Family Fun in Omaha

Your local resource for family-friendly activities and events in Omaha.

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Fall Fun
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Monarch Tagging at The Zoo

Help track the incredible migration of monarch butterflies. Guests of all ages are invited to participate in monarch tagging at the Zoo each Sunday in September from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

By carefully catching, tagging, and releasing monarchs, you’ll play a role in important conservation work. Tagging helps scientists study migration routes, monitor population trends, and protect these iconic butterflies for future generations.

No registration required. Activities take place at the Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion. 

Monarch Tagging at The Zoo

Help track the incredible migration of monarch butterflies. Guests of all ages are invited to participate in monarch tagging at the Zoo each Sunday in September from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

By carefully catching, tagging, and releasing monarchs, you’ll play a role in important conservation work. Tagging helps scientists study migration routes, monitor population trends, and protect these iconic butterflies for future generations.

No registration required. Activities take place at the Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion. 

Monarch Tagging at The Zoo

Help track the incredible migration of monarch butterflies. Guests of all ages are invited to participate in monarch tagging at the Zoo each Sunday in September from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

By carefully catching, tagging, and releasing monarchs, you’ll play a role in important conservation work. Tagging helps scientists study migration routes, monitor population trends, and protect these iconic butterflies for future generations.

No registration required. Activities take place at the Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion. 

Monarch Tagging: Community Science Day

Are you passionate about conservation? Does community science pique your interest? Do you enjoy spending time on the prairie? This might be the program for you!  

Many folks are familiar with the beautiful monarch butterfly, but how much do you really know about them? Migratory monarch butterflies, the subspecies we are used to seeing in the US, were officially listed as an endangered species last year – here’s what you can do to help! Join us for a morning of butterfly tagging at the Neale Woods prairie, where you will learn how to get involved in national conservation efforts. Naturalist educators will explain the background of the Monarch Watch tagging project and show participants how to safely catch and tag the butterflies. Participants can take a set of tags home after the program to continue protecting these iconic butterflies in their own communities! 

This program is geared toward adults and families with science-minded children (older elementary and over) due to the upper-level concepts and activities we will be engaging with. We will be catching and releasing live monarch butterflies during this program. Parents and guardians are responsible for any children in their care.

Bison Fest at Botna Bend

In honor of National Bison Day, come visit our bison herd out at Botna Bend Park and learn more about this magnificent species and the conservation efforts that help protect them.

Swing by between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for fun, family-friendly activities, including:

  • Botna Bend’s live bison herd
  • Atlatl throwing
  • Bison wool spinning
  • Flint knapping
  • Hay rack rides
  • Bison artifacts
  • Food by The Feed Trough
  • Crafts
  • Fossils
  • Union Pacific Railroad Museum: Learn about the history of bison and the railroad
  • The Nature Conservancy: Learn about the symbiotic relationship between bison and the prairie 
  • Music by Ron Cisar
  • Video presentations on the Joy Creek Major archaeological site & Coralville Lake’s Devonian Fossil Gorge

This event is free with a $3 park entry fee or an annual permit and will be held RAIN or SHINE. We’ll see you there!

6th Annual Halloween Witchy Woods Walk with Dustin Clayton

You’ll see the changing forest in a whole new light after this Halloween hike! Take part and examine how folklore can deepen your relationship with the forest and prairie. Learn about the plant, animal, and mineral communities of the Loess Hills and their significance in the seasonal folklore associated with Halloween. If time allows, we’ll return to the lodge for a demonstration of some of the items and techniques discussed on the hike.

The land itself is in transformational mode. Autumn has reached and passed its peak. The last of the nut harvests are happening and the Autumn Olives, rotten invasives that they are, are ready to be eaten and enjoyed. The birds who are leaving are in full migration mode, while those who are staying are preparing and caching for the coming winter. The deer have begun their rutt, cold weather is the norm, and most of the leaves have fallen from the trees.

This time of year we humans are especially receptive to hearing about the connections between the natural world and how our ancestors have conceptualized natural forces through myth and ritual. Join us for a physical and spiritual adventure!

All Hallows Eve Festival

This year’s annual All Hallows Eve Festival at Botna Bend promises fun for the entire family including hayrack rides, hot dogs, and trick-or-treating! The public is invited to participate in fun fall activities hosted by Botna Bend Park staff and campers.

A $3 per vehicle entry fee or Pottawattamie Conservation membership is required to enter the park if you are not camping. Free will donations will be gratefully accepted and used to fund additional free and low-cost public programming at your county parks.

The following events will take place at Olsen Lodge in the Middle Campground:

  • 4:30-5:30 p.m. | Hot Dogs
  • 6:30-8:00 p.m. | Hayrack Rides & Trick or Treating
  • 9:00 p.m. | Halloween Campsite Decorating Contest Awards Ceremony
  • The Feed Trough will be onsite with homemade fries and funnel cakes for sale.

Family Wild Edible Walk

Parents, are you interested in learning more about wild edible plants? Would you like to help your child build confidence in the natural world? Have you always been interested in wild foods, but don’t know where to start? If so, then come see what delicious delicacies the Early Autumn forest has to offer. As we walk through and explore the amazing abundance September provides, we’ll learn all about the importance of proper plant identification. We’ll examine some of the dangers associated with foraging and how to avoid them. We’ll talk about ethical harvest and how to be a good member of the natural community. We’ll also take a look at some of the ways these plants can be prepared as foods. And, importantly, we’ll discuss some ways of incorporating these plants into your own landscape. 

Registration:  $5.00 per person; no charge for family members 4 yrs and under. 

Platte River Art Show at Mahoney State Park

Join for an autumn art show at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park’s Peter Kiewit Lodge! Meet amazing artists and view their work of photography, mixed media, paintings, jewelry, wood work, handcrafted artwork, and more from reputable Midwestern artists. This event is hosted by Nye Street Studio.

Friday, Sept. 26:

6-9 p.m. – Wine & Cheese Reception

Saturday, Sept. 27:

10 a.m.-7 p.m – Art Show

Sunday, Sept. 28:

9 a.m.-4 p.m. – Art Show

A valid state park permit required for entry. A daily park pass may be purchased at the park entrance booth.

Homeschool Hikes: Dutch Oven Cooking

Homeschool Hikes is a monthly nature exploration program hosted by the Schramm Education Center geared towards homeschool families. Each month, families can join a naturalist for a guided hike on the Schramm Park State Recreation Area hiking trails. During the program, participants will ask questions, draw, observe, and make discoveries in nature.

The cost to participate is $5 per person per program (adult and children are same price). This includes admission to the Schramm Education Center after the program. Schramm Family Pass members participate free. This program is recommended for ages 5 and up. Please register here so we can estimate attendance numbers: https://arcg.is/1HO45W0.

Participants should dress in season-appropriate layers and wear closed-toed shoes that can get dirty. Hats and water bottles are recommended. The day of the program, come to the Schramm Education Center and check in and pay at the front desk upon arrival.

Dates and topics for the second half of 2025 are as follows. During months where a Wednesday and Thursday session are offered, content will be the same on both days, so choose the day that works better for your schedule.