The Old Market Directory 2023-2024

Old Market Old Market

SINCE 2005

• Omah a / Old Market souvenirs, t-shirts, hoodies & hats

• Travel essentials

• Nebraska-made gifts

OldMarketSundries.com

• 402-345-7646

• Chocolates & fudge made in our own kitchen

• Retro candies

• International licorice

• Jelly Bellies & salt water taffy

• Other hard-to-find candies

OldMarketCandy.com

• 402-344-8846

• Authentic Italian desserts & pastries

• Flavor-Burs t T M premium soft serve ice cream

• Glazed nuts & gourmet popcorn

DolciOldMarket.com

• Décor for Christmas and every season

• Artisan-designed items not found everywhere else

• 100s of ornaments

• Unique gifts

oTannenbaum.com

• 402-345-8198

SINCE 1985

• 402-345-9627

All at 10th & Howard

SINCE 2015

SINCE 1977

Welcome to The Old Market

Strolling through The Old Market District is a feast for the senses. Smells coming from over 40 restaurants, the sounds of street performers on the corners, the peoplewatching available at over 20 bars and taverns, and the feel of the brick-laid roads under your feet – are all easily within walking distance of the numerous hotels and attractions in Downtown Omaha.

Indulge yourself with a spa treatment. After all the walking, you will want to sip a drink on one of the numerous outdoor patios – the market has you covered.

When you stay and shop in The Old Market, you are supporting local, independent, one-of-a-kind businesses. These establishments provide an experience you will not find anywhere else.

@OldMarketOmaha

Cover Photography by Ethan Amadou For Advertising Information, call 402-884-2000.

36-38...SERVICES

38-40...SHOPPING

40-42...WHERE

44-45...NEARBY

46-47...NEARBY

PARKING

The Old Market offers metered parking, covered parking in area garages, several area lots, and valet parking. There are over 2000 parking spaces adjacent to The Old Market.

The City of Omaha’s Park Omaha program offers numerous parking options to downtown visitors. The city garages are a cheaper and ample alternative to street parking. The Park Omaha website provides visitors with an interactive tool to locate public parking. An app to pay for parking at the meters is available. There is a free download for Android and IOS systems. Visit parkomaha.com.

At the end of the 19th century, Omaha was in its prime as a great railroad center, connecting the settled East with the wide-open West. The Old Market area was the epicenter of the activity, bustling with produce dealers, buyers, and transporters.

The area’s heyday continued until the 1950s, when Omaha’s westward expansion and radical changes in grocery marketing abruptly brought the activity to a halt. That’s when Sam Mercer, threatened with building condemnation notices, proposed to rescue his family’s red-brick warehouses by renovating them for new uses. Most people thought him imprudent. Today, they call him a visionary.

The son of prominent Omaha physician and landowner Nelson Mercer, Samuel Mercer was born and raised in London, England, and educated at Oxford and Yale. After living in Washington, D.C., he based his law practice in Paris, where he mostly lived the rest of his life, holding dual citizenship.

With the death of Nelson in 1963, Sam took charge of Mercer Management in Omaha. He appreciated the century-old brick warehouses, some Mercer-owned, comprising the wholesale produce market just southeast of downtown.

By 1968, Sam moved strategically to gain control of a collection of buildings in what is now The Old Market. It was his idea to make the ground-floor space of the former Gilinsky Fruit Company into a French restaurant. It became The Old Market’s signature spot, the French Café (now Le Bouillon), with apartments above it.

More anchor attractions followed Homer’s, M’s Pub, Mr. Toad’s, the Spaghetti Works, Nouvelle Eve, the Firehouse Dinner Theater, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. With his son, Mark, daughter-inlaw, Vera, and nephew, Nicholas Bonham-Carter, the Mercers evolved this never-planned but organically developed area. Distinct features to this day include The Passageway, V. Mertz, La Buvette, and The Boiler Room.

“We knew these warehouses had possibilities,” Sam said, “and to tear them down to construct contemporary buildings would have been like painting over the Mona Lisa.”

WALKING TOUR

The Old Market is filled with sites and buildings of historical interest. Several of these have been specifically identified and researched. As a result, an Old Market Historic Walking Tour with identification plaques of these edifices began in 2003.

