Learning is Fun at the Omaha Children's Museum

Kids exercise their creative genius at the Art Smart Center, where they can sketch a car or helicopter and scan it to appear on a digital landscape, improv with homemade puppets, try their hand at face paint, make seasonal crafts, and dance on a glowing light stage. The Tinker Factory provides access to hammers, drills, and screwdrivers, allowing children to build birdhouses, doll beds and more.

The Omaha Children’s Museum has abundant opportunities for make-believe fun in realistic sized-just-for-kid play stations at the Imagination Playground. Kids can collect eggs in a barn, shop for groceries at a store, treat patients at a hospital, work on cars at an auto body shop, grill steaks to serve, and more. 

Learn about the state’s waterways and wildlife at the three-level Platte River Water Table located in the Imagination Playground. Kids experiment with how rivers flow and explore birds and mammals that live or travel through there.

Outside, Sandy’s Splish-Splash Garden offers water play for toddler fun during warmer months (typically Memorial Day to Labor Day). Pro tip: Bring a change of clothes and a towel.

Tummy time feeling tummy tired? Freshen up your little buddy’s routine in the Wiggle Room, reserved especially for children developmental ages 0 to 18 months with a padded floor, mirror wall, large soft building blocks, pull up bars to assist with standing, and more.

The Super Gravitron ball machine is one of the museum’s signature attractions. Kids play with hundreds of balls they can put through pneumatic, hydraulic and mechanical features to experience the wonders of physics. Watch balls rocket around the room. Yay for chaotic kiddie fun!

Daily science shows entertain children – and adults – of all ages. Catch monthly themes with engaging science performers who demonstrate concepts from chemistry, physics, biology and more. Upcoming shows including a “Star Wars”-themed show and a dinosaur-themed show.

Children love to climb around the tunnels in Engine House No. 1 in the Imagination Playground – with or without a firefighter uniform.

Upstairs at the Zooland exhibit, a colorful herd of retro fiberglass animals delight kids with nooks and crannies to explore. They’ll thrill at sliding down an elephant’s trunk or a kangaroo’s tail. Even the stairs between the two levels are fun to climb, as each step sounds with a musical note.

Every time you visit the Omaha Children’s Museum, you’ll experience something new. Rotating special exhibits range from dinosaurs to fairytales, LEGOs to sports. Whether your kids are jumping on board a fishing boat or digging for dinosaur fossils, they’re learning about the world’s infinite wonders – and burning off some energy.

Even with all this fun and variety, there’s more! Special weekend-only events feature special themed activities relating to pop culture, science, history or holidays.

The Grass Patch is a community space outside that offers a playground, a Little Free Library and benches. Enjoy a game, or simply stretch out in the sun. Outside the museum entrance, a real antique fire truck puts kids in the driver’s seat.

Ready for a roadtrip with your littles? Find more ideas for family fun at VisitOmaha.com.