A Perfect Afternoon in the Old Market

Omaha, NE

In a week or so I'll be coming up on two years of living in this pretty city. So I thought I'd begin to share the pieces of this place that I adore the most. Here's my afternoon itinerary for spending time in the Old Market! ​

Before anything, I park in the lot on 10th and Jackson. You can find meters along most streets, but I opt to park in this garage because I've noticed there is an attendant on duty and they have a flat rate of $2 Monday through Thursday. It changes to $1 an hour on weekends. 

 12:00p.m. Stop at Jackson Street Booksellers <1119 Jackson St.>
Head into my favorite Omaha bookstore to find a classic for cheap. The best part? You'll literally trip over books. 

• Link for hours + more info!  jacksonstreetbooksellers.squarespace.com/locations/

12:15p.m. Shop at Flying Worm Vintage <12th and Jackson>
If you don't have a drug rug yet, buy one at this store! They aren't your typical colors and that's why I bought my first one here. :) Click here to see which one I bought! (5-packing-essentials-for-co.html)
The clothes are reasonably priced and from about every decade. They also sell cowboy boots, tie dyes, Hawaiian shirts, and soda in bottles!

• ​www.omahavintage.com/?page_id=2

12:30p.m. Explore Hollywood Candy <1209 Jackson St.>
You can spend hours exploring here. They have rooms full of antiques, walls of candy, an old school arcade, and a retro diner. My favorite spot? Their neon record hallway. 

• ​www.hollywoodcandy.com/​

1:00p.m. Ted & Wally's <1120 Jackson St.>
If you didn't find a snack at Hollywood, grab some homemade ice cream at Ted & Wally's! They churn it the old-fashioned way with rock salt and ice. The one scoop in a dish is around 3 dollars.  I tried the cotton candy and the fresh basil mint! I liked the cotton candy better, but the mint was refreshing too. Their flavors vary daily, so there's always something new to try!

• ​[ hours in side bar] tedandwallys.com/

1:30p.m. See the famous "Passageway" <417 S 11th St.>
Guys, lemme tell ya. I seriously could not find this place for the longest time. I saw it all over Pinterest and Instagram and felt so stupid for not visiting because I mean I live here ya know? Yet, I didn't want to ask anyone or google it, I just wanted to find it on my own. Two days ago, I finally just walked by the door and was like eeeep this is it.
​
Anyway, it's packed with tiny shops and classy restaurants. I can't honestly vouch for a place to eat yet, but I'm excited to try one soon in the future and write a post about it. :) You don't have to eat or shop to enjoy this cute alley though. Roam as long as you want.

1:45p.m. Pop in other nearby shops- specifically City Limits <1114 Howard St.>
This place is loved by the roomies and I. If you want to feel inspired, go here. If you want to get your organization game on, go here. If you need a journal for dealing with a certain obstacle, go here. If you want a vintage style map for $4, go here!!! As you can see, I took advantage of this awesome to-do list pad for $6.99!

• oldmarket.com/website/info_page.jsp?id=11193

2:00p.m. Okay you've been at it for two hours now. Here's three ways to end your afternoon. [If you're tough and adventurous, do all three] 

• Walk off your ice cream at Heartland of America Park <800 Douglas St.>

-Admission: FREE
I spent almost two hours here just walking along the trail and taking photos. I want to go sometime at night so I can what the fountain looks like then! From the looks of Google, it looks pretty dang magical.

• Trek to the Nebraska/Iowa state line on the Pedestrian Bridge <705 Riverfront Drive> 

​-Admission: FREE
​There's parking at the base of the bridge so don't worry about walking from the Old Market area. It's only a few minutes from the parking garage where I had you park! Get out your camera so you can pose by the state line or have an awesome background of the Missouri River. 

• If you're done being outside and have some spending money left, drive over to the Durham Museum. ​​<801 South 10th St.>

-Admission: $11
Adults are $11 and yeah that might seem like a lot (yeah I saved up for this one), BUT this place is worth it. It is a museum with a handful of galleries, REAL trains to climb into, activities for kids, and a concession place that looks straight out of an old school train station. I spent about an hour and a half here. :)

• ​durhammuseum.org/visit/hours-and-admission/

Old Market Tip: Go on a Saturday between May 6th and October 14th for their Farmer's Market!
If that's the case, start your trip a little earlier because the market is only open from 8:00a.m. to 12:30p.m. 

• omahafarmersmarket.com/old-market/

*Did I miss a favorite of yours?
*Have you tried any of the restaurants in the Passageway? What was your experience?