Runza
$Locations around Omaha
A Nebraska fast-food classic with kids’ meals on the menu.
Kids usually order
Kids meals
OCT 16 – 22 Omaha · The Gateway to the West
Omaha weekend plans for little kids, found and checked for you.
If the wind cooperates, giant show kites fill the sky at the free Heartwood Kite Festival this weekend. Cobweb Castle at the Omaha Children’s Museum is a not-so-scary maze with black-light play, and Vala’s hayrack rides out to the pumpkin patch are calmer and cheaper on weekdays.
This week: 22 outings at 17 places, each one linked to the page we checked it on. How we check
Top 5 picks
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Saturday, sorted
A Saturday that actually works.
Here’s how we’d do Saturday, Oct 17. Two things from this week’s list, plus one of our regulars from Around town. Tap a stop for the details.
MORNINGCobweb Castle at Omaha Children’s Museum9am–5pm · Omaha Children’s Museum · $17 ages 2 and up; under 24 months free- LUNCHAround townTed & Wally’sOpen 11am–11pm · Old Market and Benson · $ (opens their site)
- NAPHome by 1:30 for nap. Car seat, stroller, whatever works.
AFTER NAPHeartwood Kite Festival12–5pm · Heartwood Preserve · Free
Times come from each event’s page or the place’s own site. Plans change, so check before you head out. Print this plan
Every outing this week
Find your thing
Around town16 spots · checked Oct 16
The Omaha places we go back to, again and again.
Not this week’s events, just the reliable stuff. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Eat
Kid-friendly restaurants
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
Ted & Wally’s
$Old Market and Benson
Homemade ice cream in small batches, a sweet stop after the Old Market.
Sun–Thu 11am–10pm · Fri–Sat 11am–11pmSite ↗ for Ted & Wally’s
Upstream Brewing Company
$$Old Market
A big, casual brewpub in the Old Market that takes reservations.
Mon–Thu 11am–10pm · Fri–Sat 11am–11pm · Sun 10am–10pmSite ↗ for Upstream Brewing Company
Block 16
$Downtown
A small counter-service spot known for burgers and fries.
Mon–Wed 11am–2pm · Thu–Sat 11am–8pmSite ↗ for Block 16
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Omaha that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Play
Indoor play and rainy days
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour.
$17Everyone 2–59
Omaha Children’s Museum
Downtown
Play exhibits for young kids, and free for babies under 24 months.
Tickets
- Under 24 months free
Plus tax; $8 in the last hour
Tue–Fri 9am–4pm · Sat–Sun 9am–5pmSite ↗ for Omaha Children’s Museum
$13per child (4–17)
Kiewit Luminarium
Riverfront
A riverfront science museum full of hands-on exhibits and a maker space.
Tickets
- Adults $18
- 3 and under free
Tue–Sun 10am (Wed until 7pm) · closed most MondaysSite ↗ for Kiewit Luminarium
$10per child (3–12)
The Durham Museum
Downtown
Old train cars to climb inside, in a grand art deco train station.
Tickets
- Adults $17
- 2 and under free
Plus tax
Free
Joslyn Art Museum
Midtown
A free art museum with family art-making days.
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Omaha that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Splash & ride
Parks and outdoor play
Pools, fountains, zoos and theme parks: the big all-day outings.
DowntownFree
The RiverFront
Gene Leahy Mall’s playgrounds, slides and splash areas by the river.
Bellevue$
Fontenelle Forest
Boardwalk trails through the trees and a nature center.
South Omaha$$
Lauritzen Gardens
Botanical gardens with a model railroad garden.
Tickets
- Kids 3–12 $11
- Adults 13–64 $18
- 2 and under free
Advance prices
West OmahaFree
Heartwood Preserve
A newer park with trails, open lawns and seasonal festivals.
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Omaha that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Explore
Museums, zoos and big outings
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
$$South Omaha
A huge zoo with an indoor desert, a rainforest and an aquarium.
Tickets (last season)
- Kids 3–11 $20.95
- Adults 12+ $28.95
- 2 and under free
Oct 1–Nov 30 prices; winter prices from Dec 1
Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
$$Ashland · about 30 minutes
Giant airplanes and missiles under one roof.
Tickets
- Kids 4–12 $10
- Adults $18
- 3 and under free
Plus tax
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Omaha that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
Stay
Staycations and overnight trips
A night away without a long drive. New bed, same bedtime.
≈30 minutes · Ashland$$
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park
Cabins, a lodge, an indoor play area and trails, halfway to Lincoln.
≈50 minutes · Nebraska City$$$
Lied Lodge at Arbor Day Farm
A lodge next to a tree adventure trail and orchard.
Featured partnerThis spot is open.Run a place in Omaha that belongs in this section? One featured spot here is set aside for a local partner, and it’s always labeled.About featured spots →
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
On the horizon
Coming up
OCT 23 – 29Halloween weekendMore trick-or-treating, a few costume parades and some gentle spooky stuff. The list goes out next Friday.Get it in your inbox →
OCT 31Trick-or-treat night guideNeighborhood hours and the streets that are easy with a stroller. Early ones too, for kids who are asleep by 7.Get notified →
NOVEMBERFirst holiday lightsThe first holiday lights in town, and which ones you can see before bedtime.See it first →
Good questions
Outings for little ones in Omaha: the FAQ
What can I do with a little one in Omaha this weekend?
This week we found 22 outings that work for kids ages 0–6. Our top three: Heartwood Kite Festival, Cobweb Castle at Omaha Children’s Museum, Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. See the full list.
Are there free things to do with little ones in Omaha this week?
Yes, 17 of this week’s 22 picks are free, including library storytimes and Heartwood Kite Festival. Tap “Free” in Find your thing.
What are good indoor activities for kids in Omaha when it rains?
18 picks this week are indoors, mostly library programs and shows. Tap “Rainy-day OK” in Find your thing.
Where can I find storytimes and toddler activities in Omaha?
This week we list 16 library storytimes and baby or toddler programs. Each one links to the library or venue page with the time and place. See them in the list.
How do you pick what goes on the list?
We look at venue and library calendars and local family pages every week. Each listing links to the page we checked it on, and where the organizer or venue has its own page, we confirm the details there. We lean toward things that fit around naps and don’t need a long walk.
How do I get this list every week?
Sign up for the Friday email at the bottom of the page. It’s one short email, and you can unsubscribe any time.
For local businesses
Running something for little kids in Omaha?
If it’s good for the under-6 crowd, we’d like to hear about it. Free events go on the list for free, always. If you want a guaranteed spot at the top or in the Friday email, there’s a sponsored option too, and it’s clearly labeled. We’re just getting started, so the first 10 local partners in each city get 50% off your first booking.
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