Things to Do in Omaha

From exploring underground caves at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to the NCAA College World Series, college baseball's biggest event, Omaha is filled with many distinct things to do.

Step into history and out of your comfort zone with culture that captures both. Walk above water and below ground to explore nature in a whole new way. Shop unique boutiques and dine in distinctive places you won't find anywhere else. Check out some of the many things to do below. Use these ideas and special offers to start planning your visit to Omaha.

There are a variety of fun outdoor activities to enjoy, many year-round, in Omaha. Here are some of our top picks from visitomaha.com:

NOTE: Our friends at Visit Omaha have curated discounts and recommendations just for Gathering attendees. Show your Gathering nametag at participating restaurants and attractions for exclusive savings. Check it all out here!

Boys Town
National Historic Landmark District. Visit the Hall of History, Visitors Center and the Father Flanagan House to get a first-hand look at the world-famous Village established by Father Flanagan. See where the children live, work, play and pray while building successful futures.

El Museo Latino
First Latino art and history museum and cultural center in the Midwest. View world class permanent and traveling exhibitions featuring local, national and international Latino art and culture. Bilingual educational programs offered year round with exhibits, including workshops, lectures, demonstrations, with ongoing art, theater, dance and music classes.

Fun-Plex
Fun-Plex is Nebraska's Largest Waterpark and Rides! With acres of family fun in the heart of Omaha, Fun-Plex is the perfect one day getaway. Fun-seekers of all ages enjoy the new Rockin' Rapids Water Slides, Makana Splash Water Playground, Typhoon Falls Water Slides, Motion Ocean Wave Pool, Lazy River, Breaker Bay Swim-Up Bar, the Fun-Plex Speedway Go-Kart Track, various kiddie & family rides and a beautiful 18-Hole Mini Golf course.

Golfing
Rolling hills and tree lined fairways, water hazards and sand traps, each course has its own character filled with competitive challenges. From executive style to championship courses, you'll enjoy playing Omaha's unique golf landscape. Discover a course that's right for you.

Joslyn Art Museum
Joslyn Art Museum has been a premier center for the visual arts for 90 years. With art from ancient times to the present, there's something for everyone. The outdoor garden galleries, including the kid-friendly Discovery Garden, offer a welcome view of over 20 artworks in the fresh air. Young visitors will love the exhibitions of original art by children's book illustrators in the Mind's Eye Gallery as well as the ART WORK hands-on space.

Kiewit Luminarium
Kiewit Luminarium will rekindle your curiosity and change the way you see the world. An interactive family museum dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). With more than 100 interactive exhibits and a kaleidoscope of engaging programs, you’ll want to visit again and again.

Lauritzen Gardens
Lauritzen Gardens is a 100 acre public garden located in the heart of downtown Omaha, Nebraska. As a tranquil oasis for personal escape or a destination to learn about the wonders of the natural world, Lauritzen Gardens is a place of joy, beauty, inspiration, education, and reflection in our community. The garden cultivates a diverse living plant collection, offers creative nature-based educational programs, and executes significant work to conserve endangered plants of the Great Plains.

Omaha Children’s Museum
The Omaha Children's Museum provides a fun atmosphere for kids of all ages! This unique setting has multiple rooms available for events such as business meetings, birthday parties and receptions. Free parking downtown.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
The Omaha Zoo redefines the term “zoo” by dedicating resources to saving and protecting species around the world. Each guest through the gate means another conservation story continues, and all 160-acres means families run wild so animals across the globe can run free.

Outside of a world-renowned conservation program, Omaha’s Zoo offers a variety of travel-worthy experiences. Walk through the world’s largest indoor desert and the largest indoor rainforest in North America. Explore exotic locations and underground caves to see thousands of animals from across the globe in their natural habitat. With more than 7 acres of indoor exhibits, Omaha’s Zoo is a year-round must-do.

Omaha's Riverfront
The RiverFront, a $325 million transformational development, combines three public parks into one identity. Gene Leahy Mall in the heart of downtown includes exciting amenities like a Performance Pavilion, state-of-the-art playground, interactive water features, Sculpture Garden, dog park, and plenty more spaces to gather, relax and have fun. The RiverFront’s two other parks, Heartland of America Park and Lewis and Clark Landing, are situated along the riverfront and include a skate ribbon, amphitheater, bocce courts, a picturesque pier extending to the Missouri River, an urban beach, prairie garden, destination playgrounds and more.

Pioneer Courage Park
The gateway into Omaha’s central business district is transformed into the gateway to the West with a one-of-a-kind tribute to the people who settled this great land. Pioneer Courage is a homage to the bravery, courage and entrepreneurial spirit that defined the generation and left an indelible impact on the American character. Visitors are meant to interact with this sculpture. The audience is encouraged to walk along with the larger-than-life pioneers and to envision what it must have been like to set off on a journey unlike any other. This sculpture park is the largest installation of bronze and stainless steel work of art in the United States and one of the two or three largest in the world.

Sweet Shops
When your sweet tooth hits, Omaha answers the call with an array of bakeries, sweet shops, and ice cream parlors bursting with goodies made with love. In Omaha, you can have your cake (and chocolate, pastry, and pie) and eat it too. Before digging in, here’s a trivia fun fact: butter brickle was created in Omaha. Which means for the best butter brickle, you had better be in Omaha.

The Amazing Pizza Machine
Visit the region's top-rated, all-indoor entertainment center and award-winning Amazing Buffet & Arcade Experience! Enjoy 60,000 square feet of amazing all-indoor fun with rides and attractions including Amazing Quest Laser Tag, Go Karts, Bumper Cars, Mini-Bowling, the Frog Hopper Mission Vortex thrill ride, and new Hologate Virtual Reality. Don't miss more than 170 of the latest and greatest arcade games. Bring your appetite to enjoy UNLIMITED dining at the Amazing Buffet featuring fresh pizza, pasta, salad, soups, breads, nachos, baked potatoes, desserts, soft serve ice cream, beverages and more!

Tubing & Adventures
"We Supply the Tubes, and You Supply the Adventures" This Omaha Weekend, take your family and friends on an adventure filled with serenity, sites and the great outdoors. Groups of two or more float down the Elkhorn River and enjoy a safe and fun day of relaxation in the sun. Kayaks are also available for rental. Families can end the day camping and enjoying the great outdoors.

Urban Air Adventure Park
Welcome to the Ultimate Indoor Adventure Park where kids of all ages (and kids at heart) can explore thrilling attractions, challenge their body and mind, and most importantly…have a blast! We are WAY more than a trampoline park.

Union Pacific Railroad Museum
Though Union Pacific's founding father, President Abraham Lincoln, did not live to see it completed, the spirit of progress, innovation and American unity the transcontinental railroad spurred is an enduring part of America's history. At the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, you can explore more than 150 years of that history through unique artifacts, precious photos and several interactive digital displays.

Walking & Biking Trails
More than 85 miles of paved, interconnected trails have been developed, creating a nature wonderland for walkers, joggers, bicyclists, skaters, and cross-country skiers. The system is also accessible to people with disabilities. Each path offers unique scenery including lakes and wildlife.

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