Omaha a Family Fun Destination
Omaha, Nebraska is not too far from the 515. Just about two hours away, it is easy to hop into the car for a long weekend or even a day getaway. I am excited to share with you some of my Omaha favorites that are perfect for family fun of all ages.
Lodging
If you choose to make an entire weekend of fun in Omaha, you will need a great place to stay! Before our road trip to Omaha, I had never heard of EVEN Hotels by IHG. It did not disappoint! I fell in love with its mission. EVEN Hotels are designed so guests can maintain a healthy wellness routine while traveling.
They provide a huge fitness room so you can achieve a good sweat, pool to swim laps (or just play), a cafe filled with healthy food options, yoga mats and strength bands to break a sweat in your own room, and inspirational quotes all over.
The kids were a huge fan of the large games in the lobby and yoga items in the room. If you turn the television on they even give you short workout videos to follow!
Another huge advantage of staying at the EVEN Hotel is their shuttle. They provide a shuttle to anywhere within an 8 to 10-mile radius. Park the car and do not worry about driving! The Omaha Children’s Museum, The Durham Museum, the Old Market and so much more is near by.
The Omaha Children’s Museum
The Omaha Children’s Museum is one of our favorites. We have been several times, but whenever we return there is something new to explore!
The Enchanted Museum is pretty magical and is a must see this summer. This exhibit is filled with dragons, unicorns, princesses and more. You can take care of your own unicorn by bottle feeding and brushing its mane or you can create potions and get lost in a mirror maze. Listen to a magical story during story time or visit with a very special princess. The kids could have spent the entire day using their imaginations in the Enchanted Museum. Make sure you visit this summer it ends on September 1.
Another new and fun exhibit at the Omaha Children’s Museum is Attic Adventures. I loved the creativity of this fun exhibit! Just imagine playing with all the fun things that may be in your attic or grandparents attic. Kids can play with old instruments, giant games, stuffed animals, dress up clothes, an old dentist chair, and much more. This exhibit is only around until September 1 too!
NOTE: If you have a Tri Membership or Science Center of Iowa Membership, you get free admission to the Omaha Children’s Museum. A free experience for you and your family!
The Durham Museum
I had never visited The Durham Museum until recently and was in awe by how much there was to see and do for kids! I think The Durham Museum is easily forgotten when visiting Omaha.
The Durham Museum provides a ton of hands-on opportunities for kids teaching the history of Omaha, the history of the trains and people who have walked through this beautiful and iconic building and more.
The kid’s favorites were the trains that they were able to climb in and walk through. They loved using their imaginations about what people did in each car years ago.
A fun summer exhibit that is currently at the museum is the Tyrannosaurs: Meet The Family. If you have a dinosaur loving child in your life, this is a must see! Unfortunately, the exhibit was not open when we visited, but we are already planning a trip back to Omaha this summer to check it out.
The Durham Museum is located in the old Omaha Union Station. This building is gorgeous and also has an old fashioned soda fountain and candy shop! Grab lunch before or after exploring. We enjoyed brats, chips and some delicious sundaes.
Heartland of America Park
If you are looking for something to do outdoors while visiting Omaha with the family, check out Heartland of America Park. This outdoor gem is located in Downtown Omaha and not far from the Omaha Children’s Museum and Durham Museum.
It has beautiful trails to walk around and you can grab a boat ride to take you around the lake and a huge water fountain in the center. The kids loved seeing all the ducks and geese including some who had laid eggs!
The Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium has quickly become one of our summer bucket list items. Whether we make it a day trip or a weekend getaway as a family, the zoo is always on our list!
Just like the Omaha Children’s Museum, they are always opening a new feature such as the Asian Highlands that recently opened this spring. They are currently renovating the aquarium (still open during renovations) and are in the process of building a new Pacific-Northwest inspired habitat that will open in Spring 2020.
The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo offers so much more than animals. Here are some of my tips before you go!
- Bring swimsuits! The Alaskan Adventure is a super fun spray ground and a great place to cool off.
- Plan for the Children’s Adventure Trails to be your last stop before leaving the zoo. There is so much to see, do and play with it will be hard to drag your kids out once they enter. This is also a great place for your kids to wear their swimsuits.
- Bring snacks and waters. We packed a ton of snacks and water for our trip and planned to eat one meal while there. Helps save on money!
Food
We are huge fans of exploring great places to eat and drink when visiting new cities. Omaha’s food scene does not disappoint!
Amateur Coffee is a cute place to grab a hot cup of joe. They are a completely vegan coffee shop offering vegan drinks and food. I tried an oat milk latte for the very first time at Amateur Coffee!
Early Bird Brunch is one of a kind breakfast spot! This was the perfect place to fuel up before exploring Omaha. The Bob (a giant-sized donut) is what won the kids over, but the fun breakfast cocktails and unique breakfast items won us over.
Roja Mexican Grill + Margarita Bar
Delicious Mexican and yummy margaritas were the perfect way to end the day of exploring! They offered great options for the kids and some unique options different from your regular enchiladas and tacos. Conveniently located in Downtown Omaha.
Another must when you visit Omaha. It was even mentioned in People Magazine! Saddle Creek Breakfast Club is in a super small and cozy building, so they tend to have a wait. It’s worth the wait! My favorite item? Banana pancakes with their delicious peanut butter whip. Yum!
A visit to The Surfside Club is a tradition for our family. The Surfside Club is located right along the Missouri River and serves the best catfish and hush puppies. It is a great place to hang. They even offer an inflatable bounce house for the kids. This is the perfect place to visit on your way out of town.
No vacation is complete without ice cream! Ted & Wally’s is a staple in Omaha. This homemade ice cream shop is a must. They offer super fun flavors and all of your classic favorites too.
I love to check out local coffee shops whenever I am visiting a new city. Zen Coffee Company did not disappoint. Their Butter Beer latte was top notch and a place where you can order a Pumpkin Spice Latte all year round? That is a win!
Voted Omaha’s best pizza! It is also located in the Old Market which makes it super convenient when you are exploring Downtown Omaha. The pizza is great, but one of my favorite things was they gave the kids a roll of dough to play with while the pizza was being made.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of the fun things to see, eat and do as a family while visiting Omaha, Nebraska. I would love to hear your Omaha favorites. Let me know in the comments below!
