Omaha, Nebraska – An Underrated Gem in the Midwest
Vacationing in Omaha? You might think that sounds like a pretty boring trip. But you’d be mistaken! After many one-night stays over the years, a recent extended stay in the city has us singing its many praises.
Listed below are some of the best things to do and see while enjoying Omaha. At least three full days are recommended to really get the most out of this impressive place.
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Table of Contents
Where to Stay
The best place to stay is in the Old Market district, located on the eastern side of Omaha, near the Missouri River. The walkable neighborhood boasts cobblestone streets, local shops, parks, historical sites, and abundant cafes, bars, and restaurants. You could park your car at your hotel and not use it again for days.
The recommended hotels listed below are in the Old Market, within a couple of blocks of most attractions and restaurants covered in this article:
The Farnam Hotel – Located across the street from the lovely Gene Leahy Mall (a park), and featuring a restaurant and cocktail bar.
Hyatt Place – Spacious rooms with a sitting area and a free breakfast buffet.
Embassy Suites – Two-room suites and an expansive free breakfast with cooked-to-order omelets.
What to Do
Explore the Old Market
Walking through the charming streets of the Old Market is a delight and can easily take up an entire afternoon.
Locally owned shops include the fun and snarky City Limits, the Old Market Sundries for Nebraska souvenirs, Made in Omaha for locally made gifts, the year-round Tannenbaum Christmas Shop, Iron Decor and More for eclectic home decor, and Goldsmith Silversmiths for custom-made jewelry.
Visit the historic Homer’s Music, Omaha’s first independent record store, founded 43 years ago, and still featuring a dizzying array of vinyl. Find a rare book at Jackson Street Booksellers. Pop into the Artists Cooperative Gallery featuring 35 artists with displays that change monthly, or do some vintage/antique shopping at the Old Market Emporium or Flying Worm Vintage.
For a sugar high, stop by Hollywood Candy, an enormous bulk candy shop, including lots of unique and retro products. With pinball machines, movie memorabilia, and comic books, it is full of nostalgia. It’s the kind of place you have to see to believe.
Those looking to relax can enjoy one of the half-dozen spas and salons in the area, including The Copper Pin and Old Market Massage.
When you need nourishment, take a break at one of the dozens of coffee shops, taverns, and restaurants. (See below for some favorites.)
Walk Through RiverFront Omaha
The newly renovated spaces that make up the 72-acre RiverFront project are alone a reason to visit the city. The project consists of three unique but connected parks stretching from the Old Market to downtown Omaha.
Adjacent to the Old Market, the 31-acre Heartland of America Park, the southernmost park, offers a little of everything. There are extensive walking trails, including one around a lake with fountains. Other trails lead to bocce ball courts, flower gardens, a horseshoe pit, a skate ribbon, and a lakeside amphitheater.
Next to the lake, Farnam Pier is a cantilevered overlook suspended over the Missouri River, providing sweeping views of the area in every direction.
To the north and west of Heartland Park is the beautiful Gene Leahy Mall (originally called the Central Park Mall), which was completely renovated and modernized in 2023. Walking paths line both sides of expansive green spaces. Along the paths, visitors are treated to a series of sculptures, a large, modern children’s play area, a performance pavilion, a dog park, swinging benches, and a wide variety of sitting and gathering areas.
The paths lead to a tunnel under busy South 10th Street with a remote-control boat cove and colorful light shows projected onto the walls. As walkers approach the Missouri River, there are two stone arches that were constructed in 1887. They were part of the original US National Bank Building and were preserved when the building was demolished in the 1970’s. They have been a beloved part of the park ever since.
The three RiverFront parks have a variety of slides, but the best-known are the two iconic metal slides just beyond the arches. Originally installed in 1982, generations of children have ridden down them on wax paper, cardboard boxes, jackets, and anything else they could find to zip down the steep slope.
The idea of removing the slides was floated before the recent park renovation, but was quickly quashed by residents.
Just north of the Gene Leahy Mall, along the river, is the Lewis and Clark Landing. It commemorates the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. Though no one knows precisely where they camped, it was in the vicinity of the park.
