Culture of Omaha, Nebraska - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The culture of Omaha, Nebraska has been partially defined by music

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

and college sports, as well as local cuisine and community theatre. The city has a long history of improving and expanding on its cultural offerings. In the 1920s, the Omaha Bee
Omaha Bee
The Omaha Bee was a pioneer newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska founded on May 8, 1871, by Edward Rosewater, a Bohemian Jewish immigrant who supported abolition and fought in the Union Army. The Bee was regarded as a Republican newspaper, and early on featured Rosewater's opinions...

newspaper wrote, "The cultural future of Omaha seems as certain of greatness as the commercial future... The symphony orchestra, the Art institute, the Community Playhouse and other organizations are on firm foundations and Omaha is destined to be not only a bigger, but a better city, both financially and culturally." Reviewing Omaha

Omaha

Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...

's contemporary arts scene, the New York Times recently hailed the city as having "a kind of cultural awakening".

The nationally recognized "Omaha Sound" describes the unique alternative rock

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

scene in the city, and Big Joe Williams

Big Joe Williams

Joseph Lee Williams , billed throughout his career as Big Joe Williams, was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar...

' 1953 minor hit "Omaha Blues" is about a woman in the city. The baseball College World Series

College World Series

The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...

has been held continuously in Omaha since 1950, and a disputed professional wrestling

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

title was called the World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version) during the 1950s and 60s because promoters in the city hosted their own matches without sanctioning. Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...

and his sister Adele

Adele Astaire

Lady Charles Cavendish , better known as Adele Astaire, was an American dancer and entertainer. She was Fred Astaire's elder sister. Her birthdate was often given as 1897 or 1898, but the 1900 U.S...

, Nick Nolte

Nick Nolte

Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...

, Dorothy McGuire

Dorothy McGuire

Dorothy Hackett McGuire was an American actress.-Career:Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she began her acting career on the stage at the Omaha Community Playhouse...

and Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...

were all born in Omaha, and Academy Award winner Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda

Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...

grew up in the city and was encouraged to pursue acting by Marlon Brando's mother at the Omaha Community Playhouse

Omaha Community Playhouse

The Omaha Community Playhouse, located at 6915 Cass Street in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, is a nationally recognized community theater.Founded in 1924, the Playhouse's first president was Alan McDonald, architect of the Joslyn Art Museum, and its first play, directed by Greg Foley in April...

, which she helped found.

Museums

Omaha has one major museum and several regionally important museums. The Joslyn Art Museum

Joslyn Art Museum

The Joslyn Art Museum is the principal fine arts museum in the state of Nebraska, United States of America. Located in Omaha, it is the only museum in the state with a comprehensive permanent collection...

is nationally renowned for its collections of Native American art and art works relating to the early European

European ethnic groups

The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....

exploration of western North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. The Durham Museum

Durham Museum

The Durham Museum is located at 801 South 10th Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying the history of the United States' western region...

is located on 10th Street in the art deco Union Station. The museum has numerous permanent exhibits and is accredited with the Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...

for traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian. Since its inception in 1976, Omaha Children's Museum

Omaha Children's Museum

The Omaha Children's Museum is a nonprofit learning and exploration space for young people located at 500 South 20th Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The museum has received a national award from the Association of Science and Technology Museums., Association of Science and Technology Museums...

has been a place where children can challenge themselves, discover how the world works and learn through play.

The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts

The Bemis Center for Contemporary Art is located at 724 South 12th Street in the Old Market Historic District of downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The Bemis was founded by artists Jun Kaneko, Tony Hepburn, Lorne Falke and Ree Schonlau in 1981. The spirit and programs of the Bemis Center for Contemporary...

, just east of Omaha's Old Market Historic District, was founded in the early 1980s and plays host to artists from all over the world. It is one of the nation's premier artists' colonies, founded originally by Ree Schonlau (Kaneko), wife of famed Japanese artist Jun Kaneko

Jun Kaneko

is a Japanese ceramic artist living in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. In 1942 he was born in Nagoya, Japan, where he studied painting during his high school years. He came to the United States in 1963 to continue those studies at Chouinard Institute of Art when his focus was drawn to...

, who lives in Omaha and will open Museum Kaneko in 2007.

