| Meandering Through the River City |
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Spend an exciting day, weekend, or week sightseeing around metropolitan Omaha. Start south of town in Springfield over a tasty glass of wine before winding your way north exploring cosmopolitan Nebraska. Walk with the animals at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, explore your artistic side at one of the city’s many galleries and art studios, take a step back in time to Omaha’s humble beginnings, and immerse yourself in different cultures as you slowly work your way through charming residential neighborhoods into the newly developed western part of the city. Impressive city skylines, historic neighborhoods, arts and culture, architectural wonders, and picturesque suburban areas are some of the places you’ll visit throughout metropolitan Omaha. Start your metro Omaha excursion south of town in Springfield at Soaring Wings Vineyard for wine tastings, tours, and wine products. Bellevue’s Fontenelle Forest Nature Center has more than 1,400 acres of woods, wetlands and waterways, deep ravines, and loess ridges and 17 miles of walking paths. Your first Omaha stop is El Museo Latino, which highlights the important contribution that the city’s Hispanic population has had on the history, culture, and development of Omaha. Drive north to the highly ranked Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. With an amazing aquarium, the world’s largest indoor jungle, and the world’s largest desert dome, the zoo offers views of animals from every corner of the globe. Reconnect with nature at the 100-acre Lauritzen Gardens, which features an arboretum, a variety of colorful gardens, a bird sanctuary, a spring flower walk, a woodland trail, a visitor and education center, a café, and a gift shop. Once the center of the city’s agricultural sales, today the Old Market district’s stately old buildings are the proud homes of art galleries, restaurants, boutiques, and more. Walk through The Durham Museum for a complete look at Omaha’s transformation from cow town to boomtown. Cruise up the scenic Missouri River on the River City Star Riverboat and enjoy live jazz at Rick’s Café Boatyard. North of downtown, Hot Shops Art Center is a 92,000-square-foot facility that houses 44 art studios, three art galleries, exhibition spaces, and a café/coffee shop. Loves Jazz & Arts Center showcases the wonderful history and culture that African Americans have achieved in the arts, music, and humanities. Learn about Omaha’s important position for Mormon Trail emigrants at the Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters. The Joslyn Art Museum is a world-class museum of exquisite works of art from antiquity to the present and features European, American, Western American, American Indian, and Asian art. West Omaha is home to Father Flanagan’s world-famous Boys Town, where you can take a tour of the place that Spencer Tracey made famous for portraying Father Flanagan, stroll through the garden inspired by the Bible, or see the world’s largest ball of stamps. Enjoy the open-air atmosphere at Village Pointe shopping center on the west end of Omaha. This premier shopping stop offers plenty of restaurants and browsing opportunities for kids of all ages. Route Directions • Start at Soaring Wings Vineyard (17111 S. 138th Street, Springfield) • 21 miles north on NE-50, east (right) on NE-370, left on Fort Crook Rd., north (right) on Childs Rd., east (left) on N. Bellevue Blvd. to Fontenelle Forest Nature Center in Bellevue • 3 miles north (left) on N. Bellevue Blvd., left on Chandler Rd., north on Kennedy Freeway (US-75) to L St. Exit, right on L St. (NE-92), right on S. 25th St. to El Museo Latino • 2 miles right on L St. (becomes Missouri Ave.), left on S. 13th St. to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo • 1 mile right on S. 10th St., right on Bancroft St. to Lauritzen Gardens • 2 miles west (left) on Bancroft St., right on S. 10th St. to The Durham Museum and the Old Market • 1 mile right on 10th St., right on Farnam St., left on 8th St., right on Dodge St. to River City Star Riverboat at Lewis and Clark Landing on the Missouri River • 2 miles right on Riverfront Dr., left on Abbot Dr. (turns into Cuming St.), right on N. 12th St., left on Nicholas St. to Hot Shops Art Center • 2 miles left on Nicholas St., right on N. 16th St., left on Lake St. to Loves Jazz & Arts Center • 4 miles right on Lake St., north on North Expressway (US-75), north on N. 30th St., left on State St. to Mormon Trail Center and Historic Winter Quarters • 6 miles right on State St., right on N. 30th St., south on North Expressway (US-75), east on I-480 East to Capitol Ave./20th St. Exit, follow N. 20th St., right on Dodge St. to Joslyn Art Museum • 10 miles west on Dodge St. (becomes W. Dodge Rd.) to Boys Town • 5 miles west on W. Dodge Rd. to Village Pointe |
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