With its 2020 renovation, the park is now an impressive recreation area complete with a trail along the river, sculptures (the historic Labor sculpture is pictured below), an urban beach, fire pits, sand volleyball courts, green spaces, and prairie gardens. It is also home to a truly amazing and unique playground. (Adults will be disappointed to discover that they cannot enter the playground without a child.)
The Lewis and Clark Landing Trail connects to other walking and biking trails throughout Omaha. The National Park Service Regional Headquarters is on the north end of the park and houses the superintendent of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
Interpretive exhibits about Lewis and Clark are located on the first floor of the headquarters, along with a small but well-done gift shop.
Cross State Lines on The Bob
About a quarter of a mile north of the Park Service building is the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge, fondly referred to as The Bob. The iconic 3,000-foot cable-stayed bridge is an “S” shape and stretches from Omaha, across the Missouri River to Council Bluffs, Iowa, suspended 210 feet over the water at its highest spot. The views from the bridge are spectacular.
The bridge has taken on a humorous life of its own, with an instagram account and website pages written in the first-person.
Halfway across the bridge is a line denoting the boundary between Nebraska and Iowa. Visitors can place one foot on each side of the line, and be standing in both states at once. Likewise, two people can be standing in different states but be close enough to hold hands. This is commonly referred to as “Bobbing”. (#ItHappensOnBob).
The Bob even boasts its own troll, a bearded blue guy with fangs and wild hair named Omar who lives under the bridge. Omar is a friendly troll and was sculpted by Omaha artist John Lajba in 2019.
Walkers, bikers, and photographers flock to the handicapped-accessible bridge year-round. In the summer, free music concerts are held at Omaha Plaza, at the Nebraska end of the bridge.
The bridge is named after the popular former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerry, who secured federal funding for it.
Make a Discovery at the Kiewit Luminarium
The Luminarium is a science museum located next to the fabulous playground at the Lewis and Clark Landing (above). The STEM-based center has well over 100 hands-on, frequently changing exhibits highlighting physics, biology, and engineering.
Visitors can swing pendulums, make waves, play with shadows, visualize their own body heat, play music, turn gears, build structures, and even see how cells make up our bodies.
On select Friday evenings, the Luminarium hosts adults-only Night Lights events featuring rotating interactive programs along with drinks and snacks.
Soak Up Some History at Union Station and the Durham Museum
This attraction is a double-feature!
The museum is located inside Omaha’s Union Station, which opened in 1931. The Durham Museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying the history of Omaha and its surrounding region.
Its biggest artifact is the station itself.
In its heyday, the beautiful Art Deco station was a bustling, modern, amenity-filled marvel. It served 7 railway lines and housed a 24-hour restaurant, newsstands, a barber shop, a telegraph office, a medical center, and a soda fountain that still operates today. At its peak in the 1040’s, 64 steam engines chugged through the station, serving up to 10,000 passengers each day.
By 1971, with growing access to interstates and airplanes, passenger traffic dwindled, and the station closed. The building was donated to the City of Omaha. It became a museum in 1975, but was in desperate need of repair. A group of community businesspeople and philanthropists, led by Margre and Charles Durham, raised the money to restore the station to its original grandeur. In 1997, the Durham Western Heritage Museum opened (later shortened to the Durham Museum).
Start your tour on the lower level, where the museum displays an array of permanent exhibits, including many restored full-sized train cars that guests can walk through and get a feel for the train travel experience in that time period. Storefronts and “worker cottages” from the early 1900’s are displayed, as well as a model train exhibit. Stories, photos, and artifacts illustrate the trials and tribulations of early settlers in the area. Visitors can read about the history of the Omaha Native American Tribe and walk inside a large rawhide teepee.
The Byron Reed Gallery houses a stunning display of books, maps, medals, paper currency, and some of the world’s rarest coins and documents. A digital guide to the incredible treasures can be found here.
