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The city of Omaha, Nebraska was a pleasant surprise for me. I went in not expected to enjoy it as much as I did. Things are definitely changing and growing in this small city and there’s a lot to.
You can spend the whole day wandering around the Old Market shopping, checking out some great restaurants like the Boiler Room, and tasting craft beer at places like the Brickway. Or you can head just outside the main city proper and wander around the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (ranked the #1 zoo in the country for 4 years in a row) or truly get away into the Fontenelle Forest. However you choose to spend your time there, these are my top Omaha attractions recommendations.
Visit the Old Market
Located in downtown Omaha with its cobblestone streets is the Old Market. The best place to eat and shop, with some really quirky stores that I fell in love with. Some of my favorite places to eat in the area were Le Boullion, the Boiler Room, and Cibo vino. I also highly recommend stopping in at Brickway for a pint. This area is the original Omaha. A place that still maintains it’s character and hasn’t changed much as the city has improved around it.
It is truly one of the great Omaha attractions and one place you have to wander around if you are visiting. It is also a great spot, with several nearby hotels, with access to the Heartland of America park, views of the Missouri River, a fantastic waterfront running path, and the Durham museum, among other places.
In the summer, you can also head down on Saturday and Sunday mornings to a huge farmers market with a mixture of food, soaps, and homemade gifts. The local honey, sourdough bread and homemade granola bars were 1000% worth the trip.
Lauritzen gardens
Address: 100 Bancroft St., Omaha, NE 68108
One of the not so hidden gems is the Lauritzen gardens. The perfect place to spend a morning. It consists of 100 acres of gardens to explore, and 20 different themed gardens including an extensive rose garden, and a very cool Japanese garden. There is also a tram that will take you on a tour of the gardens if walking is not an accessible option for you as the walking paths are quite extensive.
I absolutely loved the arboretum and Oberman Bird Sanctuary, where it didn’t feel like a structured garden anymore, but more of a walk in the woods with great swing benches to rest on. Entry for adults is $18 and there is a cafe inside the main building where you can grab snacks or have yourself some lunch.
They often also have various exhibits and during my visit the Thomas Dambo trolls were there and it was truly awesome to see them in this setting after first exploring them in Seattle.
Omaha Henry Doorly zoo and the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park
Zoo address: 3701 S 10th St Omaha, NE 68107
Safari Park address: 16406 N. 292 St, Ashland, NE 68003
One of the top attractions is the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo. It is also the top ranked zoo in the country (4 years in a row) and I can totally understand why. The people of Omaha love that zoo and they get a lot of people visiting every day. They do a ton of conservation work with departments in reproduction, nutrition and genetics and have a newly built animal hospital staffed by some amazing people (I can say that with confidence having been a relief vet for them).
There’s also several really fun things to do while you visit. They have tram tours around the zoo and also a sky tram to get a view over the exhibits, which gives it a whole different perspective.
Affiliated with the zoo is the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park. Located about a half hour drive outside of Omaha, but 100% worth the trip. This drive through safari park brings you up close with Nebraskas native wildlife species, from elk to cranes. Not only that, but there is also a tiger and a cheetah breeding facility on site working towards genetic conservation of these amazing animals.
Fontenelle forest
Address: 1111 Bellevue Blvd. N., Bellevue NE 68005
This is a great place to get into nature close to the city. It was quickly one of my favorite places (so much so that I bought a year membership so I could visit every time I came back to do relief work at the zoo). They are open from 8AM-7PM and there are around 17 miles of trails to explore. I did some trail running in them and it was the perfect spot with a mix of hills and flat sections.
Within the Fontenelle forest you will also find a raptor program, where they house rehabilitated raptors that were deemed unreleasable due to their injuries and they also have the TreeRush Adventures, a series of ziplines, suspended bridges and rope ladders is a fun adventure that is very family friendly and a good experience for those looking to push their comfort zone (me, I’m talking about me here). Tickets will get you 3 hours to play with instructions before they set you loose. The general admission for adults is around $60, but they also have a “try it” ticket for $44 that gives you 2 hours to explore and try it out.
Sculpture gardens
If it is your first time visiting Omaha I recommend you spend an entire day and just wander around downtown and see what you stumble across. One of the things I found was the First National’s Spirit of Nebraska’s Wilderness and Pioneer Courage Park. Located close to the art museum, it is just one of the sculpture parks you can check out.
There is also the Joslyn Sculpture Garden located at the Joslyn Art Museum and a small sculpture garden at the Gene Leahy Mall, a very cool spot with swings, grass slide for kids (and regular slides), fire pits, and a walk around a cool water feature call the Riverfront. So, grab your favorite beverage from one of the local coffee shops and find them all.
Joslyn Art museum
Address: 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68102
The best way to spend a rainy day in Omaha (because it usually comes with a thunderstorm and possible tornado risk and hail). The Joslyn Art Museum boasts free entry and was a gift to the people of Omaha by Sarah Joslyn in memory of her husband, George. There are over 12,000 objects in the museum covering 5,000 years. It’s incredibly impressive and worth the visit.
Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
Spanning over the Missouri River, connecting Nebraska to Iowa is a beautiful pedestrian bridge complete with chalk to leave a message. You can get a photo standing between the two states and continue walking on a river trail on the Iowa side. Taking the multiuse path from the Heartland of America park where you will pass another museum called the Kiewit Luminarium, a great place for kids to learn a little science, passing various waterfront sculptures and part of the Lewis and Clark trail you will get to the pedestrian bridge.
It’s a quick stop but a great viewpoint of the river and the two neighboring states.
Concluding Thoughts
Omaha was a genuine surprise to me, with so much to offer and a fast growing city. Whether you are into farmers markets and good coffee or nature walks and animals, there is something here for everyone.
My favorite way to really get to know the city was completing the 12-hour walk while I was there, just giving yourself over to the walk with no planned destination in mind. It creates it’s own unique adventure.
