We love summer in Omaha!
We’ve made it easy for you to have your best summer ever by compiling over 80 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!
This guide is sponsored by CHI Health.
Your moment comes with a supportive team.
Having a baby is the one time in your life when it’s perfectly fine to say, “It’s all about me.” This is your moment. Your birth experience. Make it uniquely yours with CHI Health.
CHI Health Maternity Centers
– Creighton University Medical Center – Bergan Mercy
– Immanuel
– Lakeside
– Mercy Council Bluffs
CHI Health Birth Center
– Immanuel
We Love Omaha
- Spend a day exploring the exhibits at Kiewit Luminarium.
- See prehistoric animals at Ice Age 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 Park in downtown Omaha and play at Gene Leahy Mall.
- Lace up your roller skates (or roller blades) and head to the Skate Ribbon at the Riverfront.
- Take your dog to play at the new dog park at Riverfront Park.
- Climb, slide, splash, and dig at Heartland of America Park.
- Walk across the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and take your photo with Omar the Troll.
- Step into a fairytale with Joslyn Castle and Omaha Public Library at Once Upon a Time at the Castle on the third Monday of the month from May to September at 5:30 pm.
- Eat good food at a summer festival.
- Get tickets to a game of the College World Series, June 14-23.
- Spend an afternoon at Lauritzen Gardens.
- Take selfies around Omaha.
- Enjoy a free outdoor concert with Jazz on the Green at Turner Park.
- Plan a staycation and be a tourist in Omaha!
Stay Cool in Omaha
- Go on a waterfall hike at Platte River State Park.
- Visit the aquatic center at Mahoney State Park.
- Head to the new Gretna Crossing Outdoor Aquatic Center.
- Go to a hydrant party in Omaha or Council Bluffs.
- Beat the heat and go to a discount family movie.
- 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 7, and go to a donut shop!
- Try the best barbecue at Red, White & Blue BBQ at Ditmar’s Orchard in Council Bluffs.
- 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.
- Find a sitter and enjoy a nice dinner at one of our favorite fancy restaurants.
- 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.
- Float down the Elkhorn River with Tank ‘n Tube River Rides.
- Take a hike!
- If your kids love skateboarding or scootering, check out one of Omaha’s skate parks.
- Explore Omaha by bike 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.
- Join a running club and train for the Heartland Marathon in September.
- 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
- Head to Smash Park in La Vista (opening in June) to play pickleball, arcade games, or cornhole, eat, and more!
- Check out the “Tech Through Time” summer passport series with Do Space and explore how technology has evolved over the years and shaped our world.
- 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.
- Play a round of mini golf–winner gets ice cream!
- Let your kids be bored!
- Check out the Becoming Jane exhibit about Dr. Jane Goodall at the Durham Museum.
- Take family photos.
- Watch a BMX race on Friday nights at Hefflinger Park in Omaha.
- 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 Kids Dream Series at Marcus Theatres for $3 movies.
- Go to the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland.
Midwest Travel
- Head to the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. It’s a kids’ dream!
- Visit Sioux Falls.
- Head to Grand Island for the Nebraska State Fair, August 23–September 2.
- 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.
- Visit Chimney Rock National Historic Site in western Nebraska.
- 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.
- Hike at Scotts Bluff National Monument and take in the view from the top.
This is an absolutely phenomenal list! Thank you so very much for the wonderful information and ideas!!!