Other museums in Omaha include the Great Plains Black History Museum

Great Plains Black History Museum

The Great Plains Black History Museum is located at 2213 Lake Street in the Near North Side neighborhood in North Omaha, Nebraska. It is housed in the Webster Telephone Exchange Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...

, celebrating the legacy of African Americans in Omaha and throughout the Midwest; and; the General Crook House

General Crook House

The General George Crook House Museum is located at 5730 North 30th Street in Fort Omaha. The Fort is located in the Miller Park neighborhood of North Omaha, Nebraska...

Museum at Fort Omaha

Fort Omaha

Fort Omaha, originally known as Sherman Barracks and then Omaha Barracks, is an Indian War-era United States Army supply installation. Located at 5730 North 30th Street, with the entrance at North 30th and Fort Streets in modern-day North Omaha, Nebraska, the facility is primarily occupied by ...

, exploring the role of the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars

Indian Wars

American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...

of the 1900s. General Crook was renowned for speaking on behalf of Chief Standing Bear of the Omahas

Omaha (tribe)

The Omaha are a federally recognized Native American nation which lives on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska and western Iowa, United States...

during the landmark trial of Standing Bear v. Crook in 1879. El Museo Latino

El Museo Latino

El Museo Latino is a museum featuring Latino and Hispanic art and history that is located at 4701 South 25 Street in South Omaha, Nebraska. Established in 1993, it is the first Latino art & history museum & cultural center in the Midwest, and is one of only eleven Latino museums in the United...

celebrates the legacy, art and culture of Latin America, and is the first Latino art & history museum in Omaha.

Performing arts

The Omaha Symphony Orchestra

Omaha Symphony Orchestra

The Omaha Symphony Orchestra is a community-based orchestra performing numerous concerts annually in Omaha, Nebraska and throughout the region. Originally established in 1921, the orchestra has continued yearly.-About:...

, founded in 1921 and Opera Omaha

Opera Omaha

Opera Omaha is an opera company in Omaha, Nebraska. It is well known for premiering Wakonda's Dream, a contemporary opera about Native Americans set in the Niobrara....

, opened in 1958, are longtime bastions of the Omaha cultural scene. Omaha Theater Ballet is Nebraska's only resident professional ballet company, performing at both The Rose

The Rose (theatre)

The Rose was an Elizabethan theatre. It was the fourth of the public theatres to be built, after The Theatre , the Curtain , and the theatre at Newington Butts The Rose was an Elizabethan theatre. It was the fourth of the public theatres to be built, after The Theatre (1576), the Curtain (1577),...

and Orpheum Theater

Orpheum Theater (Omaha)

The Orpheum Theater is located at 409 South 16th Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The Orpheum hosts programs best served by a more theatrical setting, including the Broadway Across America-Omaha series and Opera Omaha...

s. Omaha is home to the Omaha Community Playhouse

Omaha Community Playhouse

, the largest, and also one of the most famous and best-endowed community theaters in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The Blue Barn Theatre

Blue Barn Theatre

The Blue Barn Theatre, located at 614 S 11th Street in Omaha, Nebraska, is a nationally recognized theater.Begun in 1989, the theater was founded by a group of recent graduates from the theater program at Purchase College: Kevin Lawler, Hughston Walkinshaw, and Nils Haaland...

and the Holland Performing Arts Center

Holland Performing Arts Center

The Holland Performing Arts Center is a performing arts facility located on 13th and Douglas Streets in downtown Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, Nebraska in the United States; it opened in October 2005. Designed by Omaha architectural firm HDR, Inc...

are venues located within Omaha.

The Shelterbelt Theatre

Shelterbelt Theatre

The Shelterbelt Theatre is a nonprofit theater organization located in Midtown Omaha, Nebraska that specializes in producing original works for the stage...

focuses on the development of original theatrical works and provides practical theater education to playwrights, performers, creative and technical staff. The Omaha Area Youth Orchestra, the Magic Theater, and the Omaha Modern Dance Collective are among other notable performing arts organizations in the area.

Music

Omaha has a rich history in rhythm & blues and jazz as a regular stop for many Kansas City jazz

Kansas City Jazz

Kansas City Jazz is a style of jazz that developed in Kansas City, Missouri and the surrounding Kansas City Metropolitan Area during the 1930s and marked the transition from the structured big band style to the musical improvisation style of Bebop...

bands and such homegrown talent as Wynonie Harris

Wynonie Harris

Wynonie Harris , born in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American blues shouter and rhythm and blues singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. With fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952, Harris is generally considered one of rock and roll's forerunners, influencing Elvis Presley...

