Things to Do in Omaha, Nebraska
On the windswept banks of the Missouri River, Omaha astonishes tourists with a blend of Midwestern charm and international sophistication. The best zoos and aquariums in America allow visitors to get up close and personal with exotic animals, while interactive museums and carefully restored historic mansions bring presidents and pioneers to life. Between visiting breweries and attending independent music events in repurposed warehouses, local-owned shops and restaurants with awards lend urban flavor.
Sample Nebraska’s Emerging Craft Beer Culture
Name and Location: Omaha’s blossoming craft beer scene has tapped into the heartland’s agriculture bounty across re-emerging neighborhoods as farm-to-tap houses pour small batch brews pairing perfectly with the city’s dynamic culinary boom.
History and Significance: Economic resurgence has flowed both east from Capitol environs and north of Old Market epicenter as warehouse arcades give way to flowing taps thanks to experimental homebrewers launching livelihoods from liquid luxury crafted carefully utilizing regional grain supplies.
What to Expect: Flights sipped near Blackstone brew hubs or downtown taprooms channel localism through names and ingredients while focusing artisanship into each pour, educating palettes towards thoughtful strength-flavor balance through creative infusions.
Visitor Information: Free bike share rentals connect designated driver groups between Mister Toad’s, Lucky Bucket and other hot spots prioritizing quality and variety as special seasonal releases give enthusiasts reasons to return regularly.
As urban breweries and farmstead enterprises proliferate throughout the state, Omaha joins cities across the nation in honoring locally grown hops picked for small batch brews. Try Infusion’s Mosaic IPA, which taps tastes of tropical fruit, or try traditional Kolsch German ales that Benson Brewery has perfected. Scratchtown and other outlying farm taprooms provide unique wet-hopped and harvest ales. Numerous trailblazers provide behind-the-scenes tours that highlight unique malts and creative blends, introducing beer enthusiasts to Nebraska.
Relive History Strolling Through Union Pacific Railroad Museum
Name and Location: Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs chronicles over 155 years of rail achievements linking America’s heartland through an extensive 20-acre showroom displaying locomotives relocated from across the country to Iowa’s western gateway.
History and Significance: As corporate caretaker for one of America’s preeminent transportation technology innovators since its 1862 incorporation that revolutionized nationwide connectivity, Union Pacific continually preserves its own equipment advances and acquisitions from competitors for public education.
What to Expect: Impressive machinery exhibits like vintage cabooses, Streamliner cars or Union Pacific “Big Boy” – among earth’s largest locomotives ever built – depict rail engineering feats while multimedia recounts compelling construction sagas.
Visitor Information: Self or docent guided walking tours included Tuesdays-Saturdays year-round reveal operational evolution through rare artifacts detailing how fiery steam engines and burly diesels energized economies across landscapes.
The Union Pacific Railroad Museum shows the significant effects of westward migration linked to railroad openings and how inventive engineering and the perseverance of its employees brought America together. Explore meticulously restored locomotives and rail cars, and observe historical recreations that document daily life through creative sets, such as a passenger train car and bunkhouse from the 1860s that are exquisitely furnished for opulent coast-to-coast travel. Through unique museum missions where they learn about historical events, children can earn badges through the Young Conductors programs.
Test Your Luck at Horsemen’s Park
Name and Location: Horsemen’s Park is a hippodrome racetrack conducting live thoroughbred races March through October located just off Abbott Drive and I-80 southwest of downtown Omaha, Nebraska.
History and Significance: In operation for over 50 years on the grounds of defunct Ak-Sar-Ben fairgrounds, Horsemen’s Park carries on Nebraska’s enduring horse racing legacy hosting major claiming races and stakes as heart pounding drama unfolds trackside revealing equine athletic splendor.
What to Expect: Cheering crowds in covered stands follow foremost regional jockeys navigating muscular steeds around tight oval links as they respond to calls, positioning and luck seeking to cross the wire first in designated distances while spectators wager on potential outcomes.
Visitor Information: Free general parking surrounds venue with paid clubhouse access adding trackside viewing and premium dining. Family Fun Night promotions every Tuesday from May to September offer free gate entry for engaging educational encounters.
Calling all horse lovers, Horsemen’s Park keeps the action going with live quarter horse racing from May to October and simulcast horse racing from major national tracks that air everyday. You can wager on your favorite ponies and then go to the trackside to watch the breeds running short distances, or you can stay inside the sports book area and watch displays that scroll over the results of thoroughbred races all around the world. Children’s stick pony races, display booths, and prizes are all part of family fun days.
Try Not to Laugh at Omaha Community Playhouse Shows
Name and Location: Omaha Community Playhouse, centrally located at the crossroads of S. 35th St and Farnam Street, has staged quality hometown theatrical productions across two stages since its founding in 1924 inside the historic Howard Drew building.
History and Significance: As Nebraska’s largest, most decorated and only remaining community theater empresa, OCP continues impacting generations via immersive storytelling showcasing local talent through dramas, comedies and musicals with educational camps cultivating creativity annually.
