Your Omaha CME conference.

Omaha after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Omaha time. Good choices for the rest of the afternoon are a walk through the Old Market, a stroll across the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, or a visit to Joslyn Art Museum. Check each place’s hours against your 2:00 PM finish, and allow time to get there from where you are staying.

Flights, lodging and attraction tickets are arranged separately by you. The city is the setting for your own plans, and nothing in this guide is scheduled around your study day.

The Old Market and the riverfront

Visit Omaha describes the Old Market as a historic downtown entertainment district known for cobblestone streets. It runs roughly from 10th to 13th streets, between Farnam and Leavenworth, and fills historic brick buildings with restaurants, boutiques, galleries and bars. Contemporary art spaces here include KANEKO and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, and horse-drawn carriage rides are listed among the things to do. The tourism board also notes that many downtown hotels are within walking distance.

Beyond the main streets, the tourism board mentions vintage and record shops, a bookstore, a plant-filled passageway, the Garden of the Zodiac, street performers and a brewery and distillery. The district has many restaurants, so decide whether you want a meal or a browse before you go.

The RiverFront connects the Old Market with north downtown. It combines three parks: Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing. Visit Omaha describes a 72-acre riverfront park with playgrounds, gardens and public art, and says you can walk the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and stand in two states over the Missouri River. Visit Omaha’s attractions list also mentions Kenefick Park, where historic locomotives are on display.

Museums, gardens or the zoo?

Joslyn Art Museum is at 2200 Dodge Street and has more than 30 galleries of art from ancient to contemporary. It is closed on Mondays and major holidays, and its sculpture garden and discovery garden wrap around its three connected buildings. Lauritzen Gardens, at 100 Bancroft Street, covers about 100 acres of indoor and outdoor gardens and says it is open year round.

Lauritzen’s grounds also include a nature play space, an amphitheater and a satellite garden called Polina Gardens, and the site lists tram and golf cart tours.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium sits at 3701 S 10th Street and covers 160 acres. Its exhibits include the Desert Dome, Lied Jungle, an aquarium, the African grasslands, Owen Sea Lion Shores, Asian Highlands and a butterfly and insect pavilion. Visitors park by animal group, so note your lot before you head in. The zoo suggests a short route from its North Entrance for a quick visit and a longer path through the grasslands, butterfly pavilion and Lied Jungle for a full day. Because it is large, a full visit may suit a day outside your study hours better than the hours after 2:00 PM. Its tram runs depending on weather and staffing, and some attractions close for the season, so check current status.

Blackstone and Midtown Crossing

Blackstone is a district with a rich history, and Visit Omaha describes it as the birthplace of the Reuben sandwich, first made in 1925 at the former Blackstone Hotel. A few blocks of restaurants, bars and gathering places make it especially active in the evening, and a hotel now occupies the old Blackstone Hotel building.

Midtown Crossing is a central district built around Turner Park, with restaurants, public art and community events. The tourism board says there are places to stay in its compact area. Visit Omaha lists other neighborhoods too, including Benson, Dundee, Aksarben, Little Bohemia and South Omaha, each a different way to experience the city.

When to visit Omaha

April through June and September through October are a useful starting point for planning a visit. Visit Omaha says many of its outdoor activities are available year round, and the Old Market hosts seasonal events such as the Omaha Farmers Market. Use the local forecast when you plan outdoor time, and check whether a seasonal event is running on the date you visit. Visit Omaha also keeps a fall fun section for autumn plans. At the zoo, some attractions are closed for the season, so confirm what is open before you go.

Getting to Omaha and your study setting

Omaha Eppley Airfield (OMA) is the arrival point shown in this guide. The airport’s site gives its address as 4501 Abbott Drive and lists the Omaha Airport Authority. Choose your lodging and ground transport with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind. If you want to be near the Old Market and the RiverFront, the tourism board says many downtown hotels are within walking distance of the Old Market, so a downtown stay can keep an after-study outing simple.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.