Union Station is the real exhibit here. When Omaha was a railroad powerhouse, this was one of the grandest stations in the country — all terrazzo floors, marble columns, and a Great Hall with a 65-foot ceiling. The restoration is meticulous, and just standing in that hall is worth the admission.
The museum itself covers Omaha’s history: the railroad era, the stockyards, the city’s immigrant neighborhoods. The vintage train cars parked inside — including Pullman sleepers you can board — are the highlight for kids and rail nerds alike. There’s a soda fountain, too, which the kids will remember longer than any artifact.
It’s a couple of blocks south of the Old Market, so it pairs naturally with a morning there. Give it two hours, three if you’re the type who reads every plaque.