If you are planning a trip to Omaha with kids, you are probably on the search for things to fill your itinerary. We live about 5 hours from Omaha and recently spent a long weekend there with our 3 young kids (read our full itinerary here). We had an amazing time! It is such a fun place to visit with so many amazing, family-friendly things to do. Keep reading to learn more about some of our favorites!
A trip to Omaha would not be complete without visiting the amazing Henry Doorly zoo. Voted one of the best zoos in the nation, it is packed with so many amazing things to see and do. This zoo is huge- you can easily spend the entire day here (and you will want to- it’s that amazing!). Make sure to check out the Desert Dome- the largest indoor desert in the world, the insect and butterfly pavilion, gorilla valley, the Kingdom of the Night exhibit, and the sea lion show. They also have a train, sky ride, carousel, and splash pad.
One of our favorite Midwestern children’s museums, this place is perfect for babies, toddler and kids. The Imagination Playground has a pretend grocery store, restaurant, bank, car repair shop, barn, and huge water table. There’s an fantastic art and creation exhibit for the creative kiddos, a huge area dedicated to STEM and science, a splash pad and playground, and a working carousel upstairs. They also have rotating exhibits that change out every few months, so check their website to see what’s new before your visit.
You can’t plan a trip to Omaha without adding this 3,000 foot pedestrian bridge to your itinerary. You start the bridge in Nebraska, and halfway over the Missouri river cross the Iowa border. Make sure to straddle the line so you can say you’ve been in two places at once. On the other side of the bridge is the River’s Edge Pavillion. There are some fun statues, a great playground, and a restaurant to stop and grab lunch. Also, don’t miss Omar the troll, a local celebrity, hiding under the bridge.
Home to the Omaha Theater Company, they are the top venue for family friendly performing arts. Check out their website to see what shows they are playing and enjoy watching a family friendly musical or play.
This great historic building houses the Durham Museum, which holds exhibits that showcase historic homes, farmhouses and business in Omaha. There are several permanent exhibits, such as a prairie town and grocery store, model trains, and real trains that you can tour. They also have rotating exhibits that change out every few months; you can check on the current exhibit on their website.
A beautiful walk through nature where you can view seasonal foliage. This 100-acre garden features a rose garden, children’s garden, model trains, and a Victorian garden. They even offer a tram ride to see the gardens if your kids enjoy that.
While this is actually located about 40 minutes outside of Omaha, I feel like I have to mention it because it was such a fun stop for us. A 400-acre drive through adventure zoo, we were able to see bison, deer, bald eagles, prairie dogs and so much more just feet from our open windows! There are lots of opportunities for kids to get out and burn off some energy also. They have several small hiking trails, an aviary exhibit, education buildings, and a playground. Read more about what this unique zoo offers here.
If you are planning a trip to Omaha with kids, there are so many great options to fill your day. What are your favorite family friendly activities? Let me know in the comments.