Omaha offers visitors plenty of ways to experience local culture, arts, and entertainment without emptying your wallet. From parks and trails to museums and events, many top Omaha attractions feature free admission or activities.
| Attraction | Description |
|---|---|
| Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge | Scenic walkway offering panoramic views and a unique state-line crossing experience. |
| Old Market Entertainment District | Historic area with cobblestone streets, art galleries, shops, and restaurants. |
| Joslyn Art Museum | Premier art museum with free admission, showcasing a wide range of artworks. |
| Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium | Features select free days with advance notice; known for its impressive exhibits. |
| Lauritzen Gardens | Offers free days periodically; a living museum of unique plant displays. |
| First National’s Spirit of Nebraska’s Wilderness and Pioneer Courage Park | An expansive outdoor sculpture park blending urban and natural landscapes. |
| Gene Leahy Mall | A downtown park with walking paths, gardens, and scenic views, undergoing renovations. |
| Heartland of America Park | Features a large fountain, walking trails, and views of the Missouri River. |
| Lewis and Clark Landing | Riverfront park commemorating the explorers with green space and walking paths. |
| Omaha Police Horse Patrol Barn | Opportunity to visit police horses; call ahead for free tour availability. |
| Zorinsky Lake Park | Offers hiking, biking trails, and a lake for fishing and boating. |
| Malcolm X Birthsite | Historical site marking the birthplace of Malcolm X, with educational markers. |
Here are 12 of the best free things to see and do when visiting Omaha on a budget.
Visit The Joslyn Art Museum
Name and Location: The Joslyn Art Museum is an art museum located in Omaha, Nebraska.
History and Significance: Opened in 1931, Joslyn Art Museum was a gift to the city from Sarah Joslyn in memory of her husband, businessman George Joslyn. The museum holds significant collections of art across cultures and genres.
What to Expect: Spacious galleries displaying European, American, and contemporary art including sculptures, paintings, photography, and more. Also features traveling/temporary exhibitions, family programs, talks, special events and a museum shop/cafe.
Visitor Information: Open daily 10am-4pm, Thursdays open late until 8pm. Timed entry tickets $12 adults, discounts for seniors, students, etc. Limited street parking, additional paid lot behind museum. Wheelchair accessible entry.
Art enthusiasts can view impressive masterworks spanning centuries at The Joslyn Art Museum for free. The museum does not charge regular admission, allowing guests to wander multiple galleries showcasing pieces like Monet’s Waterlilies, Andy Warhol pop art prints, and Qing Dynasty Chinese lacquerware.
Outside, take in the vibrant glass sculptures in the fountain court or relax by the lily pond. Grab a snack or coffee at the museum café before heading into the sculpture garden. With rotating exhibits and special programs like live music and film series, The Joslyn Art Museum tops the list for free cultural enrichment.
Stroll Through The Old Market
Name and Location: The Old Market District is a historic warehouse district located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska.
History and Significance: It originated as the city’s original business and wholesale district in the late 1800s. Many of the brick warehouses have been renovated into shops, restaurants, bars, and art galleries. The area is known for its vibrant culture and nightlife.
What to Expect: Victorian architecture housing a mix of local eateries, boutiques, produce markets, and entertainment venues. Art, shopping, dining, street performers, and people watching. The Omaha Farmer’s Market operates seasonally.
Visitor Information: Free to visit. Shops typically open from 10am-9pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm Sundays. Street parking available, garages nearby. Walking friendly.
Soak up Omaha history and local culture strolling the cobblestone streets of the Old Market District. The several block area features historic brick warehouses now housing cafes, boutiques, galleries and other businesses with no admission cost.
Watch street performers while window shopping colorful stores and studios or relax awhile people watching one of the small parks scattered throughout the Market. Pop into artisan cheese, candy and spice shops for free samples of specialty goods crafted locally. The architectural diversity and vibrancy of this restored neighborhood make Old Market a quintessential Omaha attraction to casually explore without spending a dime.
Hike Hummel Park Trails
Name and Location: Hummel Park is a wooded park area containing hiking and biking trails, located in northeast Omaha, Nebraska.
History and Significance: Hummel Park has a complex past, but today offers quality trails for hiking/walking amid peaceful woods along the Missouri River. Some claim paranormal phenomena associated with old buildings on the grounds.
What to Expect: Mostly flat wooded trails that make for good hiking, running, mountain biking with some nice valley overlooks. Seen as a nature getaway inside city limits. Abundant wildlife. Remnants of abandoned structures can be found.
