10 ideas for Fall fun in Omaha

Fall – the time of the year when there’s a crisp feel in the air and leaves start changing colors. This is Lisa’s favorite time of the year. It’s also a time to take in the autumn season in the Omaha area. Here is our look at a few things to do in the Omaha Metro area during the Fall.

Visit an apple orchard or pumpkin patch. The Omaha area has quite a few good pumpkin patches. They seem to combine the harvest season with the Halloween spooky season. Vala’s Pumpkin Patch in Gretna (about a 20-minute drive outside of town). The Valas offer up some pumpkin patch fun with a gourd-eating dragon, pig races and a haunted house.

You can even try to get lost in a corn maze. It’s funny, though, that the maze gets trampled during the season, so by the end of the pumpkin season, there’s little maze left. But, people still have fun.

The icing on the cake, however, is taking a wagon ride out to the fields to pick out your very own pumpkin. Kids love this!

The Bellevue Berry and Pumpkin Ranch offers up gourd fun and haunts, too. The Bellevue farm has an old western-looking town buildings that also sub for Medieval and pirate eras for festivals.

Across the Missouri River in Iowa, Ditmar’s Apple Orchard offers visitors the chance to pick their own apples. You can take a hayrack ride on the weekends, enjoy some treats and take a walk in the corn maze. All within a short drive from Omaha. Our friends at Oh My Omaha enjoyed their visit.

A drive through the Lee Simmons Wildlife Park is always fun during cooler weather. Animals seem more active. You can see the elk herd maybe roam a little more. The bison will roam and play.

The pelicans are always fun to watch. They’ll even stop traffic by hanging out in the middle of the road.

The black bears are a little more active as they continue plumping up for winter.

The Missouri River provides a nice backdrop for a walk along the Riverfront. Trees with leaves changing colors line the river. A walk across the Bob Kerrey pedestrian bridge is always a fun time for us. You can take a trail on the Council Bluffs side north among the trees for a while if you’d like.

Or, you can cross back to the Nebraska side and wide northward to the River City Star paddleboat area. You’re sure to run into geese and ducks along the way.

Heartland of America Park is at the southern end of the riverfront and offers some great views of animals, the city skyline and third largest fountain west of the Mississippi River.

Fort Omaha allows for a nice walk among history. Fort Omaha is home to Metro Community College’s north Omaha campus. But, several of the buildings date to the 1800s, when Fort Omaha was an outpost for the western migration.

General George Crook’s house is open for tours (with a $6 donation). You can check out the rooms of the house, along with some special exhibits in the basement. The general was a Civil War veteran and one of the best soldiers during the Indian Wars.

The house has a beautiful garden, which is worth checking out. A sculpture of Crook is located among the plans and flowers.

If walking among nature is your thing, visit Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue. We bought a membership during our first walk among the colors a couple years ago. We don’t get to visit the forest as much as we’d like, but when we do, it’s a very enjoyable experience.

The boardwalk trail covers about a mile round trip and offers a view of the Missouri River. The trees you’ll see are tall and the colors of the leaves beautiful.

There are other trails that will lead you on dirt paths, some eventually leading to the river shore. These are fun hikes to take.

If indoor activities suit you more, check out some of the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s offerings. You can visit several rain forest climates at the Rainforest Jungle. You’ll see lots of green, lush vegetation and some cool animals.

The Desert Dome will take you to various international deserts. You can see wild pigs, rattle snakes and other desert animals. You never know when an animal may pop up and stare you down.

If you’re a sports fan, Omaha has lots of fall sports to check out. You can see one of the best college soccer teams at a Creighton match. The Bluejays annually challenge for a berth in the national championship tournament.

High school football is popular in the area. You can head out to any high school stadium in town or nearby for some great high school football.

Farmers markets are fun places to visit on a weekend morning. The downtown market occurs Saturday mornings through the end of October. Aksarben Village hosts a farmer’s market Sunday mornings. You can always find some great deals.

Food trucks are a great cool fall day food option. Find your favorite truck and grab a meal. Omaha has a growing food truck industry, and features a variety of food options. You can get Cajun, Mexican, and a variety of other styles.

A walk through the Old Market can’t be beat on a nice Fall day or evening. You can check out one of the eclectic businesses that call downtown Omaha home. You can grab a meal at any of the restaurants – locally-based or chain.

You’re sure to see a horse carriage available for a ride around the area. Or, you may catch the sounds of a street corner musician or poet.

Omaha has a lot of places to have fun during the Fall. It may be jacket weather, but it doesn’t mean it’s hide in the house season. Enjoy your trek through the Big O and find your own Fall fun.

Check out www.visitomaha.com for other possibilities.