, Preston Love

Preston Love

Preston Haines Love was a renowned alto saxophonist, bandleader and songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska.-Biography:Preston Love grew up in North Omaha and graduated from North High....

, Buddy Miles

Buddy Miles

George Allen Miles, Jr. , known as Buddy Miles, was an American rock and funk drummer, most known as a founding member of The Electric Flag in 1967, then as a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys from 1969 through to January 1970.-Early life:George Allen Miles was born in Omaha, Nebraska on...

, Luigi Waites

Luigi Waites

Luigi Waites was a jazz drummer and vibraphonist from Omaha, Nebraska. He performed weekly gigs in the Omaha area both solo and with ensembles such as Luigi, Inc. He served the Omaha music community for over 60 years. He toured Europe twice and performed with jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan,...

, and many others. The city was also the subject of the Big Joe Williams

Big Joe Williams

Joseph Lee Williams , billed throughout his career as Big Joe Williams, was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar...

song "Omaha Blues". During the 1960s several surf music

Surf music

Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...

bands came out of Omaha of which The Rumbles has become the longest lasting.

According to one reviewer, "Tritely tagged 'emo

Emo (music)

Emo is a style of rock music characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics. It originated in the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D.C., where it was known as "emotional hardcore" or "emocore" and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace...

' by writers everywhere, the Omaha Sound is as varied and complex as the 'Athens Sound

Music of Athens, Georgia

The music of Athens, Georgia, includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and New Wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M. and The B-52s, and several long-time indie rock groups...

'." Omaha has been regarded by some as the "Indie Rock Capital" of the world. During the late 1990s, Omaha became nationally known as the birthplace of the successful rock band 311

311 (band)

311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...

and Saddle Creek Records

Saddle Creek Records

Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Conor Oberst and Justin Oberst in 1993 . Conor soon turned over his role in the company to Robb Nansel...

, a record label featuring artists such as Bright Eyes, The Faint

The Faint

The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Jacob Thiele, Dapose, Joel Petersen and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst...

, and Cursive

Cursive (band)

Cursive is an American indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, on Saddle Creek Records.-History:The band was formed in 1995 by Tim Kasher, Matt Maginn, Steve Pedersen , and drummer Clint Schnase. In 1997, they released Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes. After a couple years of touring, the band...

. Other major music groups either located in or originally from Omaha include Mannheim Steamroller

Mannheim Steamroller

Mannheim Steamroller is an American music group founded by Chip Davis and Jackson Berkey, known primarily for its modern recordings of Christmas music. The group has sold 28 million albums in the U.S. alone.-Beginnings:...

, Azure Ray

Azure Ray

Azure Ray is an American dream pop duo, consisting of musicians Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink. The pair met at the age of 15 at the Alabama School of Fine Arts...

, Tilly and the Wall

Tilly and the Wall

Tilly and the Wall is an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called Tillie and the Wall, written by Leo Lionni...

and the late indie-folk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith

Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...

.

American Idol

American Idol

American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...

, a popular reality show and talent competition broadcasted on Fox network, chose Omaha as one of its auditioning cities for their seventh season in 2007 at the Qwest Center. David Cook

David Cook (singer)

David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...

, from Blue Springs, Missouri

Blue Springs, Missouri

Blue Springs is a city in Jackson County, Missouri and is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri. As of the 2010 census the population at 52,575.- Geography :...

, was one of many to audition in the city, and he later went on to win that season in 2008.

Cuisine

As the long-time home of several major stockyards

Feedlot

A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...

, it is no surprise that Omaha is home to a number of renowned steakhouses, including Gorat's

Gorat's

Gorat's Steak House is a restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska, at 4917 Center Street.It is best known as billionaire Warren Buffett's favorite steakhouse, where he annually holds dinners for the largest investors in his company, Berkshire Hathaway, and entertains business colleagues and CEOs, including...

and the recently closed Mister C's

Mister C's

Mister C's Steak House was a landmark Italian restaurant located at 5319 North 30th Street in North Omaha, Nebraska. After operating for almost 55 years, the restaurant closed September 30, 2007. The mayor of Omaha and Omaha City Council declared September 18, 2007, "Mister C and Mary Caniglia Day"...