Visitor Information: Free access. Open daily 8am to 11pm. Parking available at the trailhead lot. Restrooms not available. Pack water and use caution around crumbling structures.
Just north of Omaha, Hummel Park protects native prairie grasses, woods and streams along the Missouri River shoreline connected by nearly 4 miles of hiking trails. Hard surfaced, flat trails make for easily navigable day hikes offering scenic valley views and chances of spotting migratory bird species.
Well-placed signs detail points of interest like Butterfly Hill’s prairie plants sustaining Monarch butterflies or Storybook Point and Lion’s Den containing fanciful wood carvings. Pack a lunch to enjoy at a picnic table along the route or on scenic overlooks along the Missouri River. With gorgeous landscapes, wildlife and the peaceful sounds nature provides, Hummel Park trails offer the perfect free outdoor escape close by Omaha.
Attend Rivers’ Edge Concert Series
Name and Location: The Rivers’ Edge Concert Series is an outdoor concert series that takes place along the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
History and Significance: Rivers’ Edge provides a picturesque concert setting since the series began in 2005. An opportunity to picnic/relax with local community bands performing on a covered stage outdoors.
What to Expect: A family-friendly outdoor music environment during the summer months. Showtimes in the evening, music series runs on weekends May through September. Attendees bring blankets/folding chairs.
Visitor Information: Free admission. Located at Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park in Council Bluffs along the Missouri River. Parking available onsite. Some vendors, but outside food/drink allows.
Rivers’ Edge is Council Bluffs’ own outdoor concert venue, but located just across the river from Omaha, making it easily accessible for enjoying national and regional acts perform for free. Big-name singers like Los Lonely Boys, Andy Grammer and Maddie & Tae have all taken the riverside stage in the past. Food and beverage vendors on site help concertgoers fuel their evening.
The intimate space gets audiences closer than lawn or stadium seats do for most touring bands while still packing in energizing sound and light setups. From kids’ acts earlier in the day to country singers at night, the musical variety and caliber found at the annual Rivers’ Edge concert series brings free, vibrant entertainment to Omaha’s backyard.
Tour Union Pacific Railroad Museum
Name and Location: The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is a railroad history museum located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, near Omaha.
History and Significance: Located in the former Carnegie Free Public Library building (1900), the museum opened in 2003 dedicated to Union Pacific and railroad history. The beginning of the Transcontinental Railroad took root in Council Bluffs in the 1860s.
What to Expect: Historical exhibits, artifacts and model train layouts detailing the construction and expansion of the railroad and Union Pacific’s role. Interpretive walking tour of railroad sites nearby. Gift shop.
Visitor Information: Open Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 10am-4pm. Free admission. Metered street parking or garage across the library. Not wheelchair accessible, stairs at entrance.
Inside the original 19th century UP rail terminal, Union Pacific Railroad Museum details the transcontinental railroad system’s history through interactive exhibits and restored equipment. Visitors browse extensive model train displays, climb inside vintage rail cars like an 1890s boxcar, plus see massive steam engines that pioneered cross-country expansion.
Hands-on displays let train enthusiasts take a locomotive pilot seat to operate signals or view landscapes crews traversed. With gold driving the spike linking central routes here in Omaha, no trip is complete without stopping by Union Pacific Railroad Museum to immerse yourself in Railroad heritage at no cost.
Explore Lauritzen Gardens
Name and Location: Lauritzen Gardens is a botanical garden located in Omaha, Nebraska.
History and Significance: Originally the family estate of Omaha business leader Charles Lauritzen, the gardens opened to the public as a nonprofit botanical center in 1995. It features 100 acres of botanical displays across 20 unique garden areas.
What to Expect: Visitors can explore a variety of themed gardens like the Victorian garden, herb garden, and arboretum. Seasonal floral displays, model railways, and children’s activities. The Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory is a must-see.
Visitor Information: Open daily from 9am-5pm. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids over 4 years old. Onsite parking available. Tram tours and facility rentals offered.
Covering 100 acres in Omaha’s riverfront, Lauritzen Gardens provides multiple indoor and outdoor spaces cultivating impressive floral displays, unique plant species and creative landscaping for the public to enjoy at no expense. The Victorian and herb gardens create ornate arrangements while the arboretum and walking trails showcase diverse trees and nature areas.
