This quaint community is next door to the city limits of Omaha and the Omaha airport. Several parks…read moreopen to the public is available. If you want to have a good view of the lake, barbeque, have kids play basketball, use the skateboard park, or BMX bike course, visit Mabrey Park located on the corner 9f Willow Drive and 18th Street. They close by 10 pm and allow watercraft to be lowered by the ramps into the lake. Outdoor picnic seating is also available around the park area. No swimming is allowed at this park. You will have to visit Wavecrest Park for that.

Carter Lake is a former channel of the Missouri River and was formed by flooding of the Missouri…read moreRiver in the summer of 1877. The city of Carter Lake, Iowa takes its name from the lake and there is an interesting background story to this lake located near the Omaha Airport. In 1930, Carter Lake was incorporated as a city in the state of Iowa, a status it has retained ever since but there has been lots of fighting over it. Carter Lakes Colorful History states that "Carter Lake was once called Cut-Off Island - a fitting name for a place torn between two cities and two states, yet connected to neither." Iowa and Nebraska constantly battled for the city named Carter Lake and it's water feature born of a change of course of the Missouri River. The ensuing legal battle over whether Iowa or Nebraska had jurisdiction over Cut-Off Island went to the Supreme Court. In a 1892 ruling, the court sided with Iowa on the basis that state lines remain the same when a river avulsed, or dramatically altered, its path in 1877. Therefore, the land had never left Iowa, despite its position on the Nebraska side of the river. It is weird driving through the area, as you are in Nebraska one minute and Iowa the very next. Carter Lake has not escaped water pollution problems and in 2005, the lake had reached a crisis level. Due to a number of factors, the lake water level was both dangerously low and polluted with toxic algae. Placed on Nebraska's Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters for elevated concentrations of nutrients, the lake was no longer a place for recreation and beauty, but a haven for floating contaminants. Interested citizens formed the "Carter Lake Environmental Assessment and Rehabilitation Council," and a community based watershed plan was organized to help improve the water quality. Now Carter Lake is a recreational hub for the area. The park is a great place to launch a boat for water sports and fishing, and also has baseball and football fields, basketball courts, and areas for picnics and larger gatherings. It is a beautiful gem of a lake and worth 5 YELP STARS.

I don't know what to say aside from Omaha knows how to do a riverfront…read more Living in Kansas City our riverfront is really underdeveloped and I left here dreaming of what I wish could happen in my own hometown. This area boasts an urban beach, some really nice and fun swings and chairs, and what I would consider to be one of the best playgrounds I've taken my kids to. It feels safe, it's clean, and it's filled with families enjoying these free amenities to the city. My kids loved it and I left really impressed. Next time we are in Omaha with the kids this will be a must stop for us!

This is one of the 3 Riverfront parks that recently received a multi-million dollar renovation. And…read moreit looks amazing. Some of the parks features include sand volleyball courts, a restroom facility, water fountains, fire pits, Adirondack chairs, and an urban beach, the Labor Statue, a nice marina, an amazing playground, glider swings, and paved walkways. They also have umbrella tables and chairs for visitors take advantage of. This park is relatively new, being dedicated in 2020 and it spans about 23 acres. The park leads to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. The fenced in playground is awesome. It has a few water features, a couple of towering rocket themed jungle gyms with slides and bridges, a couple of spinning net climbers, a trojan horse, a pile of tree trucks to climb on, and a zip line. There is also a sand area for kids to get messy. It is a very impressive playground. It is on artificial grass and gravel and there are benches placed around the area for caregivers to sit while their little ones play. This is a very nice park that overlooks the Missouri River and not only give you a scenic view of the River, but of Iowa, across the river and the Kerrey Bridge (which is extra awesome at night). The investment in this park was money well spent. I really enjoyed this park. I stopped here on my way the the Kerrey Bridge and chose to hang out there a bit. This park hosts special events on occasion. I hear that it can get crazy during some of them and to avoid the park, if possible. There is a huge open cement pad behind the Kiewit Luminarium. It has a few tables, but is otherwise pretty open. I spent about an hour here and could have easily spent a half day or more. Omaha has some awesome parks. I highly recommend checking this park out and spending some time here.

