Omaha, on the west bank of the Missouri, is the largest city in Nebraska. In the winter of 1846/47 the Mormons set up their winter quarters here on their way to the Salt Lake valley in Utah, and several hundreds of them died in the extreme cold. Omaha is the birthplace of one-time president Gerald Ford and black leader Malcolm X. The city has some interesting museums and cafés on the Old Market Place where it is pleasant to relax.
The Joslyn Art Museum has a fine art collection, including works by Indian artists and craftsmen, and sketches recording Prince Maximilian zu Wied's journey to the Missouri in 1832-4.
Housed in a marble Art Deco building, the museum has fine art collections with an emphasis on 19th and 20th C European and American art.
Address: Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68102-1292, United States
Phone: 1 (402) 342-3300, Fax: 1 (402) 342-2376
Hours:
10am-4pm; Sun:12pm-4pm; Thu:10am-8pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Memorial Day - USA (last Monday, May ), American Independance Day (July 4), Labor Day - USA (1st Monday, September), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Tips: Free admission on Saturdays from 10 am. to noon.
Discount: Saturday
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities: Gift shop, Restaurant or food service, Wheelchair loan or rental
The Omaha Zoo contains white tigers, snow leopards, lowland gorillas, African elephants, white rhinos and sun bears. The Scott Aquarium is home to sharks, penguins and fish. The Lied Jungle is an indoor rain forest featuring habitats from Asia, Africa and South America.
Address: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, 3701 South 10th Street, Omaha, NE 68107-2299, United States
Phone: 1 (402) 733-8400, Fax: 1 (402) 733-7868
Hours:
May 30 to September 6: 8:30am-5pm
September 7 to May 29: 9:30am-5pm
Always closed on: Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
10 mi. west of Omaha's city center is Boys Town, an institution for the care of young people founded by Father Edward Joseph Flanagan in 1917, and made famous by the film starring Spencer Tracy.
The Hall of History presents a history of Boys Town. Highlights of the site include Father Flanagan's Shrine, Garden of the Bible, Dowd Memorial Chapel and Father Flanagan's House.
Address: Village of Boys Town, 14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010-7520, United States
Phone: 1 (402) 498-1300, Fax: 1 (402) 498-1348
Freedom Park in Omaha has a navy museum with permanent displays of the USS Marlin SST2, the USS Hazard AM240, an LSM45, and an A-4 Skyhawk. The park also features planes, guns, missiles, torpedoes and bombs.
Address: Freedom Park, 2497 Freedom Park Road, Omaha, NE 68110-2745, United States
Phone: 1 (402) 444-5955, Fax: 1 (402) 345-3418
Hours:
May 15 to September 15: 8am-8pm
September 16 to May 14: 8am-3pm
Tips: Guided tours available on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 3pm.
Fun Plex is a water and amusement park in Omaha that includes wave pools, a children's pool, waterslides, a go-cart track, a tilt-a-whirl, bumper boats and cars, miniature golf, and batting cages.
Tips: Call or visit the website for hours and admission.
General Crook was a Civil War hero. This Italianate home in Omaha was built in 1879. The furnishings are from the 1880's Victorian period.
This living history museum includes decorative arts, costumes, arts & crafts and period furnishings. Adjoining the museum is the Crook House Victorian Heirloom Garden, with heirloom flowers, trees and shrubs from the state.
Address: Douglas County Historical Society, 5730 North 30 Street, #11B, Omaha, NE 68111-1657, United States
Phone: 1 (402) 455-9990, Fax: 1 (402) 453-9448
The Great Plains Black History Museum in Omaha has displays on the role of African Americans in the development of the West. Exhibits include photographs and historical displays of African American life.
The Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha is located on 100 acres and features 13 areas of plants, flowers and fruits from all areas. Highlights include a Victorian garden, children's garden, rose garden, bird sanctuary and a meadow of native wildflowers.
Address: Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE 68108, United States
Phone: 1 (402) 346-4002, Fax: 1 (402) 346-8948
Hours:
9am-5pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Tips: Open until 8pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, mid-May to mid-September for "Garden Twilight".
The Mormon Pioneer Trail was used between 1864 and 1869 by Mormons to escape religious persecution. The Winter Quarters was used by the Mormons from 1846 to 1848. Exhibits at the Mormon Trail Center in Omaha detail the migration. There are maps, a log cabin, a covered wagon and a cemetery with a monument.
The Omaha Children's Museum features hands-on art and science displays. Exhibits include a TV newscast. At the Creativity Center children can paint, make collages and recycling art projects.
Address: Omaha Children's Museum, 500 South 20th Street, Omaha, NE 68102-2508, United States
Phone: 1 (402) 342-6164, Fax: 1 (402) 342-6165
Hours:
May 30 to September 6: 10am-5pm; Sun:1pm-5pm; Thu:10am-8pm; Closed: Mon
September 7 to May 29: 10am-4pm; Sun:1pm-5pm; Sat:10am-5pm; Closed: Mon, Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
St. Cecilia's Cathedral in Omaha is a Spanish Renaissance style cathedral with 222ft/68m spires. The stained-glass windows are from a 16th C cathedral in Spain; the pulpit is hand-carved mahogany and the marble altar is from Italy.
The Old Market District was home to warehouses, industrial buildings, and agricultural buildings. Today it is a renovated district that houses restaurants, antique stores, art galleries and boutiques. Each evening street performers, artists, and musicians perform. There are also horse-drawn carriages that take visitors through the Old Market.
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The Durham Museum
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha
Omaha
