Last Updated on: 19th April 2025, 09:53 am
Omaha is located in the geographic heart of the US and has long been known as the ‘Gateway to the West’ (a nickname it shares with St. Louis). But though it may be the largest city in Nebraska, the state as a whole is well off most people’s radars. After reading this list of the top things to do in Omaha, you’ll hopefully have a much better idea of what the city has to offer.
The following locations can all be seen over the course of a single (albeit busy) day. But to experience everything that Omaha has to offer, you’d likely need two or three.
For more information on the best places to stay in Omaha, be sure to check the end of the article.
Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is a 3000 ft suspension bridge that connects Omaha with Council Bluffs, Iowa across the Missouri River. And ever since it opened in 2008, walking across it has widely been regarded as one of Omaha’s top activities.
Given the gloomy and windy weather on the day of my visit, I only partially walked across the bridge. But the area is presumably gorgeous when the weather is clear and sunny.
Notably, the bridge happens to be next to the National Park Service headquarters of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which spans 4,900 miles from Pennsylvania to Washington.
Accordingly, in the small garden behind the center, you’ll find various informational placards with details about the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806.
But as far as I could tell, there aren’t any major landmarks in this particular spot besides the bridge, and Omaha was likely chosen for the headquarters due to its central location.
It was near this spot, however, that Lewis and Clark held a meeting with the Otoe and Missouria tribes – just two of 100 or so Indian tribes that they encountered throughout the journey.
While the large office is mainly intended for NPS staff, you will find a small gift shop inside. And for what it’s worth, you can buy yearly America the Beautiful annual passes there if you need one.
Heartland of America Park
Also along the Missouri River is the Heartland of America Park, another great free thing to do in Omaha. Yet, given the light rain, there wasn’t much for me to do other than walk out to a viewing platform over the river.
If you’re there during nicer weather, you can check out a small lake, fountains, tree-lined pathways, and plenty of spots to sit and relax.
The Durham Museum
If you were just passing through Omaha and only had time for one stop, make it the Durham Museum, situated in Omaha’s historic Union Station.
Tickets cost $15 per adult (or $12 for seniors), while the museum is open from Tuesday-Saturday (see here).
In what’s now such a car-based society, it can be hard to comprehend the major role that rail once had in the development of the central and western parts of the country.
In 1869, the Overland Route of the Union Pacific Railroad was established which ran between Omaha and San Francisco, while it later expanded eastward to Chicago.
Omaha, therefore, long used to serve as a major transport hub. And once the station was established, new hotels and theaters began to spring up across the city.
Aside from its historic value, the former station is also renowned for its architecture. It was designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood in the Art Deco style which became popular in the 1920s.
And on the ground floor, visitors can still see the Terrazzo tiles on the flooring, while the grand scale of the hall was another trademark of Art Deco.
Walking around, you’ll also find the original schedule and ticket counter, not to mention a 1930s-era soda fountain.
Over in the Swanson Gallery – the location of the original waiting room – visitors can see large murals created by artist Joseph Keller. They depict the history of Omaha, from its Native American past to its gradual industrialization and the construction of the railroad.
The exhibits on the ground floor of the museum, meanwhile, offer glimpses of what the station and typical passenger experience were like in their heyday.
The real heart of the museum is its lower level. While you won’t find any more Art Deco architecture, you will find various exhibits which detail the history of Omaha and Nebraska as a whole. Going through everything thoroughly could take hours.
The name Omaha was taken from the Omaha tribe of Native Americans. While they were known for living in teepees, the Omaha also built large earth lodges that could house as many as thirty people. A replica now sits on display for visitors.
Other areas feature model trains, a replica of a 19th-century corner shop, and a scale model of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition held in Omaha in 1898.
The museum also seems to regularly host special exhibitions that are unrelated to Omaha but interesting nonetheless. During my visit, the special exhibition happened to be focused on primatologist Jane Goodall.
The Old Market District
The Old Market district is Omaha’s main hipster neighborhood, though as the name suggests, this was the site of the city’s original market area.
In addition to plenty of cafes and restaurants, you’ll also find a plethora of music, book and souvenir shops. With only a day in Omaha, this would be a good place to stop for lunch and do some window (or actual) shopping to break up the sightseeing.
Though I only visited in the daytime, the area is said to come alive at night.
Joslyn Castle
Visiting the Joslyn Castle is widely touted as one of the top things to do in Omaha. But the interior of the museum can only be visited via tours which run on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
At the time of writing, tours cost $17 per person, while you can find the full schedule here.
Unfortunately, I visited on a day when the tours weren’t running, so I was only able to see the castle from the outside.
But what is a castle doing in central Omaha? The Joslyns, originally from Canada, migrated out to the Midwest United States following the tragic death of their baby.