Heading up to the impressive, light-filled Great Hall in Union Station, don’t miss the thought-provoking sculptures throughout the hall, representing travelers from all slices of life: a lonely salesman with rumpled clothing, a woman buying a ticket, a little girl on a bench, dressed up and ready to travel, and a sailor and a soldier chatting. (The salesman and little girl are shown in the middle photo, below.)
Before leaving, be sure to stop by the Soda Fountain for one of the best ice cream sundaes around.
Attend a Live Performance or Event
Omaha boasts a plethora of performance spaces. Venues in and near the Old Market include:
Orpheum Theater is a gorgeous historic theater dating back to 1895 that features Broadway touring companies.
Steelhouse Omaha, built in 2023, hosts live music and comedy performances.
Holland Performing Arts Center is home to the Omaha Symphony and also features other musical performances and family events.
CHI Health Center hosts large-scale concerts, Creighton Bluejays basketball games, NCAA tournaments, and professional wrestling events.
The Rose Theater is an historic theater that is currently home to the Omaha Theater Company, a professional group producing high-quality productions aimed at children and families.
The above attractions are all within walking distance of Old Market hotels. A quick ten-minute (or less) drive will take you to three more can’t-miss places:
Be Awed at the Joslyn Art Museum
George & Sarah Joslyn, originally from New England, moved to Omaha when George took over the Western Newspaper Union, the largest newspaper organization in the world at the time. The Joslyns loved their adopted city of Omaha and used their fortune to support countless projects and charities to benefit the city.
After George’s death in 1916, Sarah donated more than $3 million to create The Joslyn (originally called the Joslyn Memorial) to honor him. She wanted to create a free art museum to uplift the citizens of Omaha.
The Joslyn is the largest art museum in Nebraska, and remains free for all. (Special exhibits do have a fee.) Its permanent collection includes more than 12,000 works of art. Highlights range from paintings by European masters like Renoir and Monet to Native American sculptures, drawings, and artifacts, to contemporary art, including pieces by Jackson Pollock and Hans Hofmann.
In the center of the Gallery Level is the visually stunning Fountain Court. The peaceful Art Deco courtyard, viewable from three sides, features an elegant, bubbling fountain.
The room was constructed with materials from around the globe, including stone from Virginia, Moravian tile flooring from Pennsylvania, and marble from Italy, Greece, Morocco, and France.
In 2009, a 1.2-acre sculpture garden and reflection pool opened on the east side of the building. The museum also houses a well-regarded cafe and a gift shop.
Get Wild at the Zoo
The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a sprawling 160-acre facility that houses more than 33,000 animals. With massive immersive habitats, the world’s largest indoor desert, an indoor rainforest, an incredible Gorrilla Valley, and a 70-foot shark tunnel, it is no wonder that it is frequently ranked as a top zoo in the US.
As Midwesterners, we’ve visited the zoo many times over the years, and we delight in its continued growth and its dedication to being leading stewards for the conservation of animals and their habitats.
There are dozens of different exhibits spread throughout the expansive grounds; some of our favorites include:
- The Lied Jungle, which highlights South America, Asia, and Africa, features monkeys, tapirs, macaws, and pygmy hippos playing amidst the waterfalls.
- Sea Lion Shores has a 275-thousand-gallon pool, a 40-foot-long underwater viewing window, and shaded seating to watch and listen to those lovable sea lions as they’re being trained.
- Asian Highlands highlights include the regal and intimidating Amur tiger, a snow leopard, takin, and giant Indian Rhinos
- Kingdoms of the Night, the world’s largest nocturnal exhibit, features species such as wallabies, crocodiles, alligators, and bats.
- The Aquarium houses adorable puffins and penguins, as well as sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, and many more types of sea life.
- In The Orangutan Forest, visitors watch Bornean orangutans and Siamangs in a recreated Indonesian rainforest with expansive indoor and outdoor viewing areas.
It is nearly impossible to see everything in just one day, so it is best to choose a handful of “must-see” exhibits to view first in case you run out of time. (Each exhibit is considerable and takes longer than you might think.) In the alternative, plan for a two-day visit!
