Lauritzen Gardens

State: Nebraska. Type: 100-acre botanical garden and arboretum in South Omaha. Opened April 1994 as Omaha Botanical Gardens on a former landfill site; renamed Lauritzen Gardens in 2001 when its visitor center opened. Includes a 17,000-square-foot conservatory (opened 2014) and a model railroad garden (opened 2007).

Lauritzen Gardens is a 100-acre botanical garden and arboretum on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River in South Omaha, built on the site of a former garbage dump. The idea for a public botanical garden in Omaha dates back to the early 1970s, but plans stalled until the concept was revived in 1982, spurred partly by the opening of a botanical center in Des Moines. Concrete plans followed in 1988, and the gardens opened to the public in April 1994 as Omaha Botanical Gardens. The site took its current name, Lauritzen Gardens, in 2001, after a 32,000-square-foot visitor center, funded in part by the Lauritzen family, opened on the grounds. Since then, the gardens have grown with major additions including the Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory, a 17,000-square-foot indoor tropical and desert plant space that opened in 2014, a model railroad garden with miniature trains winding through scaled-down landscaping that debuted in 2007, and a children's play garden that opened in 2025. The gardens combine a series of themed outdoor spaces with indoor conservatory displays, making them a year-round destination rather than a strictly seasonal one.

Lauritzen Gardens is located at 100 Bancroft Street in South Omaha, Nebraska, on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, a short distance south of downtown Omaha.

Omaha has a humid continental climate with hot, humid summers and cold, sometimes snowy winters. Because much of Lauritzen Gardens is outdoors, spring and fall generally offer the most comfortable conditions for a full walking tour, while the Daugherty Conservatory provides an indoor, climate-controlled option during winter cold or summer heat. Specific monthly temperature averages were not confirmed from the sources used for this entry.

Spring and early summer are popular for blooming displays across the outdoor garden rooms, while fall offers cooler walking weather and seasonal foliage. Because the Daugherty Conservatory is indoors and climate-controlled, a visit remains worthwhile even in winter, and the gardens' extended Monday/Tuesday evening hours (to 8 p.m., per research) suggest early-week evenings as a quieter option.

A public botanical garden for Omaha was first proposed in the early 1970s but that initial plan was cancelled. The idea resurfaced in 1982, partly inspired by the opening of Des Moines' own botanical center, and concrete planning moved forward by 1988. The gardens opened to the public in April 1994 as Omaha Botanical Gardens, built on a bluff site that had previously served as a garbage dump. In 2001, following the opening of a new 32,000-square-foot visitor center designed by HDR and Christner, the gardens were renamed Lauritzen Gardens after the Lauritzen family. Major expansions followed in the 2000s and 2010s: a model railroad garden opened in 2007, and the Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory, a 17,000-square-foot indoor space for tropical and desert plants, opened in 2014. A children's play area, Sofia's Play Garden, opened in 2025.

Visitors can walk through a series of themed outdoor garden rooms across the 100-acre site, tour the Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory's tropical and desert plant displays, and see the seasonal model railroad garden with its miniature trains and landscaping. Photography, guided or self-guided walking tours, and seasonal event programming (such as holiday lights or plant sales, per general botanical-garden practice) are typical draws, and the newer Sofia's Play Garden adds a dedicated children's play area.

The Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory is the marquee indoor feature, alongside the outdoor themed garden rooms spread across the bluff-top grounds. The model railroad garden is a seasonal highlight for families. The visitor center, which gave the gardens their current name in 2001, anchors the entrance and orientation experience.

Lauritzen Gardens is located in South Omaha, a short drive from downtown Omaha and Eppley Airfield, Omaha's main commercial airport. Visitors typically arrive by car or rideshare; specific public-transit routing was not confirmed from the sources used for this entry.

As of research, the gardens were open daily, with Monday and Tuesday hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesday through Sunday hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Confirm current hours on lauritzengardens.org before visiting, since seasonal event schedules can affect hours.

As of research, advance ticket pricing was listed as $18 for ages 13-64, $15 for seniors 65+, $11 for children ages 3-12, and free for children 2 and under; these figures came from a secondary aggregator rather than the gardens' own site, so a reviewer should confirm current pricing directly on lauritzengardens.org before publishing.

A visit covering the main outdoor garden rooms and the conservatory typically takes one and a half to three hours, longer if attending a special event or bringing children to the play garden.

Downtown Omaha, a short drive north, offers a full range of hotel chains and boutique properties within easy reach of Lauritzen Gardens. South Omaha itself has a mix of more limited, budget-oriented lodging compared to downtown's broader selection.

Downtown Omaha and the nearby Old Market historic district offer a wide variety of dining, from casual to upscale, within a short drive of the gardens. On-site food service at the gardens themselves was not confirmed from the sources used for this entry.

Downtown Omaha's Old Market district, with its shops and restaurants, is a short drive away. The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, one of Omaha's other major attractions, is also within the wider metro area for visitors planning multiple stops.

Eppley Airfield, Omaha's main commercial airport, is a short drive from the gardens. Omaha's Metro Transit bus system serves the wider city, though a car or rideshare is the most direct way to reach the gardens themselves.

As with any large garden campus, comfortable footwear is recommended for the sloped, bluff-top terrain. Check the daily forecast before visiting, since much of the experience is outdoors; the conservatory offers an indoor fallback in poor weather. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable walking shoes, a camera, and weather-appropriate layers are useful given the mix of outdoor garden rooms and the warm, humid indoor conservatory. Sunscreen and a hat are worth packing for warmer months spent walking the outdoor grounds.

Visiting on a Monday or Tuesday evening (when hours reportedly extend to 8 p.m.) offers a quieter, later-day option. Pairing a visit with downtown Omaha's Old Market or the Henry Doorly Zoo makes for a fuller day in the city. Confirm current admission pricing and any special-event schedule directly with the gardens before visiting, since ticket prices and hours can change.

Dial 911 for any emergency. For visitor questions, contact Lauritzen Gardens directly through its official website, since a verified general information phone number was not confirmed from the sources used for this entry.

Lauritzen Gardens - https://www.lauritzengardens.org

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This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.