Get ready for summer fun in Omaha!
We’ve made it easy for you to have your best summer ever by compiling over 50 of our favorite ideas for every budget, interest, and age. (Please check each event/business website for the most up-to-date information.)
Start planning your summer now!
Bookmark this page and start planning your best summer ever!
We Love Omaha
- Spend a day exploring the brand-new Kiewit Luminarium.
- See dinosaurs at Jurassic Adventure at Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari.
- Visit some of the newest baby animals at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, including baby elephants and giraffes.
- Enjoy an afternoon at the Riverfront in downtown Omaha and play at Gene Leahy Mall.
- Mark your calendar for the opening of the Lewis and Clark Landing opening at the end of the summer.
- Walk across the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and take your photo with Omar the Troll.
- Let the kids be creative at Art JAM with Joslyn Art Museum at The RiverFront on Thursdays in June and July.
- Eat good food at a summer festival.
- Get tickets to a game of the College World Series, June 16-26.
- Spend an afternoon at Lauritzen Gardens.
- Take selfies around Omaha.
- Listen to a free outdoor concert with Jazz on the Green at Turner Park.
- Plan a staycation and be a tourist in Omaha!
Beat the Heat in Omaha
- Go on a waterfall hike at Platte River State Park.
- Visit the aquatic center at Mahoney State Park.
- Go to a hydrant party in Omaha or Council Bluffs.
- Cool off at a public swimming pool. There are so many options around Omaha!
- Let the kids play at a sprayground or splash pad.
- Too hot to be outside? Check out our indoor play guide.
- Make popcorn and have a classic movie marathon. The Sandlot, Prince Bride, and Karate Kid are some of our favorites.
- Spend a day at the beach! Lake Manawa in Council Bluffs is a good option.
- Have a water balloon fight. These self-sealing balloons are our favorite.
- Make a splash at Fun-Plex Waterpark.
- Get out the hose, buckets, and towels and have a car or bike wash.
- Challenge the kids to a competition at the Louisville State Recreation Area obstacle course. It’s a floating playground!
- Check out the indoor activity center at Mahoney State Park.
Omaha Summer Eats
- Celebrate National Donut Day, June 2, and go to a donut shop!
- Nothing says summer like eating ice cream! Check out our favorite local ice cream spots in Omaha.
- Treat yourself to brunch, the best meal of the day!
- Go to a local farmers market and get ingredients to make a fresh meal.
- Pack a picnic and enjoy a casual meal at the park.
- Enjoy dinner and live music at Sonny’s in Aksarben Village.
- Check out the best places to pick strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and more around Omaha.
- Sip on an iced coffee from The Mill Coffee & Tea.
- Delight your taste buds and visit one of our favorite international restaurants.
Omaha Summer Outdoor Adventures
- Watch fireworks over the Fourth of July and beyond.
- Take a hike!
- Explore Omaha on one of the many miles of bike trails around the city.
- Navigate through the woods on ziplines, floating obstacles, rope ladders, and more at TreeRush Adventures in Fontenelle Forest.
- Go on a waterfall hike at Platte River State Park.
- Get out on the water and rent a kayak or stand up paddleboard on Lake Cunningham.
- Find your zen at a free outdoor yoga class at Gene Leahy Mall.
- Pick sunflowers at Nelson Produce Farm.
- Let the kids stay up late and catch fireflies.
- Rent a cabin at Pawnee Lake outside Lincoln.
Omaha Summer Family Fun
- Take movie night outside and go to a free outdoor movie in the park.
- Check out an Out and About Storytime with Omaha Public Library at a park around the city.
- Let your kids be bored!
- Check out the Towers of Tomorrow Lego exhibit at the Durham Museum.
- Take family photos.
- Play with cute farm animals at a local farm.
- Go to a $5 children’s movie at Dundee Theater.
- Plant a garden.
- Load up the car and go to a drive-in movie.
Omaha Summer Kids Activities
- Send the kids to a summer camp.
- Sign the kids up for a summer reading program at the library.
- Make homemade popsicles.
- Spend an afternoon at the Omaha Children’s Museum.
- Sign up for Kids Bowl Free and get 2 free games a day.
- Have a neighborhood lemonade stand.
- Check out the Family Film Series at Marcus Theatres for $3 movies.
- Go to the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland.
Midwest Travel
- Go to Sioux Falls.
- Head to Grand Island for the Nebraska State Fair.
- Explore Indian Cave State Park.
- Take a day trip.
- Make memories at the Black Hills in South Dakota.
- Spend a weekend in Des Moines, Iowa.
- Head to Wichita, Kansas, for family fun.
- Check out 4 destinations less than 4 hours from Omaha.
- Plan a weekend trip to Lincoln, The Sandhills, or Kansas City.
This is an absolutely phenomenal list! Thank you so very much for the wonderful information and ideas!!!