Omaha Forums

Stargazer wrote:You know Larry... there's this really cool place in downtown called the Old Market... you might want to check that out too... and try to visit our zoo across the interstate from Lauritzen Gardens... it is very highly regarded as well.

(glad you finally made it!  it's a real gem!)

NovakOmaha wrote:

Stargazer wrote:You know Larry... there's this really cool place in downtown called the Old Market... you might want to check that out too... and try to visit our zoo across the interstate from Lauritzen Gardens... it is very highly regarded as well.

(glad you finally made it!  it's a real gem!)

Downtown?  I heard it isnt safe.  We'll just go to Applebees & then back to our hotel room at 180th and Dodge.  We enjoy going to different applebees when we travel.

thenewguy wrote:Applebee's?  Never heard of it.  If that restaurant doesn't pan out, we've got a couple great local places called Ruby Tuesday (named after the famous 1940's Omaha blues singer) and Red Robin (named after a rare rural species of robin that often nested in the fields around Boys Town and the village point farming community, before progress set in).

Then there are chain restaurants, too...but I'd recommend the local flavors.

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:Hey, four years ago called.  It wants its local current event-based humor back.

Kim Davis, Director of Annual Campaigns wrote:July 24, 2008


Dear friend of the garden,


Few of us who love Lauritzen Gardens will soon forget the afternoon of June 27, 2008.

Hail, 90 mile-per-hour winds, drenching rain all combined to wound our garden and seriously damage our trees and shrubs, as well as our flowers. No garden space north of the festival garden was left perfectly intact.

Our dedicated garden staff has already waged a massive cleanup effort and is concentrating now on repair and recovery. Eighteen hundred new annuals have been purchased and planted. Pruning continues. Trees, stripped of their leaves by the storm, are now beginning to flourish. Vibrant color is again in place. Countless hours and thousands of dollars have already been spent to restore our garden.

Our garden is alive and is recovering. But we do need help.

It is difficult to estimate the financial toll wrought by this storm. We do know that it will be significant, and we know that it will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Just like the trees and flowers in your own yard at home, our trees, shrubs and plants cannot be insured.

To help, we have established the Garden Restoration Fund. You, our members and friends, are uniquely positioned to help, and you should know that we need your help more now than ever before. As a young non-profit institution, we rely on donations to sustain our garden. This year, we ask your help to restore our garden.

Thank you for considering this important appeal. Every gift of any size is greatly appreciated.  Click here to view photos and give online.



Sincerely,  
Kim Davis
Director of Annual Campaigns  

Lauritzen Gardens wrote:Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Autumn Ambience is a celebration of the harvest and will demonstrate many ways to reap the rewards of the gardening season.The festival will feature antique farm and garden tractors on display with an antique tractor parade at 4 p.m. on Sunday. The festival will also include hands-on children's activities, scarecrow making, live music by Brad Hoshaw and dance by The Omaha Cloggers and The Omaha Country Kickers, garden strolls, a bake sale with food provided by Whole Foods Market and hayrack rides.  

The visitor and education center's indoor floral display is festooned in autumn colors during the Japanese-inspired fall chrysanthemum show on display through November 23. The show articulates the beauty of autumn with brightly colored, unique chrysanthemums, Japanese maples, Japanese water features and the textures and rich colors of trees and shrubs.
 
Don't miss this unique show with numerous Japanese elements including dramatic koinobori, bamboo, Zen garden influences such as a rock garden and water features and hundreds of brightly colored chrysanthemums.

Weather permitting, the model railroad garden and the garden tram will stop running for the season on Friday, October 31. Make sure to stop down and enjoy the fall colors in the garden on a narrated tram tour and stop by the model railroad garden. They will reopen in May.

Do your holiday shopping and support Lauritzen Gardens at the same time by shopping at the gift shop.  Find beautiful nature and garden themed decor for your home and tree or just to give as a gift.  The gift shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day.  

