Things to Do in Omaha

When a major flood hit the Missouri River in 2011, it drastically changed the riverfront, creating new sights across its banks. With this fresh face, the river serves as a scenic stage for tours on the River City Star, a riverboat featured in USA Today's August 2009 article “10 Great Places to Stream Through Cities”.

At the wheel of a classic, double-decker riverboat is one of River City Star's two captains, Captain Ken and Captain Steve. Accompanied by an expert crew, the captains ferry passengers over the serene waters that make up Omaha's riverfront. They pass by antique structures such as the historic Old Iowa-Nebraska Swing Bridge, and newer fixtures including the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge, described in USA Today as “a one-of-a-kind design that looks like an art installation across the river.”

On dinner cruises, cooks prepare a lineup of cuisine that changes monthly, as passengers dance to the sounds of live jazz or island music. Back on land, weddings unfold beneath a 40'x80' tent set up at Miller's Landing.

As an HGTV-featured glass artist and author of the short story collection An Extraordinary Life: …Once You Take Out All of the Boring Crap, Kristi Pederson encourages individuals to embrace creativity. Adult and kids' art classes at her studio, Adventure in Art, focus on fun over perfectionism as Kristi teaches beginner-level students to create projects such as fused-glass ornaments and custom jewelry. And during Paint N Pour sessions, adults sip goblets of vino as they fill canvases with color and learn how Leonardo Da Vinci invented red wine by cleaning his brushes in chardonnay.

Amid the lime-green and burnt-orange walls of Creation Station, an encouraging staff inspires visitors to follow their artistic impulses as they use pottery as their canvas. Seven days a week, experienced and casual artists alike can plunge their brushes into a rainbow of paints and let loose on a variety of mugs, figurines, and dishes. Once colorized to the artist’s content, finished bisque pieces visit a fiery kiln, where colors become more vibrant and snowmen melt into carrot-and-coal soup. Revelers can also gather at Creation Station to celebrate special occasions, such as birthdays, or make Christmas ornaments during the winter season.

At Busy Scrappin’, more than a thousand papers, albums, decorations, and kits surround a comfy workroom filled with hobbyists hard at work. The one-stop scrapbooking emporium is dedicated to fostering a community of likeminded craftsfolk by helping visitors learn new ways to memorialize family outings, little-league triumphs, and scrapbooking-competition victories. Guests drop in to socialize during Friday-night cropping sessions or learn new techniques at weekly, fun-filled workshops. And during regular hours, friendly staffers shepherd patrons through the selection of holiday-themed embellishments, card-making supplies, and paper crafts—eagerly giving suggestions for any upcoming project.

Throughout the week, Thunderbowl puts its signature twist on the classic game of bowling with a lineup of themed leagues and events. Orchestrated by the alley's staff, the league roster includes the Golden Agers senior league, the Ladies Night Out league, and the Have-A-Ball league, which comprises teams of one adult and one child. Events include a carnival day held in August, which includes revelry and a chance to win prizes. At Thunderbowl's snack bar, the kitchen crew fuels bowlers to prevent them from hiding marshmallows in the finger-holes of their bowling balls by crafting specialty burgers, pizzas, and sandwiches such as a patty melt with grilled onions and a chicken philly.

With more than 56,000 square feet of games, entertainment, and family-friendly amusements, Bumpers Bowling & Family Fun Center beguiles guests with a mini-golf course, bumper cars, a 24-lane bowling alley, and an arcade with 70+ games. With birthday party packages, kids can steer glittering bumper cars, hone strike skills at the bowling alley, and practice dropping things into holes at the 9-hole mini golf course before aiming parents’ car keys at garbage disposals. Meanwhile, adults can imbibe at a lounge with a cocktail bar, or savor brick-oven pizza from the full kitchen. Bumpers Bowling & Family Fun Center will also soon host bowling leagues for bowlers of all ages, from juniors to adults to seniors.