What to Expect: Mainstage lineups promise show-stopping musical numbers while intimate Howard Drew black box experiments with unconventional avant-garde works as subscribers enjoy season ticket special access and savings securing choice seating for 200+ inspiring performances unfolding near downtown.
Visitor Information: Individual and packaged show tickets available online for seating in proscenium Hawks Mainstage or versatile Hawks Mainstage II hosting special late nights plus Sunday matinees accommodating varied interests and schedules conveniently.
In the historic Howard Drew Theatre, Omaha Community Playhouse has been entertaining audiences with comic musicals and thought-provoking tragedies for more than 95 years. Thanks to imaginative leadership and gifted local performers, recent hits include timeless crowd-pleasers like Church Basement Ladies and Don’t Dress for Dinner that remain current. This troupe’s talent for energizing communities and bringing texts to life is further showcased through student performances, theater classes, and holiday shows.
Tour Architectural Masterpieces on Historic Homes Tours
Name and Location: Historic Florence neighborhood tours showcase Omaha’s ornate architectural gems located between 9th Street and Pershing Drive hiding regal 19th and 20th century mansions framed by mature trees and manicured gardens.
History and Significance: As ambitious early Omaha industrial tycoons sought surrounding hillside refuges overlooking burgeoning downtown development, prominent East Coast designers drafted magnificent family estates exhibiting elaborate Old World European motifs meeting modern New World aesthetics.
What to Expect: Knowledgeable docents lead intimate small groups revealing family sagas while interpreting the imposing hand carved stonework, stained leaded windows and sumptuous parlor finishes characterizing the privileged residences.
Visitor Information: Annual three day June showcase tickets become available April 1st so early online purchase secures first chance at booking coveted access to normally private manors and manor grounds representing the district’s cultural zenith decades ago.
Special spring tours inside Omaha’s 30 surviving 19th-century houses, which are carefully cared for by the Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, bring history to life. During these unique glimpses inside architecturally fascinating private homes, costumed reenactors add flair while describing Victorian customs on the 1888 George Joslyn estate or jazz-age pleasures at the Art Deco 1926 Dodge House. History researchers and lovers of architecture are rewarded with intriguing design features found in anything from English Tudor and Georgian Revival mansions to painted women of the Second Empire.
Explore Hands-On History at Durham Museum
Name and Location: The Durham Museum is located in a historic 1930s train depot in downtown Omaha, Nebraska filled with regional history exhibitions and artifacts focused on American progress and pioneering.
History and Significance: Recognized as the region’s leading cultural institution since first opening in 1976, the Durham has delivered engaging encounters with history to millions over 45 years through impactful galleries, artifacts and immersive programming.
What to Expect: Guests are transported through different eras detailing events that shaped the heartland via interactive exhibits inside retired rail cars and dramatically displayed tableaus complemented by timely talks and demonstrations illuminating past through modern connections.
Visitor Information: Open daily 10am-5pm, except major holidays. Admission charged. On-site parking, archives, museum store and cafe enhance visits to the popular downtown attraction.
Visit Omaha’s fascinating Durham Museum to relive Civil Rights landmarks, roaring 1920s mobsters dominating rackets, and frontier treks traversing arid plains. This exquisitely restored 1931 Union Station building is filled with fascinating exhibitions, interactive displays, and unique items documenting the area. Witness nuclear bomb testing, engage with a real soda fountain, and observe protests at lunch counters in the 1960s. Temporary shows feature specialized topics, such as baseball league borders and the strategic highway system.
See Big Cats at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
Name and Location: Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is located near I-80 southwest of downtown, spanning 160 acres and hosting LEED-certified exhibits home to 17,000 animals across multiple parks.
History and Significance: Earning global renown as one of the world’s foremost zoological institutions since opening in 1894 thanks to incredible immersive habitats, rare species and impactful conservation efforts advancing wildlife studies internationally.
What to Expect: Guests observe Amur tigers, African penguins, orangutans and Komodo dragons up-close through thoughtfully replicated natural settings plus interactive elements providing memorable multi-sensory adventures discovering favorite species.
Visitor Information: Open year-round with adjustable hours. Admission charged. Dining, rides and behind-the-scenes animal experiences complement incredible daily shows and observations.
The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, which is frequently named one of the best zoos in America, astounds guests with its cutting-edge habitats that house exotic species in meticulously modeled natural environments. Clear tunnel walkways put you right in the middle of the action, allowing you to get up close and personal with polar bears splashing across their icy domains and large predators prowling. The largest nocturnal exhibit in the world and an immersive orangutan forest treetop walk are examples of unique attractions. Carefully considered interactive features, such as play spaces on expedition cruise ships, engage young minds while imparting conservation knowledge.
Dine Inside the Upscale Mastercraft Design District
Name and Location: The Mastercraft design district in central Omaha encompasses repurposed industrial spaces into a vibrant hub for creative companies and visionary chefs located downtown by the Missouri Riverfront.
History and Significance: Through innovative adaptive reuse, the former steel factory now houses boutique shops, studios and adventurous urban wining and dining destinations drawing crowds to glimpse artistic creativity flourishing sustainably amid the broad flowing waterside.