, as well as Omaha Steaks

Omaha Steaks

is a direct marketer of meat, food seasonings, cookbooks and pet food in the USA. Founded in 1917 as a single butcher shop in Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha Steaks is a ﬁfth-generation, privately held family business, that is now one of America’s largest marketers of beef...

and The Original Johnny's Cafe. This cultural legacy is also apparent in the name of the city's indoor football team, the Omaha Beef

Omaha Beef

The Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League . They play their home games at Omaha Civic Auditorium, which was also once the home of the AHL's Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and is now the home of the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey...

. Omaha also has a long history as a regional beer magnate, with the Krug

Krug Brewery

The Fred Krug Brewery was located at 2435 Deer Park Boulevard in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1859, Krug Brewery was the first brewery in the city. Krug was one of the "Big 4" brewers located in Omaha, which also included the Storz, Willow Springs and Metz breweries...

, Storz, Metz Brewery

Metz Brewery

The Metz Brothers Brewing Company was among the first brewers in the U.S. state of Nebraska, having been established in the city of Omaha in 1859. It was among the earliest manufacturers in the city. After originally opening as the McCumbe Brewery, the facility was sold several times until brothers...

and Willow Springs Brewery

Willow Springs Distilling Company

Willow Springs Distilling Company was a brewery located in south Omaha, Nebraska. Part of a national conglomerate, Willow Springs was Nebraska's first distillery, and grew to become the nation’s third largest distillery before the Great Depression...

forming the city's "Big 4" breweries.

The Old Market in downtown Omaha includes more than 30 restaurants in this six-block historic district

Historic district

A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....

. ConAgra Foods

ConAgra Foods

ConAgra Foods, Inc. is an American packaged foods company. ConAgra's products are available in supermarkets, as well as restaurants and food service establishments. Its headquarters are located in Omaha, Nebraska...

, based in Omaha, supplies foods and ingredients to all types of restaurants, while Godfather's Pizza

Godfather's Pizza

Godfather's Pizza is a privately owned restaurant chain headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska that operates fast casual Italian franchises. -History:...

is a national chain that was founded in Omaha. The Reuben sandwich

Reuben sandwich

The Reuben sandwich is a hot sandwich of layered meat, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, with a dressing. These are grilled between slices of rye bread. The meat is either corned beef or pastrami, and the dressing is either Russian or Thousand Island dressing...

may have been invented in Omaha, and the collection of single-malt Scotch whisky at Dundee Dell

Dundee Dell

The Dundee Dell is a locally and nationally famous bar and restaurant in the Dundee area of Omaha, Nebraska. It is perhaps best known for its collection of single-malt Scotch whisky, which may be one of the largest in the United States It also carries an extensive beer selection, including some...

may be one of the largest in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Sports

Omaha's Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium

Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium

Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium is a baseball stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, the former home to the annual NCAA Division I College World Series and the minor league Omaha Royals, now known as the Omaha Storm Chasers...

is home to the Omaha Royals

Omaha Royals

The Omaha Storm Chasers are a United States minor league baseball team currently based in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. The team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major league club and has been a member of the expanded Pacific Coast League since 1998. From 1969 to 1997,...

minor-league baseball team (the AAA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...

). Since 1950, it has hosted the annual NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

College World Series

men's baseball tournament in mid-June. The Omaha Beef

Omaha Beef

indoor football team plays at the Omaha Civic Auditorium

Omaha Civic Auditorium

The Omaha Civic Auditorium is a multi-purpose convention center in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 1954, it surpassed the Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum as the largest convention/entertainment complex in the city, until the completion of CenturyLink Center Omaha in 2003....

. Other sports facilities in Omaha include Morrison Stadium

Morrison Stadium

Michael G. Morrison, S.J., Stadium is a 6,000-seat soccer-specific stadium located at 2500 California Plaza in the NoDo neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. The stadium is home to the Creighton Bluejays men's and women's soccer teams.-History:...

, home of the Creighton Bluejays

Creighton Bluejays

The Creighton Bluejays, or Jays, are the athletic teams of Creighton University, a Jesuit/Catholic University located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, competing in the Missouri Valley Conference...

men's and women's soccer teams.

The Creighton

Creighton University

Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...

