About three years after renovations began, the Heartland of America Park and Lewis and Clark Landing in downtown Omaha are set to reopen August 18th, 2023. This comes an entire year after the third park in Omaha’s The Riverfront system, The Gene Leahy Mall, re-opened in July of 2022.
The Heartland of America Park was carved out of a section downtown closest to the riverfront when ConAgra built their suburban campus east of 10th Street. The renovated park and pond will be slightly smaller with the addition of new buildings on the site. The Mercantile apartments are the first going up and are nearly complete this summer. The fountain remains and will be joined by a skating ribbon, small amphitheater, and the Farnam Pier (see header image above), which extends over the Missouri River to give visitors a wonderful view of downtown, Iowa, and the river.
These maps and other information from the Riverfront Revitalization website.
Maha Festival has already announced that after years playing at Stinson Park, they will return to The Riverfront. Though they have not announced it yet, it is likely Taste of Omaha will follow suit.
Lewis And Clark Landing was carved out of the old Asarco grounds, a lead-contaminated Superfund site. Today the park provides excellent riverfront access for visitors. Recently The Keiwit Luminarium, an interactive science museum, opened for visitors. Joining the Luminarium will be extensive playgrounds for families and a new extension for the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge that gives easier access to North Downtown, the Baby Bob.
Council Bluffs, Iowa, is likewise developing their waterfront parks. The newest expansions there is temporarily called River’s Edge Phase Four and will include many family-friendly features, an observation tower/playground, and their own pier over the water. Visitors to both riverfronts can walk over the Missouri River using the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge.