Some of the featured holiday items are: Poinsettia themed ornaments and decor, leaf, snowflake, feather or acorn ornaments, candlesticks, boxed holiday cards, decorative coasters, decorative boxed matches and more!

Saturday, April 11

9 a.m. to Noon

Please join us for a very special Easter celebration in the garden! Children's "carrot craft" activities and photos with the Easter Bunny precede a unique egg hunt in the garden's arboretum. The café will open at 9 a.m., allowing visitors to grab coffee or breakfast before starting on all the exciting activities.

9 to 11 a.m.  

Children's "carrot craft" activities featuring garden and Easter themes in the great hall
Photos with the Easter Bunny in the floral display hall
Spring stories in the children's classroom

11:10 a.m.  

Egg hunt in the arboretum
The egg hunt will be divided into three age groups:

- "Crawler Corral," Ages 3 and under
- Ages 4 to 6
- Ages 7 and up

An additional $3 per child is charged for photos and activities.  Standard garden admission rates apply for this event. Members are admitted free. Join today!  Due to limited capacity, advanced registration is required for any and all of the activities. Please RSVP to (402) 346-4002 ext. 262 or m.sears@omahabotanicalgardens.org by end of day Thursday, April 9.

Travel Abroad at Lauritzen Gardens This Summer!

Architectural Wonders of the World Exhibit  
On Display to October, 2009

A favorite spot for many since its opening in summer 2007, the model railroad garden is a whimsical village of three-dimensional trestles, bridges and Omaha-area landmark replicas elaborately constructed from bark, vines, seeds, twigs and other natural materials. Seven G-scale model trains, twice the size of the more common O-gauge model trains, travel continuously through this miniature botanical world that is open annually from April through October.

Expanding the garden's enchantment beyond its borders this season are 13 of the world's most fascinating structures - architectural feats - that provide insight into mysterious civilizations of long ago. As you visit these structures, temporarily on display for this season's Architectural Wonders of the World exhibit, you will embark on a journey that imaginatively carries you to the far ends of the earth and well beyond Lauritzen Gardens' 100 acres.

All permanent and temporary structures, amazingly accurate in detail, were designed by Paul Busse and his crew at Applied Imagination in Alexandria, Ky.

The model railroad garden is maintained by not only garden horticultural staff but also dedicated volunteer engineers who keep the model trains running and have intriguing railroad and model train information to share. Enjoy your visit!

The Architectural Wonders of the World exhibit is made possible by a generous gift from the H. Lee and Carol Gendler Charitable Fund.

Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Open until 8 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, May 11 through September 14

ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Boudhanath Stupa (Kathmandu, Nepal)

Eiffel Tower (Paris, France)

Great Pyramid of Khufu (Giza, Egypt)

Great Sphinx of Giza (Giza Plateau, Egypt)

Great Wall of China (China)

Hagia Sophia (Istanbul, Turkey)

Himeji Castle (Himeji, Japan)

Lighthouse of Alexandria (Alexandria, Egypt)

Machu Picchu (Peru)

Moai (Easter Island)

Petra (Arabah, Jordan)

Taj Mahal (Agra, India)

Tikal (Guatemala)

Lauritzen Gardens wrote: Opening Memorial Weekend
Saturday, May 23 through Monday, May 25
Celebrating Life's Milestones


Visitors are invited to uniquely honor loved ones this Memorial Day weekend, May 23 through 25, during the opening of Lauritzen Gardens' new Garden of Memories.
 
The garden will officially open Saturday, May 23 at 9 a.m.

Activities Planned For Memorial Day
Monday, May 25, from noon to 4 p.m.
Guests are invited to bring peonies, or other cut flowers, and place them in two eight-foot-tall topiaries to celebrate the memory of friends and family. Guests will also be encouraged to write about memories of loved ones and special events in their lives. A memory book will then be compiled and stored as a keepsake of the Garden of Memories opening at Lauritzen Gardens. Live flute music will be performed in the Garden of Memories from noon to 4 p.m., and the café will be open in the visitor and education center from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

In the event of rain, all activities will take place in the visitor and education center.

