Things to Do Alone in Omaha

The Old Market's Saturday farmers market has wrapped up for the year, so November here is about rooms: a free art museum, galleries in the Old Market, cinemas run as nonprofits and a historic train station. This guide uses what each venue says on its own website.

Last checked 2026-11-01. Hours come from each venue's own site.

Art that costs nothing

Joslyn Art Museum. The museum says general admission is free to all, always. It lists more than 30 galleries across three buildings, plus sculpture gardens. Hours are Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 4 pm, late until 8 pm on Thursday, closed Monday and major holidays (Joslyn, sculpture gardens). Free entry means a first solo visit can be as short as you like; see how to visit a museum alone.

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. At 724 South 12th Street, the centre says its exhibitions, public programmes and LOW END performances are always free to enter. Its LOW END Live concert series is listed on the events page, which currently shows a concert on Thursday 10 December, 8 to 9:30 pm (Bemis Center, events). Check the site for gallery hours.

A district to wander: the Old Market

Visit Omaha describes the Old Market as a historic downtown entertainment district with cobblestone streets, restaurants, boutiques, galleries and nightlife, stretching roughly from 10th to 13th streets between Farnam and Leavenworth. It names Homer's Music for records, Raygun and Made in Omaha for gifts, and the KANEKO, Bemis Center, Artists' Cooperative Gallery and Old Market Artists Gallery for art (Visit Omaha). Browsing a record shop or a gallery is a task with no social script, which makes it easy alone. For meals, see how to eat alone in public.

The Saturday market is a seasonal reminder. The Omaha Farmers Market lists its Old Market Saturday season as 2 May to 10 October, and its Omaha Holiday Market on 5 and 6 December, 10 am to 5 pm (Omaha Farmers Market, Old Market page).

Cinema and a holiday station

Film Streams. The nonprofit runs two cinemas: the Ruth Sokolof Theater at 1340 Mike Fahey Street in North Downtown, and the Dundee Theater at 4952 Dodge Street, which it calls Omaha's longest-surviving cinema. At Dundee, Lola's cafe serves fresh, simple food and wine every day (Film Streams). Lola's gives you somewhere to sit before or after the film. See also how to go to the cinema alone.

The Durham Museum. Housed in Omaha's Union Station at 801 South 10th Street, it is open Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday noon to 4 pm, closed Monday. Adults are listed at $17, and parking on the deck is free. Christmas at Union Station runs 27 November to 10 January (Durham hours, Christmas at Union Station).

The RiverFront

Visit Omaha says the RiverFront joins three parks, Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park and Lewis and Clark Landing, and connects the Old Market with North Downtown. Events are listed on the RiverFront site, so dress for the weather and check what is on (Visit Omaha RiverFront).

Getting around

Metro Transit lists the Umo app and a smart card for contactless fares (Metro fares).

Planning a week in November

Omaha rewards a little scheduling, because the main venues close on different days. The Joslyn is closed Monday and the Durham Museum is closed Monday, so Tuesday to Saturday is the most open stretch. Thursday is the one night the Joslyn stays open until 8 pm, and the Bemis Center's events page lists LOW END concerts in the Thursday 8 to 9:30 pm slot, which makes Thursday a natural solo evening: a late museum visit, then live music if a concert is listed. Weekends add the Durham Museum from noon on Sunday and the Old Market for wandering. The Holiday Market on 5 and 6 December and Christmas at Union Station from 27 November give you something to look forward to once the autumn markets have gone.

One practical point: the Old Market, North Downtown and Dundee are different parts of the city, so choose one area for each outing and use Metro for the longer hops rather than trying to cover everything. Film Streams lists showtimes on its homepage, so you can pick a screening once you know which part of town you will be in, and the Bemis Center's events page has a Get Tickets link for LOW END concerts, so check it before you go.

Three first outings

1. Easy: an hour at the Joslyn, then coffee.
2. Medium: a Thursday evening at the Joslyn followed by an Old Market walk through the Bemis Center.
3. Bolder: a film at the Dundee with a meal at Lola's, then Christmas at Union Station after 27 November.

Solo Era for iPhone

Make a simple clay object at home

Solo Era has a solitude mission at level 2: "Make a simple clay object at home." After an afternoon looking at art in the Joslyn or the Bemis Center, it gives you something to make yourself. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.

More cities are in the cities hub. For other Midwestern cities, see Kansas City, St. Louis and Minneapolis.

Details change; check the venue before you go.

Sources (checked 2026-11-01)

• Joslyn Art Museum: Visit and sculpture gardens
• Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and events
• Visit Omaha: Old Market
• Visit Omaha: RiverFront
• Omaha Farmers Market and Old Market page
• Film Streams: Visit
• The Durham Museum: Hours and Christmas at Union Station
• Metro Transit: Fares

Solo Era for iPhone

Try it with Solo Era

Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.