Arriving in Des Moines, George Joslyn soon found a job with a printing company. He quickly rose through the ranks and became a manager for the Western Newspaper Union’s office in Omaha.
The couple first moved into a farmhouse on these grounds and then commissioned work on this castle, which was built in the Scottish Baronial style and completed in 1903.
General Crook House Museum
Located to the north of the city center are the remnants of Fort Omaha. The fort was established in 1868 as a base from which US troops could quell Indian uprisings in the West.
And while much of the original buildings now seem to be part of a local community college, the General Crook House Museum is well worth the visit for history and architecture buffs.
The house museum is open daily and costs $8 per person. And following an oral presentation from a staff member, visitors can then freely wander the house at their own pace.
A handy brochure will also give you a better idea of what you’re looking at.
But who, you may still be wondering, was General Crook?
Born in Ohio in 1828, George Crook graduated from West Point in 1852 and began serving in various places around the country. He rose to the rank of general during the Civil War and was later sent out to the American West.
While Crook fought in numerous battles against different Indian tribes, at the same time, he was also a major advocate for Native Americans. And he worked to ensure that the promises made to them by the US government were kept.
The most notable example involves General Crook and Chief Standing Bear. Crook was ordered to arrest Standing Bear, a chief of the Ponca tribe that had been displaced to Oklahoma.
During that treacherous journey, Standing Bear’s son had died, with his dying wish was to be buried in his ancestral homeland near Omaha.
And so, Chief Standing Bear returned with his son’s body only to be arrested. But behind the scenes, General Crook rallied support for his cause by contacting the local press.
Newspaper editorials would help garner much public sympathy and support for Standing Bear. And his court case would mark the first time that a Native American was recognized as a person with individual rights.
The judge ultimately ruled that Standing Bear’s arrest was unlawful. Not only was he given permission to bury his son, but he was even allowed to remain in Nebraska until his death.
Note that most of the museum’s furniture is not original, as families typically took their furniture with them when they moved.
But the museum was decorated to resemble what a typical house occupied by someone of Crook’s status would’ve looked like in that era.
At the end of your visit, you’ll even be given complimentary ice cream that you can eat in the adjacent garden.
Lauritzen Gardens
While many cities across the US have botanical gardens, the Lauritzen Gardens are surprisingly large and expansive for a city of Omaha’s size.
The gardens cost $15 per person to enter and are open daily from 9:00-17:00, and until 20:00 on Mondays and Tuesdays during summer months.
The four-acre space is home to plants from around the world, and you’d need at least a few hours to see everything. There are two ways to explore the gardens: on your own on foot, or by paying an extra $5 for a park shuttle.
While I chose the former option, I did run into a shuttle group at various points in my visit. The driver seemed to allow visitors ample time to walk around at the main landmarks, though they didn’t seem to be able to go everywhere they pleased.
The Lauritzen Gardens feature various areas with distinct looks and atmospheres, with everything being connected by a main central path. Be sure to bring the paper map they give you when you pay. Otherwise, it would be quite easy to get lost.
Exploring on foot, I ended up making it as far as the Japanese garden, much of which is centered around a hill meant to resemble Mt. Fuji. On the way back, I stopped at various other smaller gardens that I’d missed on the way over.
All in all, the Lauritzen Gardens are indeed worth visiting. But for first-time visitors to the city, the locations featured earlier in this guide should be considered more essential.
More Things to Do in Omaha
Seeing everything in the guide above would take up the majority of your day. But there are still more attractions not featured here.
The most prominent among them would probably be the Joslyn Art Museum, which was unfortunately closed for renovations at the time of my visit.
To the south of the city is the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, while to the far north is the Mormon Trail Center and Winter Quarters.
Other museums include the Love’s Jazz and Art Center and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.
Additional Info
Even after reading this list of the top things to do in the city, maybe you’re still not convinced. And that’s understandable. There’s not much hype surrounding Omaha, while it’s also quite isolated geographically.
I visited Omaha with hardly any expectations, but ended up pleasantly surprised. It has a lot more do see and do than somewhere like Des Moines, while the city lacks the obvious homeless and drug problems of cities like Denver or Minneapolis.
All in all, it turned out to be one of my favorite cities that I visited on my long road trip through the Midwest and the Rockies.
But the keyword is road trip. While I’d definitely recommend those who are passing through the area to set a day or two aside to explore Omaha, it probably wouldn’t be worth taking a long flight across the country to see.
Omaha isn’t particularly large, so you should be fine staying somewhere relatively central.
Some of the highest-rated options in the center include Magnolia Hotel Omaha and the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel.
Most of the budget options exist outside of the center. I stayed at the Townhouse Inn & Suites Omaha, which was fine overall. It was about a 20-minute drive west of central Omaha, however. That was no problem for me, as I’d be heading further west the next morning, but the location may not be for everyone.