Welcome to Omaha, the largest city in Nebraska, and Lincoln, the state’s capital city. Eastern Nebraska is the most populous side of the state; most people live in either Omaha or Lincoln, or in a suburb in between the two. Omaha’s population, including its suburbs, is close to a half million. Omaha’s westward growth continues to make the gap between it and Lincoln smaller, so now only about an hour’s drive separates them.
Overview
Omaha sits on the banks of the Missouri river. The city’s relationship with the river has been long and complicated; only recently did the city begin to redevelop the riverfront area, and it’s become a popular spot for recreation, dining, and live music in the summer. Omaha is also a business hub. Five Fortune 500 companies call Omaha home: ConAgra, Peter Kiewit Sons, Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific, and Mutual of Omaha. More than 30 other Fortune 500 companies have manufacturing plants in the city.
Omaha is also a hub for the insurance industry. Close to 30 insurance companies have their headquarters in Omaha. Other large companies based in Omaha include Omaha Steaks, Oriental Trading Company, Pamida, Valmont Industries, and Godfather’s Pizza.
Lincoln, a city of about 250,000, is one of the fastest growing metro areas in the Midwest. Lincoln has more parkland per capita than any other city in the United States, and a great trails network. The Mo Pac trail runs 26 miles along an abandoned railroad corridor and is one of the state’s most popular spots for running, biking, and walking. Eventually, the trail will reach from the center of Lincoln all the way to Omaha. Lincoln is also home to the state’s flagship university. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) enrolls close to 25,000 students, and its legendary graduates include investor Warren Buffett, comedian Johnny Carson, authors Willa Cather and Mari Sandoz, and many others. UNL is a major research university and just recently became a member of the Big 10 conference.
Both cities continue to experience economic growth. In the late 1990s, Omaha built the Qwest Center Omaha, an arena and convention center and the Holland Performing Arts Center. Gallup company built its Gallup University campus on the Omaha riverfront and First National Bank of Omaha and Union Pacific both built new headquarters in downtown Omaha. Hundreds of old buildings in downtown Omaha were converted into condominiums. The First National Tower is the tallest building between Denver and Minneapolis.
Lincoln is constructing its own arena, in the historic Haymarket district, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has plans to construct the Innovation Campus on the state’s former fairgrounds; the campus will create a public/private sector hub for research.
Both Omaha and Lincoln are business hubs and growing cities, but, above all, they’re full of friendly people and nationally recognized as great places with an affordable, desirable way of life.
Omaha is ripe with the kinds of attractions that draw tourists in droves. Military history, family attractions, historic architecture, horticulture, and the outdoors are all on display; it’s fair to say there’s something for just about everyone.
Historical attractions abound. Visitors can learn about military history, visit the birth site of the country’s 38th president and one of its most famous civil rights leaders. They can learn the story of the Mormon’s tumultuous winter spent on the banks of the Missouri River in the late 1800s, or go to the capital city and see Nebraska’s state capitol, which is one of only three skyscraper capitols in the country.
Museums, too, offer lots of singular experiences. One of Omaha’s oldest railroad stations has been turned into one of its most popular museums, where traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian show. Learn about Mexican history at a South Omaha museum, and visit the city’s vast acreage of botanical gardens. Learn about strategic air command and Nebraska’s famous astronaut, Clayton Andersen.
Nebraska’s economy focuses on agriculture, and this means “agritourism”—tourist attractions with an agriculture bent—are big here. Get your hands dirty at a pick-your-own. Take a stroll out in the cropland. But have fun while you do it—these attractions are hardly just farms and instead offer lots of activities for kids and parents, too. Nebraska is a haven for the outdoorsman, and eastern Nebraska offers vast hunting opportunities. For a truly unique, “only in Nebraska” experience, consider tanking. What’s that? Read on to find out.
Families will love learning about the history of Boys Town, Nebraska, which has its own zip code and post office. Outdoorsmen will love a visit to Cabela’s, the world’s foremost outfitter, and a hike through Bellevue’s forest preserves. You can’t go to Omaha without a visit to its top-ranked zoo; people of all ages will love it.
If a scenic drive is more your speed (which is probably slow), then you’ve come to the right place. The state has nine scenic byways, and many begin in eastern Nebraska.
Some of the more specific types of attractions are listed in separate chapters. For instance, art museums and galleries are in the Arts chapter, while other museums related to history and culture are here. Most outdoor spots are in the Parks & Recreation chapter, and places that kids will love can be found in the Kidstuff chapter.
Omaha has a vibrant art scene. The city offers a diverse lineup of local theater, visual arts, and live music.
Omaha’s historic Orpheum Theater and the new Holland Performing Arts Center work together under the fold of Omaha Performing Arts to bring a variety of events to Omaha, including traveling Broadway productions, music of all genres, dance, and outdoor programming in the summer. Small, passionate local theaters bring excellent productions to the city; many of their productions are based on scripts created by local writers featuring directors, actors, and behind-the-scenes people who are passionate about the city’s local theater scene. Omaha’s also home to the country’s largest community playhouse, which has an avid following of its own.
Omaha also has a thriving independent music scene. Based primarily around the Saddle Creek Label, the city has many venues where shows take place almost every night, and within the past few years has become home to large-scale outdoor concert series in the summer months.
In the summer, Omaha’s Jazz on the Green takes place at Midtown Crossing’s Turner Park and draws thousands of revelers to enjoy music and a warm summer night. The visual arts, too, are thriving: The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts has one of the nation’s most renowned artist residency programs, the Joslyn Art Museum has a renowned collection of Karl Bodhmer prints, and Omaha is working to create a citywide art walk on the first Friday of each month.
Omaha is a family-friendly city. In fact, many locals won’t hesitate to tell newcomers that they moved to Omaha—or moved back to Omaha—because they wanted to raise a family here.
Many of the activities in this section are competitively priced; some are even free. Two giant slides in the heart of downtown Omaha offer some of the best fun that money can’t buy: the experience of spending hours going down the giant, wavy, mirrored monoliths is one that many Omaha kids remember for years. They relive the fun by taking their own children there, too.
Omaha’s recently remodeled Children’s Museum has activities for toddlers and bigger kids, too, and the locally owned Amazing Pizza Machine is basically a kid’s mecca: buffets full of food, tons of games, and rides mean kids will be begging to check this place out, and parents won’t mind the wallet-friendly price tag.
Youth sporting leagues are incredibly popular in the summer months (and some year-round) and the end of this chapter details a few of the most popular that offer soccer, baseball, and other sports to athletically inclined children and their enthusiastic parents.
Be sure to check out both the Attractions chapter and the Parks & Recreation chapter, which contain more listings that will probably be of interest to families with kids of all ages. Plenty of outdoor activities, recreation spots, and sporting events are listed in those sections. The listings in this chapter are all child-centric activities that kids are sure to enjoy. Teenagers will likely be interested in at least a handful of the sites listed below, too. The price code below gives you an idea of what entrance fees (if any) and costs will be like to attend or visit any of these places.