Omaha, Neb. By Sarah Lovelace
Our visit through the South Dakota Badlands sends us barreling south through the long roads of Nebraska. We’ve cut out time in this state to include a visit to one city in particular. Omaha will be a quick dip, a thoroughly incomplete view of life in Nebraska – but a peek nonetheless.
The city’s civil rights history dates back to 1912 when the first chapter of the NAACP was founded here. Early civil rights groups staged sit-ins here before the national movement, so Omaha will tie in well with our previous Birmingham and Montgomery visits.
The Missouri River waterfront that runs by this city had a facelift recently; The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge (at right) is now open to foot and bicycle traffic, and Riverfront Place is going to undergo ground breaking for the building of two towers.
Along with these new projects this city is a mecca of nationally recognized landmarks. We may want to swing by the Guardhouse in Fort Omaha Historic District, which held numerous famous prisoners, or the Joslyn Castle located in the Gold Coast Historic District. Here are some of the other things that may catch our eye while we’re here.
-Omaha Old Market (at left)
-Durham Museum
-Boys Town Farmers Market
-Joslyn Art Museum
-Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
All photos courtesy Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau
