Lauritzen Gardens - Omaha, Nebraska

Botanical gardens can be both relaxing and educational. Not only can you learn about all different areas of horticulture, you can sit amongst the beauty and simply enjoy. A botanical garden is defined as one where plants are cultivated for scientific, educational, and ornamental purposes. No other area fits this definition better than Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha’s Botanical Center.

It was in 1983 that a newspaper columnist organized a planning meeting for a future botanical garden. A site was chosen that included natural woods and rolling terraces on a bluff, and thirteen years later construction began on what would be the rose garden, with other gardens added shortly after. Each year another garden has been added to the privately funded botanical center, and in 1998, more property was purchased and added, with the total acreage amounting to 100.

Among the different garden areas are the Arboretum and Oberman Bird Sanctuary that contains seven different regional plant communities, with bird feeders and nest boxes throughout. The Festival Garden contains perennials, annuals, and woody plants, and can be rented for weddings and other celebrations. Song of the Lark Meadow is named for a short story by a Nebraska author, and contains wildflowers and other plants native to the area. A year-round facility exhibits seasonal flowers, and also holds a gift shop, cafe, resources library, banquet and meeting spaces, and classrooms.

Education is provided at Lauritzen Gardens for both children and adults. Hands-on classes are held for adults such as papermaking and holiday wreaths and accents. Volunteer opportunities are provided, too, as well as social and educational garden walks. With the belief that children and gardening “go together naturally,” many opportunities are provided for mixing the two at Lauritzen Gardens. A preschool class, “Lil’ Sprouts” is held regularly with different topics each time. A children’s program, “Garden Explorers,” is also provided.

Lauritzen Gardens is very concerned with the wellness of its patrons, and provides several fitness opportunities for this reason. There are three separate walking clubs that are held weekly. The 50+ Walk Club meets on Tuesdays at 8:30 AM, the After Work Walking Club meets at 5:30 PM on Tuesdays, and a Stroller Walking Club meets at 9:00 AM on Thursdays. Qigong Meditation is a Chinese healing art, and is available at the gardens on select days of the month at 9:00 AM and 6:30 PM. Admission to the walking clubs and Qigong Meditation is free with a paid admission or membership to the gardens.

Lauritzen Gardens is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. It is open on “Twilight Tuesdays” until 8:00 PM mid-May through mid-September. From November through March, the admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children 6 through 12, and free for members and children 5 and under. From April through October, the admission is $7 for adults, $3 for children 6 through 12, and free for members and children 5 and under. One hour narrated tram tours are available May through October for $2.

Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha’s Botanical Center
100 Bancroft Street
Omaha, NE 68108
Phone: (402) 346-4002
Fax: (402) 346-8948

Lauritzen Gardens - Omaha, Nebraska