A train, a tram, and a skyride are available seasonally. There are numerous opportunities throughout the park to rest, and to purchase food, beverages, and souvenirs. The zoo can be quite crowded in the summer, so visiting on a weekday, if possible, is a good idea.
Be One With Nature at the Lauritzen Gardens
The Lauritzen Gardens is a 100-acre public botanical garden built atop a former limestone quarry and a landfill. The spectacular space features many distinct gardens, including an English perennial garden, a peony garden, a rose garden, a Victorian garden, and an herb garden. It also includes an expansive Japanese park, a bird sanctuary, a 17,000 square foot conservatory largely dedicated to tropical plants, and educational facilities. Beautifully manicured trails run through the entire property.
Another highlight is an extensive model train garden with 7 different trains that travel through miniature communities, landscapes, and countrysides. It is a delight for all ages.
A new addition to the park is the charming Sophia’s Play Garden. It provides places for children (and adults!) to play and interact with nature, and a water play area in warm weather. Warning: it is difficult to get children to leave this fabulous play area!
Where to Eat
With an abundance of great restaurants, Omaha is spoiled for choice. Happily, many of them are right in the Old Market. Favorites include:
Cibo Vino (1101 Jackson Street) Authentic Italian fare with a variety of house-made pastas, steak, and seafood in a cozy atmosphere with a spacious patio.
Clio (1202 Howard Street) Friendly Mediterranean restaurant with spreads such as hummus and baba ganoush, shareable plates such as Turkish dumplings and falafel, and mains such as kabobs and tanginess.
Dirty Birds (1722 St. Marys Avenue) Located in Omaha’s downtown Flatiron Building, Dirty Birds is technically not in the Old Market, but it is only a 10-15 minute walk, and, honestly, you’ll want to burn a few calories before eating here. For a super-casual, high-quality chicken sandwich or fried chicken meal, this place is tough to beat. To top it off, their fries are phenomenal.
La Buvette (511 South 11th Street) Intimate European cafe serving meats & cheeses, salads, and a rotating menu of 8-10 specials each day. Their homemade bread can’t be missed! There is an attached European grocery and wine store.
Le Bouillon (1017 Howard Street) Elegant restaurant serving traditional French fare and featuring a raw bar. The attached market has an excellent selection of wines in all price ranges that can be enjoyed in the restaurant.
Spaghetti Works (502 11th Street) We wouldn’t generally include a chain restaurant, but the Old Market location is the original Spaghetti Works. It is a great choice for groups and families, with a fun atmosphere, bottomless pasta bowls, and an abundant salad bar, all at a reasonable price.
There are dozens of other restaurants in the Old Market, but if you want to get out and about, we highly recommend taking the 15-minute drive to:
Yoshitomo (6011 Maple Street, Omaha) Be sure to make a reservation for this Japanese sushi and creative small plates restaurant. Chef David Utterback is a 2025 and 2026 James Beard Best Midwest Chef finalist. Treat yourself, and sit up at the bar and watch the sushi chefs make the magic happen.
Nightlife in the Old Market
Wicked Rabbit Speakeasy (1508 Harney Street) Located in the Art Deco Hotel, this fun speakeasy requires a password to gain entry through the “secret” door. They feature creative craft cocktails, many of them served flaming.
Dubliner Pub (1205 Harney Street) A lively Irish pub offering Guinness on tap, live music, and a comedy open mic show on Mondays.
The Berry & Rye (1105 Howard Street) Omaha’s oldest craft cocktail lounge is known for its expansive selection of rare spirits and its rotating menu of original cocktails.
Harney Street Tavern (1215 Harney Street) This friendly, casual bar serves craft beer and cocktails, and features live music on weekends and trivia on Thursdays.
Backline Comedy Club (1618 Harney Street) For an adult beverage and a show, head to the Backline for local stand-up, improv, and sketch comedy acts.
Are you spending more time in Midwest cities? Check out our articles on Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Des Moines!
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Yay, Omaha! One of my favorite places to visit …
Thanks Timm! We agree!