Sam Mercer, 1920-2013

Photo by Vera Mercer

Nationally recognized as one of the best record stores in the U.S., Homer’s Music at 12th and Howard features Nebraska’s largest selection of new and used vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and cassettes. Opened in 1971, Homer’s is one of the oldest businesses in The Old Market. Homer’s is also a member of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores, a founder of Record Store Day. For more information, follow Homer’s Music on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

1210 HOWARD ST., OMAHA, NE 68102 402-346-0264 | HOMERSMUSIC.COM

801 SOUTH 10 TH ST.

Then: Union Station, 1931-1971

Now: The Durham Museum

520 TO 524 SOUTH 10 TH ST.

Then: Windsor Hotel, 1885-1887

Now: Windsor Square Apartments

514 SOUTH 11 TH ST.

Then: Omaha Firehouse, 1903-1904

Now: Upstream Brewing Company

614 SOUTH 11 TH ST.

Then: Omaha Bemis Bag Company, 1887-1902

Now: Vintage Ballroom

1213 JONES ST.

Then: Anheuser-Busch Beer Depot, 1887 Company, 1887-1902

Now: Roth Weinstein, LLC

1323 JACKSON ST.

Then: Skinner Macaroni Building, 1914-1915

Now: Skinner Macaroni Lofts

1 615 HOWARD ST.

Then: Aquila Court

Now: Magnolia Hotel

1307-1315 HOWARD ST.

Then & Now: J. P. Cooke Buildings, 1885-1889

Pictures Courtesy of The Durham Museum

1212 HOWARD ST.

Then: The Overland Hotel

Now: Ashley’s Collectibles

1123 HOWARD ST.

Then: Morse Coe Building, 1892-1893

Now: Scooter’s Coffee and Mayfield Apartments

1002 HOWARD ST.

Then: Hotel Howard, 1909 Building, 1892-1893

Now: Mr. Toad’s Pub

1101-1107 HARNEY ST.

Then: Millard Block, 1880-1881

Now: Jams

1221 HARNEY ST.

Then: Baum Iron Company Building, 1880

Now: Baum Hydraulics Corporation

1001 FARNAM ST.

Then: Poppleton Block

Now: Omaha Visitors Center

1004 FARNAM ST.

Then: Burlington Building, 1879

Now: Office space for lease

Take the tour online at oldmarket.com/old-market-history or by scanning the QR Code!

CALENDAR

FIRST FRIDAY OLD MARKET

The Old Market

Facebook @oldmarketomaha

Held the first Friday of each month, 6-9 p.m., First Friday is a free event celebrating local creativity in our historic neighborhood. Visit galleries to explore fresh perspectives and meet the artists.

JENNIFER LING DATCHUK; EAT BITTERNESS

Through September 17, 2023

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts | bemiscenter.org

Jennifer Ling Datchuk examines the complicated aspects of growing up in a blended Chinese-American family, and she has built artistic practice that discusses fragility, beauty, femininity, identity, and her personal history.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKET

May 6 – October 14, 2023

11th & Jackson | 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. omahafarmersmarket.org

Join growers, vendors, and other market-goers for the city’s best selection of farm-fresh, local produce, bedding plants, fresh cut flowers, baked goods, meats, cheeses, specialty items, and more!

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 15 – June 26, 2023

Charles Schwab Field Omaha cwsomaha.com

The NCAA Men’s Division 1 baseball championship or College World Series has called Omaha home since 1950. Each June fans watch the nation’s collegiate all-stars play “The Greatest Show on Dirt” at the beautiful Charles Schwab Field Omaha ballpark.

JENNIFER LING DATCHUK, My Neck, My Back, 2022. Porcelain, Courtesy of the Artist

CALENDAR

SANTA LUCIA ITALIAN FESTIVAL

August 3-6, 2023

Little Italy - 10th & William St. santaluciafestival.com

Founded in 1925 by Grazia Bonafede Caniglia. Each year the Santa Lucia Festival Committee holds the festival with authentic Italian foods, music, and history to help raise money to continue charitable contributions.

IN THE MARKET FOR BLUES

August 5, 2023

inthemarketforblues.com

Annual blues festival in Omaha’s downtown at 12+ different locations with 40+ music acts all day long. One ticket gets you in all the locations to enjoy the love of live music.

HOLIDAYS IN THE OLD MARKET

Thanksgiving – January

The Old Market | oldmarket.com

Enjoy our Grand Yuletide of bright lights and unmatched revelry. We’ll be decorated in our holiday best and scented with fresh greenery but it’s the holiday specials inside that will beckon you to explore.

