Lauritzen Gardens and Kenefick Park in Omaha

Lauritzen Garden’s motto, escape to an urban oasis, is certainly true.  Located in the heart of southern Omaha, just east of

S. 10th street

and north of I-80, this 100 acre site on the bluffs of the Missouri River is a site to behold.  Four season plant displays make this botanical garden a place to visit year round.  Admission and hours vary by season.  Check out their website for more information:  http://www.omahabotanicalgardens.org/.

 We took a trip to Lauritzen Gardens and its neighbor, Kenefick Park last September.  The theme for our visit was trains.  Kenefick Park is located on the southwest edge of Lauritzen Gardens and shares parking and hours.  Admission to Kenefick Park is free.  Two Union Pacific locomotives are on display at Kenefick Park and the park is named after former CEO of Union Pacific Railroad, John Kenefick. 

 If you take the $3 per person narrated tram tour offered at Lauritzen Gardens, you get to hear the story of Kenefick Park including how these giant locomotives made their way to the top of this hill without train tracks.  You also get a ride up the hill!  The plants, gardens, and displays at Kenefick Park are maintained by the Lauritzen Gardens staff.

Speaking of trains, the highlight of our visit to Lauritzen Gardens was the train garden.  G-gauge trains run on multi-level track throughout the garden which features replicas of the architectural wonders of the world.  There’s truly something for everyone here!

The area is hilly so we were glad we took the tram to see all of the sites.  If you are walking or riding, grab a map at the visitor’s center.  The visitor’s center has bathrooms, a shop, a restaurant, and plant and water displays.  This is where you pay admission to the gardens.

Other gardens include a children’s garden featuring plants that begin with every letter of the alphabet.  Shade gardens, a memory garden, a Japanese garden, native plants gardens, etc.

 If we lived closer to Omaha, we would be members of Lauritzen Gardens. This jewel on the bluffs has much to offer visitors of all ages. We were there on a Sunday morning and saw people, obviously members, using the walkways to take in their morning walk. Classes and other seasonal experiences are also offered.




OK, stuff you gotta know: 10th Street is a main thoroughfare in Omaha, running north and south. On the south end of 10th Street is Henry Doorly Zoo--click here to read about our trip to the zoo (you can actually see the zoo from Kenefick Park) and Rosenblatt Stadium. Further north on 10th Street, just across I-80, is the turn off (Bancroft St.) to Lauritzen Gardens and Kenefick Park. Further north, is the Durham Museum which is within eye-sight of the Amtrak Station. Two more blocks north on 10th Street and you are on the east edge of Old Market, a shopping, dining, and entertainment district. At this point, the ConAgra Heartland of America Park—which features gondola rides, a walking path, waterfalls, etc.-- is just to your East and further north on 10th Street is the Quest Center Omaha. There are many hotels nearby the zoo and an Embassy Suits on 10th Street near Old Market—this is where we stayed.



The next time you’re in Omaha, be sure to check out Lauritzen Gardens and Kenefick Park.