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Suggest a Feature →Omaha & the Missouri River Valley
STRATCOM headquarters. And Omaha is better than you think.
Offutt AFB in Bellevue, Nebraska is home to US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) — the nuclear strike and missile defense command. The mission is as serious as anything in the US military. The surrounding area is Omaha, Nebraska's largest city, which has undergone a genuine cultural and culinary renaissance that consistently surprises people who assumed "Nebraska" was a food desert.
Omaha is home to Warren Buffett (and thus Berkshire Hathaway), a world-class zoo, and a food scene that has produced more James Beard nominees per capita than almost any city its size. The Old Market entertainment district is a legitimate urban neighborhood. The Missouri River forms the eastern border with Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
The Boiler Room (Old Market)
"James Beard-nominated. The best restaurant in Nebraska."
Chef Paul Kulik's Boiler Room in the Old Market brick-and-beam space produces some of the most creative and technically accomplished cooking in the Midwest — local ingredients, precise technique, and a program that has made national lists. Reserve well in advance.
Gorat's Steak House
"Warren Buffett's favorite restaurant. Old-school Omaha steak."
Warren Buffett has been eating at Gorat's regularly for decades — he brings the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting crowd here. The T-bone is the dish. The vibe is early-1960s Omaha steakhouse, unchanged and deliberate.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
Fontenelle Forest
"A 2,000-acre old-growth forest along the Missouri River. In Bellevue."
Fontenelle Forest protects 2,000 acres of eastern deciduous forest along the Missouri River bluffs — one of the few remaining old-growth forest fragments in the eastern Great Plains. Boardwalk trails through the floodplain, bald eagles in winter, and river overlooks make this an exceptional local resource.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
Joslyn Art Museum
"Omaha's world-class art museum. Free on weekends."
The Joslyn Art Museum has a strong permanent collection of European and American art, with outstanding American West paintings (Karl Bodmer's 19th-century Plains Indian works), and a strong rotating exhibition program. The 1931 pink Georgia marble building is beautiful.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
"Consistently ranked #1 zoo in the world. In Omaha."
The Henry Doorly Zoo is repeatedly ranked among the best zoos in the world — the Lied Jungle (largest indoor rainforest in the US), the Scott Aquarium (one of the best in the Midwest), the Desert Dome (largest indoor desert), and the Kingdoms of the Night (largest nocturnal exhibit). This is a world-class institution.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"The greatest wildlife spectacle in North America. March–April."
Each March and April, 500,000+ sandhill cranes stage along an 80-mile stretch of the Platte River in central Nebraska — the largest concentration of birds in the Western Hemisphere. The dawn and dusk flights fill the sky from horizon to horizon. Crane Trust and Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary offer guided viewing.
The Old Market in downtown Omaha is the social hub — brick streets, independent restaurants, art galleries, and live music. Use it.
Nebraska tornado season is April–June. Know what the sirens mean and have a plan.
Omaha Steaks is headquartered here — the mail-order steak company. The retail stores have genuine deals.
The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting in May is a genuine community event — 40,000 investors descend on Omaha.
Boys Town (incorporated city within Omaha) has a free museum and the National Father Flanagan house.
Nebraska winters are cold and windy with substantial snowfall. The prairie wind makes the cold feel worse. Have proper gear and don't underestimate the winters.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.