THINGS TO
DO IN OMAHA
Walkable Activities
Now open on Omaha’s reimagined RiverFront, Kiewit Luminarium will rekindle your curiosity and change the way you see the world. With more than 100 interactive exhibits and a kaleidoscope of engaging programs, you’ll want to visit again and again. Together we are building a future for Omaha and the region where everyone will have the opportunity to dream, play, wonder, experiment, and consider something new.
The Durham Western Heritage Museum
Beautiful architecture blends with memories of a time gone by at The Durham Museum. Making its home in one of Omaha’s most unique treasures, Union Station, The Durham Museum offers a fascinating look at the history of the region and offers a broad range of traveling exhibits covering subjects ranging from history and culture, to science, industry and more through our affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution and strong ties with the Library of Congress, National Archives and the Field Museum.
Founded in 2018, The RiverFront combines three parks in the heart of downtown Omaha into one identity. After undergoing renovations, the three parks now connect, serving as a gathering space between the historic Old Market and vibrant north downtown Omaha.
The Old Market is Omaha's most historic, most entertaining neighborhood. The cobblestone streets are home to a diverse mix of shopping, galleries, restaurants, taverns and people-watching.
Creativity begins with an idea — seeing things differently. Our purpose is exploring the creative process — how a new idea is born into the arts, sciences, and philosophy. There is no restriction for creative activity. Imagination has complete freedom. Supporting and promoting freedom in creativity is our mission.
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts facilitates the creation, presentation, and understanding of contemporary art through an international residency program, exhibitions, and educational programs.
Artists’ Cooperative Gallery Ltd
The Artists' Cooperative is a non-profit, tax-exempt gallery, located in Omaha’s historic Old Market area. Striving for personal artistic growth and professionalism in presentation, we are dedicated to exhibiting quality art on a year-round basis. The co-op is an artist run gallery; artists volunteer time to staff the gallery and operate all aspects of the business. There are no gallery commissions, and sales go directly to the artist. We also offer the unique opportunity for you to actually meet the creator of the art, because the person at the desk is one of the artists!
Since its inception in 1976, Omaha Children’s Museum has been a special place where children can challenge themselves, discover how the world works and learn through play. It is Omaha’s primary participatory museum and provides a variety of hands-on exhibits, workshops, programs, presentations and special events that put children in touch with their ever-changing world.
National Park Service Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Headquarters Visitor Center
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail extends over 4,900 miles and through 16 states, from Pennsylvania to the Pacific Coast. Operating hours and seasons vary from site to site. Visit our State by State Guide or Maps Page. For more information on operating hours and seasons, please contact the sites you plan to visit. Click on the state names below for more information on Trail sites in those states. Information about sites along the trail is also available at Trail headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.
Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge across the Missouri River
This stunning, 3,000-foot long walkway stretches across the Missouri River, giving pedestrians a spectacular view of Omaha’s skyline and an almost airborne experience. On the Nebraska side, enjoy the three-acre Omaha Plaza with an interactive water jet fountain, and access to the National Park Service Visitors Center. The bridge is connected to more than 150 miles of nature trails – visitors love to bike and walk on Bob. You can enjoy live music in the Plaza area on Fridays during the summer too. The plaza is surrounded by a large amphitheater-like grass seating; guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets.
Drivable Activities
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Consistently ranked as one of the world's top five zoos, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is an independent not-for-profit organization accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
As a leader in conservation, the Zoo focuses on areas to benefit animal husbandry and species conservation. Focus areas include conservation genetics, conservation medicine, rare plant conservation, reproductive sciences and comparative nutrition. The Zoo is recognized nationally for its conservation, animal care and exhibit design.
Lauritzen Gardens is the nation's premier botanical garden for its ability to impart beauty, awe, and knowledge about local-to-global natural worlds.
Twenty four monuments within a three-block area celebrate the history of the Omaha Stockyards and the surrounding meat packing district. Walk or bike the area, which is near the historic Livestock Exchange Building, a remaining center piece of the old stockyards and listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
El Museo Latino opened its doors in the historic Livestock Exchange Building on May 5, 1993, as the first Latino Art & History Museum and Cultural Center in the Midwest. In 1997, the museum moved to its present brick and red-tile-roof building. The original construction in 1887 was a school and was reconstructed in the 1930s. Today, El Museo Latino is one of only seventeen Latino museums in the United States. In conjunction with the exhibits, El Museo Latino develops educational programs that include lectures, presentations, films, art classes, workshops, demonstrations, art history classes, gallery talks, guided visits, and dance classes. Some of the programs are age specific for K-12, some for post-secondary students, and others are for an adult audience. In addition, El Museo Latino is a resource and a center for Latino studies in the Midwest.
Great Plains Black History Museum
The Great Plains Black History Museum is located in the historical Jewell Building. The Jewell Building is a city landmark in north Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1923, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was home to the Dreamland Ballroom for more than 40 years and featured performances by many touring jazz and blues legends, including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Preston Love Sr. and Lionel Hampton.
Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters
The Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters, located in Omaha, Nebraska, is a visitors’ center with exhibits about the westward migration of Latter-Day Saints. It is situated on the historic location of Winter Quarters, a temporary Latter-Day Saint settlement on the Mormon Trail.
President Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens
Memorial to the 38th President of the United States, born in Omaha, a kiosk modeled after the original house's turret contains birth site information and presidential mementos. A colonnade and Rose Garden modeled after the White House's complete the site.
The Malcolm X Memorial Foundation continues to remember Omaha native Malcolm X by creating a beautiful plaza and educational memorial site at the place of his birth. The state of Nebraska has also honored Malcolm X by erecting an official marker on this historical site. The 17-acre developing memorial is open to the public. Please call before visiting the Malcolm X Center (3448 Evans St) or feel free to enjoy the plaza on your own. We also encourage visits to the Aframerican Bookstore at 3226 Lake St.
The Museum is the authentically restored home of Civil War and American Frontier Wars veteran General George Crook, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was constructed in 1879, while General Crook served as the Commander of the Department of the Platte. General Crook is also known for his supporting role in the landmark 1879 trial of Standing Bear v. Crook.
When Father Edward J. Flanagan purchased the Overlook Farm in 1921, it became the new, permanent site of Boys Town. Over the decades that followed, schools, churches and homes were built, and tens of thousands of young lives have been transformed. When you visit the Village of Boys Town, you'll get an unforgettable glimpse into the history of an organization that has given new hope to so many at-risk children over the past 100 years.
Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum
The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum is a place for aspiring innovators, builders, explorers and anyone in between to immerse themselves in the discovery of flight and space exploration.