The city of Omaha sits in the heart of the Midwest and can be easy to overlook. I hadn’t thought much about visiting Omaha until I went on a road trip to Kansas for my mom’s birthday. To break up the drive, we spent two nights in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but day tripped into Omaha to explore. I didn’t have many expectations for Omaha. However, I was surprised how much I enjoyed my one day in Omaha.
The Best Things to Do with One Day in Omaha
If you’re planning a trip to Omaha, here’s some of the highlights you should look out for. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather the highlights for those who have limited time. Even with one day in Omaha, you’ll find plenty of things to do.
Say Hi to Bob
Bob is not a person. Bob is a 3,000 foot pedestrian bridge that connects Council Bluffs, Iowa to Omaha, Nebraska. Taking a walk along this curved bridge can be a fun way to get a little bit of exercise and get some great views of the Missouri River.
Durham Museum
For one of the best museums in Omaha, visit the Durham Museum. Not only is it a great museum, but it’s also the former Union Station. In its heyday, 40,000 people passed through this station per day. Eventually passenger rail travel declined and the station was given over to the city. Now, it’s a great insight into Omaha history.
As you walk inside, you enter the gorgeous art deco waiting area. This lobby is gorgeous and it’s worth stopping in just to see this. However, you can go beyond to learn about the history of Omaha, the impact that rail transportation had on this city, and the lives of those who lived here.
The museum also features an old fashioned Soda Fountain. Any food or drinks here cost extra, but it can be great to split a sundae with your travel partner as you sit in such a cool building.
Joslyn Castle
In historic district of Omaha, sits a castle that looks like it should belong in Europe, not Nebraska. The castle was built in 1903 by the Joslyn family. Now, it’s a mansion that is open for tours.
Tours are only available on certain days and unfortunately we were not here on one of those days. However, the gardens are open to the public daily, so even if you can’t go inside, you can still experience the castle from the gardens.
Old Market
Just a short walk from the Durham Museum is the Old Market neighborhood. This area is full of local restaurants and shops and you should definitely plan to spend some time wandering. Wandering this neighborhood was one of the highlights of my day in Omaha.
Boystown
Boystown is not actually part of Omaha, it’s its own village, but it can be easily reached from Omaha. Founded in 1917 by a Catholic priest, Boystown was created to help troubled boys. The program has since expanded to include girls and as well as to numerous other locations around the United States.
Your first stop should be the visitor center where you can pick up a map and get some information. At the visitor center, you can also see the World’s Largest Ball of Stamps. From the visitor center, you can go the museum to learn more. We did not visit the museum, but in hindsight, I wish we had. That said, the woman who was working at the visitor center the day we visited was a whole fountain of information and basically gave us our own private ten minute virtual tour and history of the village.
Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
We did not do this, but if you’re into zoos you should definitely put this on your list. This zoo is ranked as one of the top five zoos in the world and features over 160 acres of plant and animal life.
Bonus: Council Bluffs, IA
We stayed in Council Bluffs and spent a short time exploring here. It’s a super quick drive from Omaha so if you see something you’d like to do in Council Bluffs, it’s very easy to add it to your itinerary. Even if you only have one day in Omaha, it’s a quick visit to Iowa.
Squirrel Cage Jail
The former Pottawatomie County jail is one of the most unique museums I’ve visited. From the 1880s until the 1960s, this unique jail held the prisoners of Pottawatomie County.
But this isn’t your typical jail.
Imagine a pan, containing a sliced pie. Now instead of a pie, it’s a jail cell. The cells are arranged in a circle that can rotate. This means that only one cell can be open at a time. This unique design was created to give the jailer more control of the inmates.
Unsurprisingly, the fire marshals declared that this was not safe and shut down the jail, but the building still remains. In fact this is one of only three squirrel cage jails in the country that are still standing. All three jails were converted into museums (although the jail in Missouri is the only jail that can still rotate).
The museum has a lot of information, but it can be overwhelming and sometimes difficult to follow. However when you purchase your tickets, they will loan you a booklet that gives you all of the important information so you can do a self guided tour.
This stop was added on last minute (after we saw it in one of the brochures in the hotel lobby). However, it was incredibly unique, interesting, and offered a glimpse into the history of Council Bluffs and Pottawatomie County.
Union Pacific Railroad Museum
We didn’t visit this museum. All of our decisions in Council Bluffs were made on the fly with no planning. That’s fine, but at the time we visited, you needed a reservation.
Still if you want to learn more about the railway industry, this is the place to do it. If I’m ever in the area again, this is one museum I plan to visit.
Golden Spike Monument
This is super cheesy, but I’m mentioning it anyway. We did not set out to see this monument, but we got detoured around a train and passed it. In the backroads of Council Bluffs, you can find the Golden Spike Monument. For those who are unfamiliar, this spike marks the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad.
How Long Do You Need in Omaha?
One day is sufficient to see the highlights, but you could easily spend more time. With two days, you’ll be able to see a little more and go beyond the top sights.
Where to Stay
There are numerous hotel options in Omaha, but we stayed in Council Bluffs because we were able to find better hotel deals. Staying in either city is sufficient for exploring the other since the two cities sit on opposite banks of the Missouri River.
Final Thoughts
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I didn’t have high expectations for Omaha. However, I found myself busy and entertained for the entirety of my one day in Omaha. Plus, it’s a city I’d consider returning to one day.
Continue Your Adventure
Kansas: Omaha was not our final stop on this trip, Kansas was. Specifically, Wamego, KS for all things The Wizard of Oz.
Further Away: It’s a bit of a drive to get to Omaha, but you have the willpower for long drives, consider adding St. Louis, Missouri or Chicago, Illinois to your road trip.