Omaha Travel and Things to Do Guide

Welcome to Cvent's Meeting and Event Planning Guide to Omaha - a city guide for meeting professionals.

When you want to unearth something fresh, look to the heart of the Midwest. Consistently ranked as a “best value” city and renowned for its hospitality, Omaha offers accessibility, affordability and fun.

Conveniently located in the center of America, Omaha embraces the spirit of the Midwest. Whether flying or driving, getting here is a breeze. The city is served by seven major carriers, offering nonstop service to more than 30 of the nation’s busiest airports, including Chicago, Dallas, New York, Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Washington, DC and Atlanta. Omaha's Eppley Airport is located four miles from the downtown district and serves more than four million passengers a year. Many Omaha hotels offer complimentary direct shuttle service to and from the airport.

Upon arrival, you will find a modern, thriving city that is savvy in business and rich in culture. Currently, more than $4.6 billion is being spent developing, enhancing, and modernizing Omaha’s downtown convention district, riverfront, airport, and more.

The airport is a quick 4-mile drive to the downtown convention district, which includes a 346,000 sq. ft. convention center, more than 3,300 hotel rooms, and a variety of restaurants, bars and entertainment, all within walking distance. CHI Health Center Omaha is a non-union facility offering freedom and flexibility. The convention center offers 194,000 square feet of contiguous exhibition space, as well as 63,000 square feet of flexible meeting space in 16 rooms, a 30,996-square-foot Grand Ballroom, and 42,500 square feet of pre-function space. Under the same roof is an 18,300-seat arena, that hosts events, including blockbuster sporting events such as NCAA Volleyball Women's National Championship, NCAA Men’s Basketball, as well as the 2008, 2012, 2016, and the 2020 (hosted in 2021) U.S. Olympic Swim Trials.

Omaha offers a number of unique venues perfectly designed for private events. Home to the world's largest indoor desert and nocturnal exhibit under the world's largest geodesic dome, as well as the country's largest indoor rainforest, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium features a wide range of indoor and outdoor event spaces. Groups can hold a party in the Hubbard Gorilla Valley, where up to 300 guests are transported to the mountain rainforests of Africa, where the gorillas roam free and you are on display. Or stage an event in the world's largest glazed geodesic dome and wander through the world's largest indoor desert.

Both a history museum and a beautifully preserved Art Deco train station, The Durham Museum offers elegant rental spaces under 65-foot ceilings, including the 800-person Suzanne and Walter Scott Great Hall and 256-seat Stanley and Dorothy Truhlsen Lecture Hall. A second Omaha Art Deco gem, Joslyn Art Museum is known for its striking pink marble exterior and large art collection spanning 530 B.C. to the 20th century. The museum is a spectacular setting for private events, thanks to such rentable spaces as the 456-person ConAgra Foods Atrium, complete with a 45-foot glass ceiling, pink marble and two Chihuly sculptures; the intricately tiled 350-person Storz Fountain Court; the 1,000-seat Witherspoon Concert Hall and the Peter Kiewit Foundation Sculpture Garden, which can host a dinner or reception for 400.

For an event with a bit of heat, groups turn to Hot Shops Art Center, a thriving ultra-hip art scene with studios, showrooms, gallery spaces and metalwork. Situated just north of CHI Health Center Omaha, Hot Shops Art Center features a number of hands-on group activities with the artists as well as relaxed private event space set in a unique warehouse atmosphere. Set on the hills overlooking the Missouri River Valley, Lauritzen Gardens is a 100-acre urban oasis home to a number of theme gardens and a four-acre arboretum and bird sanctuary. Lauritzen Gardens' 32,000-square-foot visitor and education center houses a number of private event spaces accommodating 12 to 320 guests.

As for food, Omaha serves it up with the best of them. Of course, steak is in the city’s DNA. With an industry dating back to the 1880s, Omaha’s cow-know-how is legendary. Omaha is also home to the Reuben sandwich. The culinary classic was invented in Omaha, not New York – don’t get us started – just trust us when we say that you should always travel for the original.