METRO
Nebraska’s cities sparkle with cutting-edge cuisine and inspiring art, music and theater.
OMAHA With its vibrant neighborhoods, beautiful parks, abundant arts and bustling restaurant and bar scene, Omaha punches above its weight. Omaha’s thriving performance arts and entertainment scene owes much to Omaha Performing Arts, a nonprofit group dedicated to presenting the best local, national, and international artistic performances at the Orpheum Theater, Holland Performing Arts Center and beyond. The Holland Performing Arts Center is the home of the Omaha Symphony. In 2022, the symphony will perform everything from the dreamy works of Ravel, Debussy and Mendelssohn to the robust cinematic score of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. The Holland Performing Arts Center also features nationally renowned comedians, scientists, and world musicians. 1200 Douglas St. (402) 345-0202 The Orpheum Theater features Opera Omaha’s lavish performances as well
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as touring Broadway productions in its iconic Italianate building. A ballet troupe, Irish dancers and South Korean illusionists also grace the stage. 409 S. 16th St. (402) 661-8501 The Omaha Children’s Museum features two floors of imaginative and interactive exhibits. Permanent exhibits include a massive ball machine with pneumatic, hydraulic and mechanical sections; a tinker lab filled with tools and materials to build or invent; and an imaginative play area, where kids can dress up, grocery shop, change a tire, build a river dam or slide down a chute in a play fire engine. Special exhibits for 2022 include Namaste India and Moon to Mars. 500 S. 20th St. (402) 342-6164 The Durham Museum, located in the former Union Station railroad depot, preserves Omaha’s prosperous railroad days and the history of the community. The massive 124,000 square-foot building was the first of Union Pacific’s Art Deco stations. Built by Omaha’s Peter Kiewit and Sons, its construction began in July 1929, only months before the stock market crash.
The station emulates the strength and power of the railroad. The last train rolled out in 1971. Visiting train fans stroll through an elegant passenger car and see a steam locomotive up-close. Irreplaceable Omaha items enshrined here include Titanic victim Emil Brandeis’ pocket watch, an 1866 Omaha plat map, chandeliers from the Blackstone Hotel, where the Reuben sandwich was invented, and a cash register from the Buffett & Son Grocery Store that operated in the Dundee neighborhood from 1915 to 1969. 801 S. 10th St. (402) 444-5071 The Joslyn Castle is the former residence of early Omaha businessman George Joslyn and his wife, Sarah. It’s an architectural wonder near 39th and Dodge Street. Built in 1903, the lavish 5.5 acres of manicured gardens are open to the public. Call for public tours. 3902 Davenport St. (402) 5952199 The Joslyn Art Museum is known for its diverse collections of European, American and Native American art. Described as “pink marble glory,” 38 types of marble from seven
