Best Things to do in Omaha with Kids and Teens
This post may contain affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission if items are purchased via the link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Are you heading to Omaha with kids and teens? We recently visited with a 12 year old and she loved exploring the city for a few days. From their famous zoo to the cute downtown area, there are lots of fun things to do in Omaha with kids. Here is our Omaha 3 day itinerary.
Where to stay in Omaha
The best place to stay while visiting Omaha is going to be in the Old Market area so that you can walk to lots of shops and restaurants without needing to drive. We recommend the Hyatt Place Omaha Downtown/Old Market. It’s centrally located and you can walk to many places in the area.
If you want to see other hotels in the area, check out the interactive map below.
What to do in Omaha with kids and teens
There are lots of family friendly things to do in Omaha. Kids and teens of all ages will find something that interests them. We spent 3 days in Omaha and here are some things my 12 year old enjoyed.
Walking around the Old Market area
Since our hotel was right in the middle of the Old Market area, we were able to walk around each evening. There are lots of cute shops and restaurants here and even your teens will have fun exploring the area.
Check out Hollywood Candy
If your kids are like most others, then they love candy! Hollywood Candy is located in downtown and is a huge candy store with every candy you can imagine. There’s also a retro soda shop inside where you can get some ice cream treats. My daughter loved their $5 blind bags and chose one of those. Definitely check this place out when visiting Omaha with kids!
Visit the Henry Doorly Zoo
Rated as the top zoo in the United States, the Henry Doorly Zoo is a must visit when in Omaha with kids. The zoo is massive with hills, so be prepared to walk! We spent a few hours here one morning and had a great time.
Gene Leahy Mall at the Riverfront
Just a couple of blocks from the Old Market area is this park. Here you will find the famous downtown slides (huge slides for kids to play on) and a really great playground that even older kids/teens will enjoy. This is one of the best things to do in Omaha with kids.
Amazing Imaginarium in Old Market
Want to reminisce about your 80s/90s childhood? Then this place is for you! They have tons of vintage toys from the 80s and 90s. It made me wish I saved all my 90s toys since they were selling my entire childhood here! They also have hundreds of blind boxes you can buy in pretty much every theme. This is a great place to visit with kids and teens in Omaha.
Go Bobbing on the Bob K Pedestrian Bridge
Want to stand in two states at once? Then head to the Bob K Pedestrian Bridge! Once you’re halfway across, you’ll see the Iowa/Nebraska line. We parked in front of the apartment buildings on the street, almost directly in front of the bridge. It’s a much shorter walk than if you park in the National Park service lot. This is one of the best things to do in Omaha with kids, they’ll get a kick out of being in two states at once!
Kiewit Luminarium
After spending a day at the Omaha Zoo the day before, we wanted to do something indoors so we went to the Luminarium. This is a great place for older kids and teens, there really isn’t much for little kids to do. My daughter loved this place and said it’s one of the best science museums she’s been to. If you’re visiting Omaha with older kids and teens, check this place out!
Discovery Playground
Right next to the Luminarium you will find this massive playground. The climbing structures are tall and great for even much older kids. In fact, the majority of the kids there when we visited looked to be 8+. If you’re looking for one of the best playgrounds in Omaha, then this is definitely one to try!
Earn a Junior Ranger badge
The Lewis and Clark Junior Ranger program is available at over 30 locations along the trail and Omaha is one of those. Head to the visitors center (right near the Luminarium) to pick up your Junior Ranger booklet. Once your kids complete the activities, they will earn a Junor Ranger badge.
Visit Council Bluffs Iowa
Want to visit another state while in Omaha? Then either walk across the pedestrian bridge or drive across to Iowa! We drove to have lunch one day and to check out their River’s Edge Park. They have a pelican themed playground there as well as a Roadside America attraction-the 33 foot tall humanoid.
Where to eat in Omaha with kids and teens
Omaha has tons of great restaurants and pretty much every cuisine you can imagine. Here are some of our favorite Omaha kid friendly restaurants that we visited.
Spaghetti Works
One of the first places we went to when visiting Omaha with kids was Spaghetti Works. It was a short walk from our hotel and we were starving after not eating breakfast before our flight.
Is it the best food? No. But the concept is really cool. You can order as many pasta dishes as you want, and you can change the sauce each time. We were hoping to try several but my daughter was full after one and I finished one and then 1/4 of another. Great place for pasta loving kids!
Ted and Wally’s
If you’re looking for the best ice cream in Omaha, then head to Ted and Wally’s. I eat ice cream pretty much daily when traveling and have tried it all over the world. This definitely topped the list of favorites! It’s super creamy and they have some unique flavors. One of the best things to do in Omaha with kids!
Early Bird
If you are looking for a breakfast place in Omaha, then check out Early Bird. This was more like brunch for us since we aren’t early risers and we loved it! The restaurant has multiple locations and is very kid friendly. This is one of the best kid friendly restaurants in Omaha!
Clean Eatz
While Clean Eatz isn’t an Omaha restaurant (we have one in Orlando as well), it’s something we enjoy as a family. The food here is simple, healthy and delicious. They have kids meals (protein and choice of grain/veggie) and delicious and healthy options for everyone in your family. If you’re looking for something on the healthier side, check out Clean Eatz!
Johnny’s Cafe
Want to try an old school steakhouse while in Omaha? This was recommended to us by several people so we decided to go for dinner one evening. This steakhouse is over 100 years old and was purchased by a Polish immigrant in 1922. The same family still runs it and it’s one of the last few original buildings left in the area. These are true Midwestern steaks and the waitress we had was very friendly and told us the history of the place. Great place for dinner with the family with some history to boot!
Blue Suhi Sake Grill
If your family likes sushi, this is one of the best family friendly restaurants in Omaha. They have several locations (we visited the downtown one) and their kids bento boxes are really cute. I loved my roll and my daughter loved her meal here.
Trini’s
If Mexican is something you are craving, head to Trini’s in the Old Market area. It’s located inside the cutest alleyway, which will impress your IG obsessed teens! The food here was really good and they have a great happy hour. Definitely a great family friendly restaurant in Omaha!
As you can see, there are lots of things to do in Omaha with kids and teens. We had 3 days to explore the city and felt like it was more than enough time to see everything we wanted. Want to read this later? Pin one of the images below.
