Six Cool Things to Do This Fall in Nebraska

9/30/2023

The leaves are changing. The mornings are growing chilly. We only have a couple more months before it's too cold to to be outside! That's why I decided to throw together a list of my favorite fall places to visit in Nebraska. Let's hop into Six Cool Things to Do This Fall in Nebraska...

1. enjoy apple cider at roca berry farm

It's pumpkin patch season! Man, is there a better time of year than sleeping with the windows open and watching spooky movies with your favorite fuzzy blanket? I love hitting up the pumpkin patch, but sometimes doing so can turn into a big expense.

I really enjoy visiting Roca Berry Farm. It's affordable with weekend pricing at $19.95 per person. To make it even cooler, they recently added two rides called the Barn Swing and the Coronado ride. Both of these are included in your admission price, so you don't have to crack out extra cash to ride these!

Roca has multiple attractions like their haunted hayride, sunflower field, GhostTown mini golf, wooden obstacle course, train ride, game booths, corn maze, and delicious drinks, like hot apple cider. They serve hot drinks at the Funnel Cake Factory, Donut Hut, Corn Dog Hut, Smokehouse, and Barry's Burgers! Roca is also famous for their Scary Farm. I've yet to see their haunted attractions, but it's on the list because it looks so fun and super creepy!

TIP: Roca Berry Farm recently posted a Philly sandwhich that looked amazing on Facebook. You can snag this at their Back Porch Grill!

2. visit ashland's wildlife safari park

Our four year old recently had a birthday and we had the best time celebrating here. This place has a drive thru safari and it was so fun to hang out of the car to look for animals! The park had way more than I expected: buffalo, wolves, elk, bears, and goats. I worried about how much time we could spend here, but there was plenty to do! You can easily spend a full morning here.

We visited on a Saturday morning when it opened at 9:00 AM and it was perfect, with no crowd. Adults are $12 and kids are $10, which is a pretty good deal because you can spend hours here! My favorite spot was their observation tower, near their goat shed, it overlooks their swamp land. Their park is open 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily through October :)

TIP: I would recommend popping on tennis shoes because even though this is a drive thru safari, they have many exhibits on the grounds with beautiful walking trails! This is such a fun fall thing to do with your kids in Nebraska.

3. sit in quiet at the Holy family shrine

The Holy Family Shrine would be a great spot to visit before the cold blows in. It sits quietly up on a hilltop near the Gretna exit and has multiple places outside to sit and reflect, with an awesome view.

They're open Mon - Sat 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sun Noon - 5:00 PM. You can even attend their Catholic mass which occurs every Saturday at 10:00 AM. I visited the shrine on New Year Eve's a couple years ago and it was really nice to reflect on the past year on one of their benches. The air was still and hearing yourself think, was so easy.

TIP: The Holy Family Shrine is a wonderful option if you're looking to squeeze some outside time in and are trying to do a no-spend weekend. It's free to visit the shrine!

4. experience a haunted treerush adventure

If you're looking for something cool to add to your Halloween Bucket List, Haunted TreeRush might be it. TreeRush Adventures is a park in Fontenelle Forest where you can climb suspended bridges and zip line through the tree tops. In October, they transform the park into a haunted forest!

They're open Thursday through Sunday. Tickets for 12+ are $59 and kids 7-11 are $48. This activity is more on the expensive side, but the park is incredible and your ticket allows you three hours in the park!

They have more than 113 aerial challenges and 18 different zip lines. To climb, you wear a harness and metal clips, but after a quick training session, you are off by yourself. By far, it is one of the coolest things I've experienced in Nebraska! TreeRush Adventures is a great fall activity to do in Omaha.

TIPS: Book your Haunted TreeRush tickets online and save $5 on each ticket.

5. Experience fall foliage at smith falls

I instantly imagine Vermont when I think of fall and the changing leaves. However, have you ever seen the leaves at Smith Falls? You'd think you stepped right out of the Midwest and into New England!

You'll find Smith Falls right off the Niobrara River, not far from Valentine, Nebraska. It is the highest waterfall in the state and should definitely be on your Nebraska bucket list! For a daily pass into the park it's $7 and $14 if you have an out of state vehicle.

This area is beautiful, so it's the perfect spot to stay for the weekend & enjoy the Niobrara river. If you're looking for a romantic adventure, this would be a fun spot for couples to visit on a weekday when there's less people!

6. activity center at mahoney state park

Talk about a throw back. I remember drinking slushies and chowing down on soft pretzels at this activity center when I was tiny! Now, I love taking my five year old here and the pretzels are still the bomb! I specifically love this place for three reasons: it's fun, affordable, and you can spend hours here.

To get into the park it's $7 and for the activity center it's $2 for adults, $3 for kids. What a steal, especially these days! We spent over two hours here for my son's birthday and it is such a great way to get your kids energy out! They have a concession stand, which has reasonable pricing too! Mahoney is an awesome place to spend a chilly fall afternoon, since it's indoors.

TIP: Come back here in the winter and ice skate! The rink is fairly big and it's right outside the Activity Center. The skate rental is only $3 too, which is the cheapest place I've been to near Omaha!

Fall is here and I'm so ready for the breezy weather and bonfires! Tell me below....what's on your fall bucket list? I hope this post helps you find fall things to with your kids, as a couple, and as adults just looking for a fun time!

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