Don’t miss the vibrant Blooming Butterflies exhibit happening annually March to October. Gardens staff also lead educational presentations, art workshops for kids and garden tours explaining the site’s conservation efforts protecting rare or endangered plant varieties…all free of charge. For an afternoon appreciating horticulture’s beauty, Lauritzen Gardens offers enchanting natural spaces open and accessible to all.
See Wild Birds at Chalco Hills Recreation Area
Name and Location: Chalco Hills Recreation Area is a public park located southwest of Omaha, Nebraska near the Platte River.
History and Significance: Originally opened in the 1980s, Chalco Hills offers diverse recreation options conveniently close to Omaha. Birdwatching has become popular due to wetlands/grassland habitat attracting many migratory species.
What to Expect: Miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding through prairie and wooded areas. Two fishing ponds, archery range, disc golf course. Prime location for spotting native birds along the Loop Trail system.
Visitor Information: Park open daily from 5am-11pm. $7/vehicle entry permit required, sold onsite. No hiking trails open after dark. Pets allowed on leashes, bikes permitted on trails.
Bordering the Platte River within city limits, Chalco Hills Recreation Area gives wildlife enthusiasts stellar chances of catching wild avian residents with keen eyes and some patience. The area provides ample viewing spots, like the Rick Lee Observation Tower, to try spotting great blue herons silently fishing the marshland or a red-tailed hawk circling its nest high in the cottonwoods.
April through May, the real sightseeing stars shine as impressive flocks of cranes and half a million Sandhill Cranes use Chalco Hills grasslands as migratory stopovers to rest and refuel during their extraordinary yearly journeys. With aid from onsite Swarovski spotting scopes, revel in rare, free fly-by viewings of these regal birds at Chalco Hills.
Experience Art at Hot Shops
Name and Location: Hot Shops is an arts complex housing studios, galleries, event venues in central Omaha, Nebraska.
History and Significance: Founded in 1985, Hot Shops provides workspace and facilities to support Omaha’s creative community. Host to a vibrant local arts scene including classes, festivals like Benson First Fridays gallery walks, collaborative shows in the galleries.
What to Expect: Multiple art galleries showing works in all mediums by local and regional artists. On site resident artists demonstrate glassblowing, metal casting, woodturning and more. Event programming changes regularly.
Visitor Information: Free admission. Public hours Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. Metered street parking. All facilities handicap accessible. Pet friendly outdoor spaces.
Whether wanting to view one-of-a-kind artworks or see pieces created first-hand, Hot Shops offers prime opportunities for free cultural immersion via fine arts. Showcasing works by over 100 resident artists across media like painting, glasswork, jewelry, fiber arts and sculpture, Hot Shops main concept revolves around studios allowing the public to freely observe artists at work.
Witness glassblowers skillfully shapemolten materials into showpieces or metalsmiths precisely solder custom jewelry. Multiple studios also organize free open house events, artist receptions, live glassblowing demonstrations and classes to learn artistic techniques yourself. With free year-round admission and behind-the-scenes arts access, Hot Shops fuels creative minds through dynamic artist interactions.
Lewis & Clark Landing Riverfront Park
Name and Location: Lewis & Clark Landing is a riverfront park located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska along the Missouri River.
History and Significance: Developed as part of recent riverfront revitalization efforts, Lewis & Clark Landing commemorates the landmark expedition with a public green space for recreation and events. Native landscaping and trails connect visitors to the river.
What to Expect: Riverside walking paths, open lawns, paddling/rowing access. Features memorials to the expedition, informational signage about local tribes and ecology. Site of festivals, charity walks and outdoor fitness events.
Visitor Information: Free access, open daily 6am-11pm. Limited free parking by boat ramp. Paid street parking nearby, TrailLink station accessible. Partly wheelchair/stroller friendly.
Positioned along the Missouri River, Lewis & Clark Landing Riverfront Park contains expansive green space, winding walking paths dotted with educational plaques detailing the famed explorers’ expedition, and stellar views of Omaha’s expanding skyline. The pedestrian bridge crossing the river allows for scenic strolls or cycling without having to navigate traffic.
The calm marina houses boat slips, yacht and paddling clubs where visitors may glimpse rowing teams practicing intricate maneuvers across the water. During summer months, the park hosts free al fresco yoga sessions, movie nights on the lawn and even stand-up paddleboard clinics to introduce beginners to the peaceful hobby. Offering waterfront relaxation, cultural insights and community connectivity, Lewis & Clark Landing Riverfront Park makes an ideal no-cost outdoor destination.