Bluejays

Creighton Bluejays

compete in a number of NCAA Division I sports. In addition to soccer, they play basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

and baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

.

Ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

is a popular spectator sport in Omaha. The two current Omaha-area teams are include the Omaha Lancers

Omaha Lancers

The Omaha Lancers are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the West Division of the United States Hockey League .From 2002-2009, the Lancers' home ice was the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha. Until the 2001-2002 season, the Lancers played at...

, a USHL

United States Hockey League

The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...

team that plays at the Omaha Civic Auditorium

Omaha Civic Auditorium

. The University of Nebraska at Omaha

University of Nebraska at Omaha

The University of Nebraska at Omaha is a four-year state university located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Founded in 1908 as Omaha University, the institution became the public Municipal University of Omaha in 1931. It assumed its current name in 1968 following a merger into the University...

Mavericks

UNO Mavericks

The Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks are the sports teams of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. They participate in the NCAA's Division II and in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association, except in ice hockey. The hockey program competes in Division I as a member of the Western Collegiate...

is an NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

Division I team playing at Qwest Center Omaha

Qwest Center Omaha

CenturyLink Center is an arena and convention center facility in the North Downtown neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. The 1.1 million ft² facility has an 18,300-seat arena, a 194,000-ft² exhibition hall and 62,000 ft² of meeting space....

.

The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights

Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights

The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Omaha, Nebraska, USA at the Omaha Civic Auditorium from 2005–07...

were the AHL

American Hockey League

The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

affiliate of the Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...

. The Knights played their home games at the Omaha Civic Auditorium

Omaha Civic Auditorium

. Following the 2006-2007 season the Knights were relocated to the Quad Cities

Quad Cities

The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...

due to mounting losses taken on by the Calgary organization, they were renamed the Quad City Flames

Quad City Flames

The Quad City Flames were an ice hockey team that played between 2007 and 2009. They were owned by QC Sports Ventures Inc., an ownership group based out of the Quad Cities. The Flames played at the I wireless Center in Moline, Illinois. They were the American Hockey League farm team of the...

and replace the Quad City Mallards

Quad City Mallards

The Quad City Mallards were a professional ice hockey team competing in the AA level United Hockey League. The Mallards played their home games at The MARK of the Quad Cities in Moline, Illinois. Their team colors were forest green and burgundy. They won the Colonial Cup in 1997, 1998 and 2001,...

of the United Hockey League

United Hockey League

The United Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league , with teams in the United States...

.

Omaha is home to numerous important historical and modern sports figures, as well, including Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson

Bob Gibson

Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...

; Gregg Olson

Gregg Olson

Greggory Olson is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played with the Baltimore Orioles , Atlanta Braves , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Royals , Detroit Tigers , Houston Astros , Minnesota Twins , Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers...

, 1989 American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

Rookie of the Year; Ron Prince

Ron Prince

Ron Prince is an American football coach who currently is the assistant offensive line coach with the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. From 2006 through 2008, Prince was the head football coach at Kansas State University. He was one of six African-American head coaches in the NCAA Division I-Bowl...

, former head football coach at Kansas State University

Kansas State University

Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...

; Heisman Trophy

Heisman Trophy

The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...

winners Nile Kinnick

Nile Kinnick

Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr. was a student and a college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training flight while serving as a U.S Navy aviator in World War II...

, Johnny Rodgers

Johnny Rodgers

Johnny Steven Rodgers is a former American college football player voted the University of Nebraska's "Player of the Century" and the winner of the 1972 Heisman Trophy.-College career:...

, and Eric Crouch

Eric Crouch

Eric Eugene Crouch is an American quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks. He also is a TV sports analyst and recreational equipment vendor....

; and Gale Sayers

Gale Sayers

Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....

, a Pro Football Hall of Fame

Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...

Festivals and parades

Native Omaha Days

Native Omahan Days is a bi-annual event in North Omaha, Nebraska celebrating the community's historical and cultural legacies. Held since 1976, the Native Omaha Days include picnics, family reunions, class reunions and a large parade...

is a long-time tradition of North Omaha's African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

community. A bi-annual includes dozens of events throughout the Near North Side

Near North Side (Omaha, Nebraska)

The Near North Side of Omaha, Nebraska is the neighborhood immediately north of downtown. It forms the nucleus of the city's African-American community, and its name is often synonymous with the entire North Omaha area...