I was so happy to be able to attend the Christmas Midwest fest! I was so happy to see all of the…read morevendors, ice sculptures, music, and carolers. It was such a joy to be able to feel the Christmas spirit in this space. I love the skating ribbon too! There is so much to see and do in this park. I like coming here in the warmer months too just to sit and read a few pages of a book in the summer sun. I appreciate how clean this space is! It makes me want to come back again and again! I highly recommend you take a visit!

This area has been redone so wonderfully and is so fun to have outings at!…read more I don't know how to skate, personally, but it is always fun to watch others at the skate ribbon. They always have fun music playing and it looks like a lot of fun. One of our favorite family activities is to go down to the small slides and they go down to the water. The swings are also a great addition! It is a great area to leisurely walk or bring pets as walking companions.

Cool statue on the Iowa side…read more Looks like recycled or upcycled soil. Playscape area on both sides. The Omaha side has an extensive play area for sure.

This is a great addition to the CB side of the pedestrian bridge! Went over for an event where they…read moreflew giant kites and it was the perfect venue. There is a free parking garage and the apartments near by look super nice - really easy to navigate through the neighborhood. The park all in all seems like a great venue and definitely have it on the list to come back in general and check out other events.

It was by sheer luck (good or bad?) that we were able to come to Freedom Park. We had arrived in…read moreOmaha on a Sunday and was supposed to leave early the following Saturday, so would have missed out since the park only opens on Saturday from 10am-3pm. But as luck would have it, our return flight was cancelled and we were rebooked for Sunday, so that left us the whole day free to check out Freedom Park! You enter through Miller's Landing along the Missouri River and pass through a normally locked gate onto a gravel road. About a mile down, you will see a gray ship off to the right, so you realize this must be the place. The ship is a 530 ton minesweeper that served in WWII at the Battle of Okinawa named the USS Hazard. What's curious is that it is on land and behind it is also a submarine, the training sub, USS Marlin. Both are open for self-guided tours, but there are volunteer docents on board to answer your questions. One of the docents had opened the ship's armory and was showing samples of inert ammunition used by all the gun mounts from the 20mm Oerlikons and 40mm Bofors, all the way up to the 3" main cannon at the bow. It was interesting to see many of the compartments onboard have been restored to their original condition showing how life was during its WWII deployment. On the grounds of the park adjacent to the minesweeper are a lot of navy relics not related to the ship but collected over the years and have seen better days. There are missile launchers, larger guns and even 3 aircraft from the 50's-70's, an A-7 Corsair, A-4 Skyhawk and an HH-52 Coast Guard helicopter. Also interesting is the anchor garden and actual ship nameplates of some famous ships cut from their sterns when they were scrapped. All are in bad shape and disrepair. Funding is limited and only volunteers work here. Plus the Missouri River has flooded this area at least twice, causing a lot of damage and nearly floated the minesweeper away. If you do get a chance to visit the park, be respectful to the history and be generous in donating to keep these historic relics from disappearing. A huge thank you to the volunteers that run this place.

As a US Navy veteran I loved this little park. We tried to go a few years ago, but the area was…read moreflooded the majority of that year and the park was closed. This past week took us from the Des Moines IA metro to Lincoln NE...and then back and forth between Lincoln and Omaha several times. I'd almost forgotten about Freedom Park until one of my fellow travelers mentioned it... The park is free admission and staffed by volunteers. The short drive in is on a gravel road. Do check their Facebook page pior to visiting as the park can close for flooding, the heat (there's no AC in anything there), etc. The current centerpieces of the park are the USS Hazard (AM-240) and USS Marlin (SST-2) along with several other displays and aircraft. It does feel a little weird seeing these vessels sitting way up on dry land... I was a carrier sailor on the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) so these are small boys comparatively speaking. Lol Some of the exhibits are kept up better than others... Hopefully you don't mind a little peeling paint and some rust. The equipment bears a bit of a resemblance to us old sailors who are showing our age a bit more now too. The labels and available handouts are helpful and great educational tools for the general public. As a former Navy sailor some of my best memories of this little park will be the conversations with it's volunteers. A lot of them are former sailors themselves. Veteran to veteran there is always common ground... Regardless of which service or era.