Heartland of America Park
Name and Location: Heartland of America Park is an urban park located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska along the Missouri River.
History and Significance: Developed as part of recent Omaha riverfront renewal efforts, Heartland of America Park opened in 2006 reclaiming industrial land for public recreation. Part of Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail.
What to Expect: Attractions include fountains, waterfalls, walking paths, pedestrian bridge over railroad tracks giving scenic river views. Also features memorials for pioneer history and bison/wildlife conservation efforts.
Visitor Information: Free access, open daily. Limited free parking, additional paid street parking nearby. Main paths are wheelchair/stroller friendly. Pets allowed on leashes.
Overlook downtown while appreciating some artistic flair at Heartland of America Park spanning 18 acres in central Omaha. Whimsical sculptures like The Thread, honoring bonds bringing communities together, and Guardian Spirits, promoting unity and hope, dot the grounds encouraging introspection and inspiration.
From April through October, the park showcases local growers and artisans at its weekly Farmers Market offering seasonal produce and handmade goods. Special events like Earth Day cleanups and fitness fundraiser walk/runs happen on site frequently as well. With elevating views, rotating art installations and community programming, Heartland of America Park packs substantial sensory rewards available for free.
Fontenelle Forest Nature Center
Name and Location: Fontenelle Forest is a nature center and forest preserve located 15 minutes outside Omaha, Nebraska spanning over 1,400 acres.
History and Significance: Fontenelle Forest provides critical sanctuary for plant and animal life along the Missouri River Valley. The nature center opened in the 1960s to connect visitors to the natural world through immersive experiences.
What to Expect: Miles of wooded hiking/biking trails, interactive exhibits, canoeing, ziplining, raptor feedings, geocaching and other family activities. Picnic areas and gift shop onsite.
Visitor Information: Open year-round with varying hours. Standard admission is $11 for adults. Extensive free parking provided. Some areas wheelchair/stroller accessible. Private event rentals available.
Visitors immerse themselves in native wetlands, prairies and woodlands surrounding Fontenelle Forest Nature Center just minutes outside Omaha. Nearly 15 miles of trails allow you to spot local wildlife, identify native wildflowers and simply appreciate open green spaces and fresh air. The hands-on, family-friendly exhibits inside the Nature Center teach about regional ecosystems, water systems, plants and sustainability.
Naturalists provide guided tours explaining the 1000+ acre forest’s conservation efforts protecting local flora and fauna. Annual events like guided spring wildflower hikes or summer butterfly releases connect you directly to thriving nature sustaining this bioregion for ages. Fontenelle Forest offers the unique opportunity to easily access Nebraska’s prairie land heritage through outdoor exploration and interactive learning for no admission cost.
Catch a Show at Omaha Community Playhouse
Name and Location: The Omaha Community Playhouse is a performing arts theater located in central Omaha, Nebraska.
History and Significance: Founded in 1924, the Playhouse is one of the oldest and largest community theaters in the United States. It has a reputation for high-quality theatrical performances across multiple stages.
What to Expect: A wide variety of live theater including comedies, dramas, musicals, and productions aimed at young audiences. Features award-winning local talent. Hawks Mainstage seats over 600.
Visitor Information: Showtimes vary by production. Tickets available online or by phone. Parking lot and garage adjacent to theater building with paid parking. Concessions and cocktails available onsite.
While major theater tickets can run upwards of $100, Omaha Community Playhouse provides high-quality local productions spanning comedies, dramas and musicals for free or donations. Weekly, they host Music Café nights when touring lyricists and singers preview new works for intimate audiences with a relaxed coffee house vibe.
Periodically, Playhouse performers will also offer free teaser performances of upcoming plays or stroke improv comedy bits to give the public a sneak peek. Even when shows require purchased seats, the Playhouse runs discount ticket promos allowing theater fans access without overspending. For affordable and accessible performing arts, Omaha Community Playhouse delivers plenty of free and budget shows options.
So if looking to trim vacation costs or scale back spending on day trips, rest assured Omaha still guarantees memorable experiences across the spectrum of arts, culture, entertainment and recreation to match your interests at zero cost. From live music to immersive exhibits, evocative public artworks and parks brimming with natural splendor, tap into these 12 no-cost gems Omaha happily shares with visitors just as much as lifelong residents.