, including dances, family reunions, and other events. A large parade features notable North Omahans, as well as marching bands and floats.

The Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival

Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival

The Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival is an annual event of blues, jazz and gospel music that has been held at Rosenblatt Stadium in South Omaha and Fort Omaha in North Omaha, Nebraska in August...

and Florence Days

Florence, Nebraska

Florence is a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska on the city's north end and originally one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. It was incorporated by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature on March 10, 1857. The site of Winter Quarters for Mormon migrants traveling west, it has the oldest cemetery for...

are two other important events in Omaha.

Film

In 1939, the world premiere of the film Union Pacific

Union Pacific (film)

Union Pacific is a 1939 American dramatic western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea. Based on the novel Trouble Shooter by Western fiction author Ernest Haycox, the film is about the building of the railroad across the American West.-Plot:The 1862...

was held in Omaha, Nebraska. The accompanying three-day celebration drew 250,000 people, doubling the population of the city and requiring the National Guard to help keep order. A special train from Hollywood to Omaha carried director Cecil B. DeMille

Cecil B. DeMille

Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...

and stars Barbara Stanwyck

Barbara Stanwyck

Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...

and Joel McCrea

Joel McCrea

Joel Albert McCrea was an American actor whose career spanned 50 years and appearances in over 90 films.-Early life:...

.

The 1977 the Elvis in Concert

Elvis in Concert

Elvis in Concert is the title of the soundtrack album released in conjunction with the television special of the same name which featured some of the final performances of Elvis Presley...

television special in Omaha is considered by many experts to be the worst concert Elvis ever performed. The show was filmed, though, and some of the performances made it into the special, including the great performance of How Great Thou Art, probably the only good performance of the concert.

Omaha has been showcased in recent years by a handful of relatively big budget motion pictures as well as by productions with a lesser budget, including the adventure Omaha (The Movie).

The city's most extensive exposure can be accredited to Omaha native Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne, born Alexander Constantine Papadopoulos is an American film director and screenwriter. His films are noted for their dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society.- Early life :...

, the Oscar-nominated director shot parts of About Schmidt
About Schmidt
About Schmidt is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne, starring Jack Nicholson in the title role. It is loosely based on the 1996 novel of the same title by Louis Begley. Many of the scenes were filmed on location, especially in Omaha, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado...

, Citizen Ruth
Citizen Ruth
Citizen Ruth is a 1996 film that tells a story of a poor, irresponsible and pregnant woman who unexpectedly attracts attention from those involved in the debate about the morality and legality of abortion. The film stars Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz, Mary Kay Place, Kurtwood Smith and Kelly Preston,...

and Election
Election (1999 film)
Election is a 1999 American comedy film adapted from a 1998 novel of the same title by Tom Perrotta. The plot revolves around a three-way election race in high school, and satirizes both suburban high school life and politics...

in the city; his handling of the scenes suggests a deep-rooted love for his hometown, exemplified by his decision to make a feature film called Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

eventually. Portions of The Assassination of Richard Nixon
The Assassination of Richard Nixon
The Assassination of Richard Nixon is a 2004 American film, directed by Niels Mueller. It stars Sean Penn, Don Cheadle and Naomi Watts, and is based on the story of would-be assassin Samuel Byck, who plotted to kill Richard Nixon in 1974. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004...

and The Indian Runner
The Indian Runner
The Indian Runner is a 1991 drama film written and directed by Sean Penn. It is based on Bruce Springsteen's song, "Highway Patrolman".-Plot:...

were also shot in Omaha, including scenes of the now demolished Delmar Hotel. In 2005, Payne joined the board of directors of Film Streams

Film Streams

Film Streams is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to enhancing the cultural environment of Omaha, Nebraska in the United States of America, and the surrounding region through the presentation and discussion of film.-About:...

, a nonprofit arts organization opening a two-screen cinema in downtown Omaha.

The demolition of Omaha's Indian Hills Theater

Indian Hills Theater

The Indian Hills Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, was built in 1962 as a movie theater showcasing films in the Cinerama wide-screen format. The theater's screen was the largest of its type in the United States...

