migratory species.

What to Expect: Miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding through prairie and wooded areas. Two fishing ponds, archery range, disc golf course. Prime location for spotting native birds along the Loop Trail system.

Visitor Information: Park open daily from 5am-11pm. $7/vehicle entry permit required, sold onsite. No hiking trails open after dark. Pets allowed on leashes, bikes permitted on trails.

Chalco Hills Recreation Area, which is located inside the city limits and borders the Platte River, offers wildlife enthusiasts excellent opportunities to capture wild birds that have good vision and patience. There are many places to see the environment, such as the Rick Lee Observation Tower, where one can try to glimpse red-tailed hawks circling their nest high in the cottonwoods or great blue herons quietly fishing the wetlands.

As half a million Sandhill Cranes use the grasslands of Chalco Hills as migratory stopovers to rest and replenish throughout their incredible yearly trips, the true sightseeing stars shine from April to May. Enjoy unique, cost-free fly-by views of these majestic birds in Chalco Hills with the help of on-site Swarovski spotting scopes.

Experience Art at Hot Shops

Name and Location: Hot Shops is an arts complex housing studios, galleries, event venues in central Omaha, Nebraska.

History and Significance: Founded in 1985, Hot Shops provides workspace and facilities to support Omaha’s creative community. Host to a vibrant local arts scene including classes, festivals like Benson First Fridays gallery walks, collaborative shows in the galleries.

What to Expect: Multiple art galleries showing works in all mediums by local and regional artists. On site resident artists demonstrate glassblowing, metal casting, woodturning and more. Event programming changes regularly.

Visitor Information: Free admission. Public hours Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. Metered street parking. All facilities handicap accessible. Pet friendly outdoor spaces.

Hot Shops provides excellent chances for free cultural immersion through fine arts, whether you’re looking to see unique artwork or pieces made by hand. Hot Shops’ primary idea is to provide studios where the public can freely see artists at work, showcasing the creations of more than 100 resident artists in a variety of mediums, including painting, glassblowing, jewelry, fiber arts, and sculpture.

Watch as metalsmiths expertly solder unique jewelry or glassblowers expertly mold molten materials into showpieces. Free open house events, artist receptions, live glassblowing demos, and seminars to learn artistic methods are also held by several studios. Hot Shops encourages creativity through vibrant artist encounters and offers free admittance all year round as well as access to the backstage arts.