Small Business Saturday Event

Nov. 25, 2023

HOLIDAY LIGHTS FESTIVAL

Thanksgiving – New Years Day holidaylightsfestival.org

Showcasing Downtown Omaha with a full season of festive, family-friendly activities with a charity component for Food Bank for the Heartland. Also view thousands of dazzling lights illuminating Downtown Omaha.

ATTRACTIONS

BEMIS CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS

724 S. 12th St. | bemiscenter.org

Founded in 1981 by artists for artists, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts supports today’s artists through an international residency program, temporary exhibitions and commissions, and innovative public programs.

BLUEBARN THEATRE

1106 S. 10th St. | bluebarn.org

½ Mile from The Old Market

Established as Omaha’s premier professional theatre and having produced over 100 plays throughout its history since 1989, BLUEBARN is dedicated to theatre’s most important tradition: to provoke thought, emotion, action, and change.

BOB THE BRIDGE

705 Riverfront Dr. | visitomaha.com

1 Mile from The Old Market

This 3,000-foot-long walkway stretches across the Missouri River, giving pedestrians a spectacular view of Omaha’s skyline and an almost airborne experience. Connected to more than 150 miles of nature trails—visitors love to bike and walk on Bob.

CHI HEALTH CENTER OMAHA

455 N. 10th St. | chihealthcenteromaha.com

½ Mile from The Old Market

Between its stunning architecture and riverfront location, the CHI Health Center Omaha convention center and arena is not only a fixture in the city’s skyline—it’s a favorite destination for concerts, consumer shows, and exhibits.

DURHAM MUSEUM

801 S. 10th St. | durhammuseum.org

Omaha’s former Union Station is now the region’s premier hands-on history museum! Climb aboard passenger trains from the 1940s and 50s and enjoy vibrant exhibits and beautiful Art Deco architecture at this National Historic Landmark.

FIRST NATIONAL SCULPTURE PARK

1601 Dodge St. | firstnational.com

½ Mile from The Old Market

First National transformed five downtown city blocks into a green urban sculpture park. The sculptures depict Omaha’s rich pioneer history and are one of the largest installations of bronze and stainless steel in the world.

ATTRACTIONS

GENE LEAHY MALL AT THE RIVERFRONT

1302 Farnam St. | riverfrontrevitalization.com

Over 40,000 square feet of lawn space in the heart of downtown Omaha. Brand new amenities include a Performance Pavilion, a state-of-the-art playground, interactive water features, a sculpture garden, and a sizeable dog park.

HEARTLAND OF AMERICA PARK AT THE RIVERFRONT

800 Douglas St. | riverfrontrevitalization.com

¼ Mile from The Old Market

Opening Late Summer 2023

In transformation currently, the lake and fountain have been welcoming visitors since the early 1990s. While these elements will stay, they’ll be joined by a Skate Ribbon, lakeside amphitheater, bocce courts, an extensive event lawn, and picturesque pier that extends out to the Missouri River.

HENRY DOORLY ZOO & AQUARIUM

3701 S. 10th St. | omahazoo.com

2½ Miles from The Old Market

Consistently ranked as one of the world’s top five zoos, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is internationally recognized for its conservation, animal care, and exhibit design.

HOLLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

1200 Douglas St. | omahaperformingarts.org

½ Mile from The Old Market

Known best for its world-class acoustics and architecture, Omaha Performing Arts’ Holland Center presents jazz, blues, world music, family entertainment, and comedy. It is also home to the Omaha Symphony.

KANEKO

1111 Jones St. | thekaneko.org

KANEKO is a nonprofit arts and cultural organization dedicated to exploring and encouraging the creative process and how it impacts our lives. For more information about KANEKO, visit thekaneko.org.

KIEWIT LUMINARIUM

345 Riverfront Dr. | kiewitluminarium.org

¾ Miles from The Old Market

Kiewit Luminarium is a place for people of all ages, identities, and backgrounds to explore astonishing phenomena at the intersection of science, art, and human perception. Opened April 2023 on Omaha’s reimagined RiverFront.

Photography by Dan Schwalm © 2023 HDR

ATTRACTIONS

LEWIS & CLARK LANDING AT THE RIVERFRONT

345 Riverfront Dr. | riverfrontrevitalization.com

½ Mile from The Old Market

Opening late summer 2023

A contiguous trail system for riverside strolls will remain—with the redesign adding numerous trees and pockets of green space throughout. Additional new features will include a destination children’s playground, an urban beach, sand volleyball courts, pickleball courts, an event plaza to accommodate carnival rides, and a renovated marina.

OMAHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

500 S. 20th St. | ocm.org

½ Mile from The Old Market

Omaha Children’s Museum is Omaha’s premier participatory museum, featuring exhibits for families with children ages 0-8. Permanent exhibits include the Tinker Lab, Imagination Playground, and a science center

ORPHEUM THEATER

409 S. 16th St. | omahaperformingarts.org

¼ Mile from The Old Market

Built in 1927, the Orpheum Theater is home to Broadway, dance, comedy, and popular music acts like Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked, and more. Opera Omaha and American Midwest Ballet also perform here.

ROSE THEATER

2001 Farnam St. | rosetheater.org

¾ Mile from The Old Market

The Rose Theater is committed to enriching the lives of children through live theater and arts education. We are proud to be the place where a love of theater begins.

CHARLES SCHWAB FIELD OMAHA

1200 Mike Fahey St. charlesschwabfieldomaha.com

1 Mile from The Old Market

Charles Schwab Field, Omaha’s premiere sports stadium and outdoor entertainment venue, is home to NCAA Men’s College World Series, Creighton Bluejays baseball, concerts, and events.

STEELHOUSE OMAHA

1114 Dodge St. | omahaperformingarts.org

¼ Miles from The Old Market

Steelhouse Omaha is O-pa’s third venue opening May 2023. It is a unique performance space that will provide the opportunity to present new and innovative programs in non-traditional layouts with flexible space to accommodate 1,500 to 3,000 people.

Courtesy Visit Omaha

OLD MARKET MAP

Map provided by the Omaha Downtown Improvement District and designed by Billy Coburn

THINGS TO DO

ART GALLERIES

MUSEUM ATTRACTIONS

THEATER & PERFORMING ARTS

FOOD & DRINK

BAR & GRILL

LIQUOR STORES

SWEET SHOPS

EVENT VENUES

SALONS & SPAS

TATTOO PARLORS

BOOKS

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

HOME DÉCOR

SHOPS

REAL ESTATE AGENTS

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

Photo Courtesy Ethan Amadou

@ethan_amadou

DOWNTOWN MAP

Map provided by the Omaha Downtown Improvement District and designed by Billy Coburn

ART GALLERIES & MUSEUMS

THEATER & PERFORMING ARTS

ZOO • BOTANICAL CENTER

MUSIC •

NEARBY HOTELS

NEARBY DISTRICTS

THE BLACKSTONE DISTRICT

3924 Farnam St.

blackstonedistrict.com

Blackstone District’s classic structures along Farnam Street and those on the outlying blocks are now home to restaurants, bars, and businesses that offer contemporary cuisine, chic entertainment, and modern-era services for patrons of all ages.

THE CAPITOL DISTRICT

1022 Capitol Ave.

capitoldistrictomaha.com

Guests can mingle in the large open-air plaza and enjoy a wide variety of cultural and culinary experiences—from fine dining to quick bites, a jazz club to a virtual reality arcade, live music and watch parties, and one of Omaha’s best hotels, the Omaha Marriott Downtown.

LITTLE BOHEMIA

1402 S. 13th St. | ocm.org

½ Mile from The Old Market

Little Bohemia is located in South Omaha and boasts a rich history as the city’s melting pot. Immigrants from around the globe have helped shape this neighborhood, and their influences are still felt today.

MIDTOWN CROSSING

220 S. 31st Ave.midtowncrossing.com

Midtown Crossing is home to a vibrant mix of nearly 40 restaurants, retailers, and service providers. Our front yard—Turner Park—is one of Omaha’s top public parks and a crowd-pleasing venue for our ever-expanding list of free concerts, festivals, health and wellness gatherings, and so much more.

MILLWORK COMMONS

1111 N. 13th St. | millworkcommons.com

Millwork Commons embraces its gritty, industrial roots in Omaha, 140-year-old buildings are now being restored to meet the needs of today’s workers and residents with new buildings being designed that will complement the neighborhood’s historic feel.

NORTH DOWNTOWN OMAHA (NODO)

19th St. & Davenport to Nicholas

Riverfront, Omaha, NE 68102

Grab a great cup of coffee at Omaha’s own Blue Line Coffee. Live music and sporting events create an electrifying atmosphere at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, home of the NCAA Men’s College World Series. The award-winning CHI Health Center Omaha attracts big name artists, making Omaha a key tour stop.

© 2016 Bradley Simonson

Courtesy Visit Omaha

Courtesy Visit Omaha