A great after dinner walk here!…read more You'll be treated to majestic views of the river, a journey between state lines, and if you're lucky, some wildlife here and there. I always love getting near a big river, packed with symbolism and paradoxes as it is. It looks still, yet it moves. It reflects the surface, but goes deep within. It shapes the landscape millimeter by millimeter. It's wild and unpredictable, but also calm and steady. I saw a speckled baby deer walking nearby, and a few birds as well. There were lots of people out jogging, walking, kids exploring. It's just a nice vibe here, especially on a late summer evening. Bonus points for having a fun troll statue below the bridge. Whether you're local or passing through, this is a great spot to stretch your legs and take in the scenery. Omaha has done a wonderful job bringing life to their riverfront, and this is a nice chapter in that.

I'll admit that this was a much better stop than I thought it was going to be…read more I was really disappointed that the National Park service building that stands next to the bridge was closed because of the government shut down. There was an elderly lady at the door trying to get in who said she really needed to use the restroom and I felt so bad for her. From the parking area you can walk under the bridge and up over and across. We also considered taking our bikes out and biking the bridge, but the bridge itself is just not long enough to merit that. You can also rent a bike to ride if you want just at the foot of the bridge , which is really convenient . We enjoyed our walk. We were able to find the little troll under the bridge, it's a free activity, there is nice scenery, and as silly as it sounds, it was kinda cool to have one foot in Nebraska and one foot in Iowa :)

I'm very disappointed in the person that pooped on the floor in the back of the bathrooms and wiped…read moreit on paper towels then left them on the grass for everyone to discover. I am traumatized to say the least. Why not just poop in the toilet right in front of you. The smell took me back to World War 1. Good heavens.

This landmark has a lovely view. It doesn't have much in terms of 'stuff' but it's a nice place to…read moresit with a loved one and contemplate life. Romantic too. There's a path where you can take a walk but we didn't go down it. We were content to sit and watch the view. There are informational panels but they aren't that clear as the weather has affected them. There are padlocks on the railing at the monument. I wish I had known so I could have brought one. I love the idea of the love padlocks. Some were quite old. It was nice to examine them and see the initials of people in love. The walls with the figures carved into them and the writings were interesting to see. Someone had defaced them it seems as we saw signs of a clean up. Sad that people would do that. I would like to return to sit and reflect more. And bring a padlock of love.

"It's not that hot in the shade" my daughter insisted, pointing her camera up to the tree crowns…read morehigh above us. This park is full of a huge variety of mature trees, which makes for good birdwatching and bug watching, slime mold watching, etc. There is also a playground here, a pavilion, a dog park, a frisbee golf course, and a lagoon. I think the children's pool and tennis center are still here as well, on the south edge of the park. There is a big greenhouse here for growing plants for the city parks but unfortunately it was severely damaged during an intense hail storm this summer. The park is fairly clean though some trash was piled up next to the trash cans since obviously they had not been emptied. Other than that, I don't have any complaints. A lot of Canada geese are sometimes by the lagoon, so if you're afraid of them, don't go over there. No worries! They are little hissing dinosaurs.

We went to Hanscom Park to play the 9 hole disc golf course. I really enjoyed this course - it is…read moreshort and sweet, but a fun course with all the trees. I'm a beginner but would play this again.

Okay so Omaha, you know how to do parks. I have no notes. I think my hometown of KC can take a page…read morefrom Omaha's book and model a downtown park like this. This park is BIG it has great play areas for kids, beautiful landscaping for adults, and for the most part felt safe. I wish we had this here and I applaud Omaha for prioritizing this in their downtown area.

I always enjoy the Gene Leahy Mall, and especially in the summertime! I always bring all my…read morevisitors from out of state here and have made so many great memories. It is beautiful, especially at night, and a great way to get active and take a walk! The structures are very artistic and beautiful, and the lighting is perfect. I also like the variety of seating.