What to Expect: Patrons can book reservations at restaurants like Boiler Room serving New American small plates or savor hand-crafted cocktails nearby before exploring independent galleries showcasing metalsmithing, glassblowing and other mediums.
Visitor Information: Free public parking borders the district’s walkable footprint. Hours vary but most culinary spots open evenings only Tuesday-Sunday while attractions keep daytime hours intermittently.
Omaha’s lively Mastercraft Design District, which celebrates regional producers and innovative tastes, is home to a bustling array of eateries, shops, and creative enterprises centered around the striking Hot Shops Art Center. Before choosing your evening’s culinary journey, which will include elegant French bistro meal at Mula, expertly prepared drinks at Provi, and perfectly fired Neapolitan pizza at Zio’s Pizzeria, peruse the newest trends or gallery pieces. Classes are offered in several locations, enabling you to create the ideal memento.
See the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
Name and Location: The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum documents aviation history via aircraft displays and engaging exhibits encompassing decades of air and space milestones at a site adjacent to Ashland’s municipal airport.
History and Significance: Founded in 1959 as memorial for Offutt Air Force Base’s former role housing now-dissolved U.S. Strategic Air Command’s nuclear bomber readiness operations throughout Cold War tensions until stand down in 1992.
What to Expect: Outdoor static displays like the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane or Cape Canaveral rocket represent eras alongside indoor galleries showcasing SAC command center relics and rotating Smithsonian artifacts spanning Wright 1903 Flyer to Mars Rover models.
Visitor Information: Open daily with nominal entrance fees. Guided tours included with admission run throughout so visitor plan ahead accordingly. Gift shop sells coveted aviation souvenirs.
Exploring Omaha’s Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate that houses vintage aircraft and interactive exhibits explaining fascinating facets of flying, is nirvana for aviation fans. Get a close-up look at the SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet during the Cold War that could outrun missiles. As robotics stations provide obstacles to build Mars explorer drones, simulators allow you to try sci-fi-style vertical takeoffs. You can explore vast collections and the fascinating histories behind them with the aid of audio tours and monthly lecture series.
Tailgate then Cheer on College World Series
Name and Location: The annual College World Series tournament unfolds each June at downtown Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Park concluding the NCAA baseball Division I championship playoffs as eager fans cheer on top rivals.
History and Significance: Stadium construction completed in 2011 secured commitment keeping the high-stakes series central for area tourism over 25 years while drawing hordes of loyal spectators savoring competitive clashes between elite qualifying college teams vying for the trophy crown over weeks of play.
What to Expect: Thousands tailgate or frequent lively bars surrounding venue before filling seats tracking every hit, run and rally through double elimination fixtures as ballplayers leave everything on the field pursuing a career pinnacle.
Visitor Information: Single game and full-tournament ticket packages available online to secure seats for most sought after matchups within 24,000 capacity open-air ballpark equipped with amenities.
Every year in June, TD Ameritrade Park is packed with enthusiastic spectators as Omaha hosts the collegiate World Series, which determines the best collegiate baseball talent. Before securing your bleacher seats, join the fans strolling through the Fan Fest pep rally to witness a home run hitting competition. Celebrate victories with victory parties and face painting at neighborhood bars. Plan your vacation to Omaha for the summer so you can see series openers and the first pitch that determines who moves on to the collegiate pennant finals.
See Where African Safari Dreams Start at Lee G Simmons Center
Name and Location: Omaha’s Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari sits on 100 sprawling acres near I-80 and 84th St hosting remarkable encounters with rare creatures plus educational programming.
History and Significance: Directly supporting Omaha’s world class Henry Doorly Zoo initiatives since the non-profit park’s origins in 2010, this refuge fosters compassionate wildlife conservation connections for visitors through rescues and species preservation efforts behind the scenes.
What to Expect: Walking paths wind visitors past open habitats where camels, oryx, zebras and other African hoofstock roam across grasslands as part of engaging guided group walking tours suitable for all ages.
Visitor Information: Timed day entry tickets available online in advance to experience remarkable giraffe encounters, aviary trails and barn yards up-close in safe settings promoting respect for endangered wild creatures and fragile ecosystems.
From noble lions to curious meerkats, Omaha’s Lee G. Simmons Center, which is committed to global conservation initiatives protecting vulnerable species, allows you to get up close and personal with the very animals that inspire thoughts of African safaris. During behind-the-scenes tours of animal care facilities that are not open to most zoos, visitors can witness playful primates at action at the nation’s largest breeding colony of rare chimpanzees. For those aged 21 and above, special events like as summer-night Zoo Brew fundraising offer food, music, and close-up animal interactions.
Conclusion
Omaha’s hospitable Midwestern character extends beyond steaks and cornfields, as seen by a variety of attractions that include engaging history lessons, thrilling outdoor experiences, and family-friendly events. At museums and monuments dedicated to the aviators, railroad workers, and brewmasters who nourished the Great Plains, pioneering passions are preserved. However, creative theatrical productions, chef-driven eating, and one-of-a-kind stores as distinctive as bison or broncos are some of the ways that contemporary urban regeneration keeps cultural pursuits alive. Omaha encourages exploration at every stage by fusing the grim of the past with the hope of the future.