, at one time the largest Cinerama

Cinerama

Cinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. It is also the trademarked name for the corporation which was formed to market it...

in the nation, remains a source of contention between the local artistic community and Methodist Hospital and, at present, the Dundee Theatre

Dundee Theatre

The Dundee Theatre is an historic 475-seat movie theater located at 4952 Dodge Street in Omaha, Nebraska USA. The Dundee is the last active single-screen movie theater in Omaha.-History:...

is the lone surviving single-screen movie theater in the city.

Media

The Omaha metropolitan area is served by the Omaha World-Herald
Omaha World-Herald
The Omaha World-Herald, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is the primary daily newspaper of Nebraska, as well as portions of southwest Iowa. For decades it circulated daily throughout Nebraska, and in parts of Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and Wyoming. In 2008, distribution was reduced to the...

, the city's major newspaper, as well as suburban newspapers and independent newspapers and magazines including The Reader, and Omaha Magazine. The Omaha Star, founded in 1938 in North Omaha, is Nebraska's only African American newspaper.

The Omaha World-Herald is the largest employee-owned newspaper in the United States, and also has one of the highest "penetration rates, meaning the percentage of the population that subscribes to the newspaper, in the country. The Omaha World-Herald Freedom Center is a $200 million printing press facility that is on the north end of downtown.

People

Omaha is the historic and modern birthplace and home of many notable politicians, actors, musicians, business leaders and cultural leaders. Malcolm X

Malcolm X

Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...

was born in Omaha in 1925. A variety of actors, including Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire

and Adele Astaire

Adele Astaire

Lady Charles Cavendish , better known as Adele Astaire, was an American dancer and entertainer. She was Fred Astaire's elder sister. Her birthdate was often given as 1897 or 1898, but the 1900 U.S...

, Nick Nolte

Nick Nolte

, Dorothy McGuire

Dorothy McGuire

Dorothy Hackett McGuire was an American actress.-Career:Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she began her acting career on the stage at the Omaha Community Playhouse...

and Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...

were born in Omaha. Academy Award winner Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda

Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...

also grew up in Omaha and was encouraged to pursue acting by Marlon Brando's mother at the Omaha Community Playhouse

Omaha Community Playhouse

, which she helped found. Montgomery Clift

Montgomery Clift

Edward Montgomery Clift was an American film and stage actor. The New York Times’ obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men"....

came from Omaha as well and his family's home still stands on South 33rd St, a few blocks from the Gerald Ford birthplace site

Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens

The Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens in Omaha, Nebraska marks the location of the house at 3202 Woolworth Avenue where U.S. President Gerald R. Ford lived for a couple of weeks after his birth in July 1913...

which memorializes the 38th President. Omaha's rich musical heritage includes legends such as Wynonie Harris

Wynonie Harris

, Preston Love

Preston Love

Preston Haines Love was a renowned alto saxophonist, bandleader and songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska.-Biography:Preston Love grew up in North Omaha and graduated from North High....

, Buddy Miles

Buddy Miles

, Calvin Keys

Calvin Keys

Calvin Keys is an American jazz guitarist, known for the several albums he released for Black Jazz Records.The Bay Area virtuoso guitarist is well known for his performances and recordings with greats such as Ray Charles, John Handy, Bobby Hutcherson, Eddie Marshall, Sonny Stitt, Pharaoh Sanders,...

, Eugene McDaniels and many others. The modern music scene includes the members of 311

311 (band)

. The richest person in the world, Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett

Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is...

, also lives in Omaha.

Ethnic and racial groups

Native Americans, including Pawnee, Otoe

Otoe, Nebraska

Otoe is a village in Otoe County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 217 at the 2000 census. Previously Berlin, the town was renamed after World War I due to prevailing anti-German sentiment.-Geography:...

, Sioux

Sioux

The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...

, the Missouri and Ioway, have occupied the area for thousands of years. As the city of Omaha has grown, it has thrived from the contributions of people from nations around the world. Early populations to settle in the city included Czechs

Czechs in Omaha, Nebraska

Czechs in Omaha, Nebraska have made significant contributions to the political, social and cultural development of the city since the first immigrants arrived in 1868.-About:In the 1860s many Czechs, primarily from Bohemia and Moravia, immigrated to Nebraska...

, Irish

Irish in Omaha, Nebraska

The Irish in Omaha, Nebraska have constituted a major ethnic group throughout the history of the city, and continue to serve as important religious and political leaders. They compose a large percentage of the local population....

