In June of 2019 we were heading to Omaha for a few days before I continue on to Des Moines, IA for the LWMS convention. We have been through Omaha once before, but never explored the area. We did go to watch an Angels vs Royals AAA affiliate teams play a game at Rosenblatt Stadium before it was torn down to make more room for the zoo. Other than that, it is a new city to us. Thus I decided to do some research and find some fun things to do while we are in the area. While a few charge a small fee, many of them are free. I look forward to our trip and creating posts about our adventures.
Old Market
Do you like strolling around local areas while traveling? How about Farmers markets? If so, Old Market is the place for you to check out. It’s in the historic part of town with cobbled streets and many preserved buildings. There are a lot of restaurants and bars in the area which makes it a great place to relax on a patio and people watch. On Saturday morning they have a Farmers Market. Look forward to strolling around while we are there. Sadly we probably won’t be there on a Saturday morning for the Farmers Market, but it still sounds like a lot of fun.
Visitor Information
Address:
1100 Howard St, Omaha, NE 68102-2817
Phone:
402-341-7151
Hours:
Daily but individual schedules of each business vary.
Pricing:
Free to stroll and look around, but plan to stay and eat.
Parking
There are well over 2000 parking spaces adjacent to the Old Market and are active Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. and prices vary by location. Parking garage prices vary from $1-$2/hour.
Henry Doorly Zoo
Heads up, the Henry Doorly Zoo is a whole day thing. The zoo is HUGE. Apparently they have thousands of animals from around the globe, 160 acres of exhibits and gardens including seven acres of indoor exhibits. That is a lot of area, lol. See why I said it is an all-day thing? lol. The one exhibit that caught my attention was the Desert Dome. I am not alone I guess, as it has become a landmark for Omaha. The dome is 84,000 square feet and has two levels (42,000 square feet on each level). There are plants and animals from the Namib Desert of southern Africa, the Red Center of Australia, and the Sonoran Desert of the southwest United States. The zoo sounds pretty amazing, and I hope to see it while in the area. ).
Visitor Information
Address:
3701 S. 10th Street, Omaha, NE 68107
Phone:
(402) 733-8400
Hours
- 9-5 – April 1st to October 31st
- 10-4 November 1st to March 31st
Pricing:
Summer – May 1st to September 30
- Adults (ages 12 and over): $21.95
- Children (ages 3-11): $15.95
- Seniors (65 and over): $20.95
- Children (2 and under): FREE
- Military Adult (12 and over): $20.95
- Military Child (ages 3-11): $14.95
Spring and Fall – March 1st to April 30th, October 1 – November 30th
- Adults (ages 12 and over): $18.95
- Children (ages 3-11): $12.95
- Seniors (65 and over): $17.95
- Children (2 and under): FREE
- Military Adult (12 and over): $17.95
- Military Child (ages 3-11): $11.95
Winter – December 1st – February 29th
- Adults (ages 12 and over): $15.95
- Children (ages 3-11): $10.95
- Seniors (65 and over): $14.95
- Children (2 and under): FREE
- Military Adult (12 and over): $14.95
- Military Child (ages 3-11): $9.95
Parking:
Free
Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
This photo of Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is courtesy of TripAdvisor
As you may know, I love bridges, so this is definitely on our to-do list. The Bob Kerrey Bridge is a 3,000-foot long bridge that stretches across the Missouri River. It also connects the states of Iowa and Nebraska. Sounds like you get some great views from both sides. Plus you can be in two states at the same time, lol. There is a plaza on the Nebraska side of the bridge with a large amphitheater and lots of grass seating. On Fridays, during May and June, they have live music and it is pet-friendly. Sadly, we won’t be there on Friday during our visit, but it’s good to know for future visits.
Visitor Information
Address:
705 Riverfront Dr Omaha, NE 68102
Phone:
(402) 444-5900
Hours:
Daily 24/7
Pricing:
Free
Joslyn Art Museum
The Joslyn Art Museum is a fine art museum located in Omaha and shares collections from nineteenth and twentieth-century American and European artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir and William-Adolphe Bouguereau. The museum offers many public docent tours, stroller tours, and private adult group tours. You can also do your own self-guided tour. There are more details on their website with tour times, etc. The best part is the museum is free to the public, except for certain special exhibits.
Visitor Information
Address:
2200 Dodge Street
Phone:
402-342-3300
Hours:
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm
- Thursday, 10 am – 8 pm
- Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm
- Closed Mondays and major holidays*
- Hours may change for special exhibitions.
Pricing:
Free – Additional charge for some special exhibitions.
Parking:
Free parking is available in the Parking Garden northeast of the Museum. Metered parking is available on surrounding streets..
Lewis & Clark Landing and Riverfront Park
This attraction is something that is close to my heart as I am related to John Colter on my fathers’ side. He was a part of the Lewis and Clark expedition, thus, I am definitely interested in checking out the Lewis & Clark Landing Park. I did some research and found out that there is a Lewis and Clark Interpretive exhibit which sounds exciting. However, there is so much more to see and do on the Riverfront. Besides just sitting out and enjoying the views of the Missouri River, there are so many other things to do. After all, the park is 23 acres. Wow. There is also a Firefighter’s Memorial Monument and the second-largest labor monument in the US. Can’t wait to visit and explore this area.
Visitor Information
Address:
515 N Riverfront Dr,
Phone:
402-444-4653
Hours:
Daily 5 AM – 10 PM
Pricing:
Free
Parking:
Sorry folks, I couldn’t find much information on the parking situation. Will update my post once we return with more information.
Lauritzen Gardens
I enjoy walking through gardens in different areas (since I have a very brown thumb, lol). It’s fun to see what different types of flowers, plants, trees, etc thrive in different environments. While in Omaha, I hope to be able to visit the Lauritzen Gardens. Happily they have a one-hour narrated tram tour of the garden’s 100-acre site. I was looking at their site and there are so many different types of gardens and exhibits, I couldn’t begin to list them all. Needless to say, you will not be disappointed by the variety of exhibits. They even have an arboretum and bird sanctuary. One of the last gardens I really enjoyed was the St. Louis Botanical Garden. I looked forward to comparing them.
Visitor Information
Address:
100 Bancroft St
Phone:
402-346-4002
Hours:
Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m
Open until 8 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays for Garden Twilight from May 13 through September 10, 2019.
Pricing:
Adults: $10 + tax
Children ages six to 12: $5 + tax
Children younger than six years of age: no admission fee
Parking:
Free
So there you have it, some of the more fun and interesting things to do while in Omaha. If you have been to any of these places, please let me know. Also, let me know if there is a must-do that I missed on this list. I will be glad to check it out and add it to this post. Thanks in advance. Happy travels.
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