Day 1 You'll See:
This 1-day trip around Omaha will give your group a quick glance at the best the city has to offer, including history, art, botanical education, and a trip to one of the very best zoos in the country.
1
Durham Museum
The museum is considered to be one of Omaha's most unique treasures and offers a broad range of traveling exhibits covering history, culture, science, and industry. Details of regional and Western United States history are covered within this Smithsonian affiliate museum, and the facility even holds ties with the Library of Congress, National Archives, and Chicago's Field Museum. Your group will be able to partake in a tour while here that takes you through the most popular permanent exhibits as well as the featured traveling exhibits. You will learn all about local history with exhibits such as Now and Then, Trans-Mississippi International Exposition, Louder Than Words, Pulitzer Prize Photos, and other temporaries like the Jim Henson Exhibit.
Joslyn Art Museum
If you are impressed just by the architecture of the Joslyn Art Museum, you should see what’s inside! The museum houses works of art that focus on 19th and 20th century American and European art as well as well-known works by Karl Bodmer. Educational travelers will appreciate the guided tours offered by the museum. The tours will be held in the permanent collection and special exhibitions. Several options are available based on the grade level of the students. For example student travelers in the Middle and High School can take part in Leadership: Making a Difference. This program will take your student group through a focused tour of artwork from all different walks of people who demonstrate leadership. Also on this tour, you will be able to discuss both negative and positives aspects of leadership.
Lauritzen Gardens
This living horticultural learning center holds exhibits that change with the seasons, highlighting seasonal splendors like Fall Chrysanthemums, Christmas Poinsettas, and Spring Tulips! The gardens are maintained to the highest standards of conservation and environmental stewardship, affording your group a great lesson in the importance of conservation in general. At Lauritzen Gardens your group has several different options for exploration. You can take a group tour such as the Discovery Tour, Conservatory Tour, Green Studies Tour, or Garden Tour, or explore the area on your own. There is an onsite Visitor and Education Center you definitely need to visit, holding horticultural libraries, and education wing, classrooms, seasonal displays, and a cafe and gift shop.
Henry Doorly Zoo
This zoo is unlike any other by allowing student and adult groups access to so much in such a small area. Most zoos make you walk miles to view the lone buffalo but this is not the case at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The Henry Doorly Zoo displays modern exhibits that give you the sense of being in a natural habitat. From the time you step foot in the zoo, you soon realize you have entered the wild. Some must-see exhibits include the Desert Dome (the largest geodesic dome in the world), the largest nocturnal exhibit and swamp located in the lower level of the Desert Dome, the Lied Jungle (the world’s largest indoor rainforest), and the Hubbard Gorilla Valley (an exhibit that features several clear dome structures where visitors can interact with gorillas).