, Germans

Germans in Omaha, Nebraska

Germans in Omaha immigrated to the city in Nebraska from its earliest days of founding in 1854, in the years after the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. They continued to immigrate to Omaha in large numbers later in the 19th century, when many came from Bavaria and southern Germany...

, Italians, and Norwegians, African Americans

African Americans in Omaha, Nebraska

African Americans in Omaha, Nebraska are central to the development and growth of the 43rd largest city in the United States. The first free black settler in the city arrived in 1854, the year the city was incorporated....

, Greeks

Greeks in Omaha, Nebraska

The community of Greeks in Omaha, Nebraska has a history that extends back to the 1880s. After they originally moved to the city following work with the railroads, the community quickly grew and founded a substantial neighborhood in South Omaha that was colloquially referred to as "Greek Town." The...

, Poles, Jews and Slovaks. Today there are growing populations of Sudanese, Mexicans

Mexicans in Omaha, Nebraska

Mexicans in Omaha are people living in Omaha, Nebraska, United States who have citizenship or ancestral connections to the country Mexico. They have contributed to the economic, social and cultural well-being of Omaha for more than a century. Mexicans, or Latino people identified incorrectly as...

, and Latinos from throughout Central and South America.

Other cultural highlights

A portion of Omaha's renovated downtown area is known as the Old Market. Part of the former "Jobbers Canyon" that included fruit markets, warehouses and other agricultural and industrial buildings, it is home to a number of shops, restaurants, bars, and art galleries. The area also has uneven brick roads, horse drawn carriages, and street performers.

Between the zoo and the Old Market lies the Omaha Botanical Gardens

Omaha Botanical Gardens

Omaha Botanical Gardens , officially known as Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha's Botanical Center, are a botanical gardens and an arboretum located at 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, Nebraska. The gardens are open daily during business hours; an admission fee is charged.-About:The gardens began in 1982,...

(also known as Lauritzen Gardens). This 100 acres (40.5 ha) botanical garden features 13 outdoor areas, including a rose garden, herb garden, children’s garden and an arboretum. Recognizing Union Pacific's long history in Omaha, situated on the grounds of Lauritzen Gardens is the new Kenefick Park

Kenefick Park

Kenefick Park is located at 100 Bancroft Street in South Omaha, Nebraska. Located next to the Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha's botanical gardens, the park features "two of the greatest locomotives ever to power Union Pacific Railroad."-About:...

, featuring two of the largest locomotives ever used in the United States - Big Boy #4023, a steam engine, and Centennial #6900. These locomotives overlook Interstate 80 for motorists entering from Iowa.

Omaha is also home to a number of nonprofit and charity

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

organizations, including Father Flanagan's famous Girls and Boys Town

Girls and Boys Town

Boys Town, formerly Girls and Boys Town and Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, is a non-profit organization dedicated to caring for its children and families, with national headquarters in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska...

. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

Henry Doorly Zoo

The Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, located at 3701 South 10th Street.It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is conservation, research, recreation, and education.Omaha's Henry Doorly...

is widely considered one of the premier zoos in the world. The River City Star
River City Star
The River City Star is a passenger excursion riverboat that sails on the Missouri River in the United States between Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa. The boat is docked at Miller's Landing in the NoDo area of Downtown Omaha and is registered in Nebraska for taxes and alcohol licensing...

provides cruises on the Missouri River

Missouri River

The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...

from the historic Miller's Landing in downtown Omaha.

There are a number of visual and performance artists from Omaha, including Edward Ruscha

Edward Ruscha

Edward Joseph Ruscha IV is an American artist associated with the Pop art movement. He has worked in the media of painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, and film. Ruscha lives and works in Culver City, California...

.

Omaha has five sister cities: Shizuoka, Japan (1965); Braunschweig, Germany (1992); Siauliai, Lithuania (1996; Naas, Ireland (2002); and Xalapa, Mexico (2005).

External links

Omaha Heritage and Culture Festival website.
All About Omaha website.
Film Streams website.
Shelterbelt Theatre website.
Omaha slideshow. Studio 360's Kurt Andersen takes you to his hometown, Omaha, Nebraska, and finds a surprisingly vibrant arts and music scene.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Museums

Performing arts

Music

Cuisine

Sports

Festivals and parades

Film

Media

People

Ethnic and racial groups

Other cultural highlights

See also

External links