The Garden of Memories provides an important way for Lauritzen Gardens to recognize and give thanks to the thousands of people who have helped, and continue to help, make the garden a reality. Contribution opportunities are still available.

Lauritzen Gardens member email wrote:Garden hosts first wine tasting event to celebrate
"Wild About Omaha"
 
Friday, July 24
5 to 11 p.m.


Along with a dozen other arts and entertainment organizations, Lauritzen Gardens is "wild about Omaha." In celebration of its centennial, Mutual of Omaha has created the Wild About Omaha Weekend on July 24 and 25, during which venues and activities will be open free to the public. Special programs, entertainment and refreshments will be offered everywhere and transportation will be provided among the various locations.

As part of the festivities, the garden will host "Wine Around the World" from 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday, July 24. Free admission to the garden during gorgeous twilight hours will enhance the travel to different worlds as guests experience wine, music and beautiful garden ambience. Stroll the garden from 5 to 9 p.m. and visit six stations throughout our 100-acre site. Tram rides are available on a first come, first-served basis and seating is limited, so walking is encouraged.

Each country will offer free samples, courtesy of Mutual of Omaha, while supplies last. Additional samples will be available for $1 and glasses of wine will be available for $5.

Festivities will continue inside the visitor and education center and on the festival garden terrace with "Pinot and Piano" from 9 to 11 p.m., when the sun has set and luminaries ignite the ambience. Guests may enjoy one free sample of pinot noir and one free sample of pinot grigio with complimentary bite-sized desserts while supplies last.

WINE CELLAR AND GIFT SHOP
Guests will have the opportunity to purchase their favorite wines by the bottle in a unique "wine cellar" available during the event. The garden's café will also be open, serving dinner items and hors d'oeuvres until 9:30 p.m.

Menu
French Dip Sandwich with Orzo Pasta Salad and Canned Beverage - $6
Small Plate of Cheese & Crackers - $4
Small Anti Pasto Plate - $4
Fruit Cup - $2
Chicken Salad Sandwich on Croissant - $5
Red Velvet Cake - $3
Cookie - $1
Canned Beverage - $1
Bottled Beverage - $1.50

If you are one of the first 500 guests, you will receive a commemorative wine glass. Wine samples are available while supplies last.

In the event of rain, outdoor tasting stations will be moved indoors.

Visit http://www.wildaboutomaha.com for all the details on this exciting free weekend celebration!

Sunday, September 13 Noon to 4 p.m.

Enjoy beautiful automobiles staged among stunning flowers and lush greenery. Guests may walk the 100 acres of gardens or take a narrated tram tour for $3 per person, which includes a stop at Kenefick Park. The café will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and snacks.

Brad wrote:The model railroad garden will be open for the season this weekend.

Erin Golden WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:Omaha's big sewer project is temporarily changing the shape of Lauritzen Gardens — and in some ways sparking new long-term additions to the popular destination.

Erin Golden WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:it required some special considerations because the gardens were built on a site where the city once deposited its trash.

Erin Golden WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:Areas closed until spring 2014, which will mark the end of the work, are the Children's Garden, Founders' Garden, Herb Garden and a new Japanese Garden.

For now, 12 of the 19 garden areas, along with Kenefick Park, are open to the public.

Erin Golden WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:The work also is offering Lauritzen a chance to expand into areas that were previously undeveloped.

Big E wrote:Those two after the butterfly look amazingly real for being Legos.

Erin Golden WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote: By late next year, drivers crossing the Missouri River from Iowa to Omaha on I-80 will see a new shape on the hillside: a gleaming glass building inspired by a tropical flower in bloom.

Lauritzen Gardens will soon break ground on a $20 million, 20,000-square-foot conservatory that will house tropical and temperate gardens and feature a gallery for floral displays and special events. The popular South Omaha tourist destination, which opened its visitors center 12 years ago, is collecting another $10 million for a conservatory endowment and plans to spend $1.5 million on signs directing drivers to the gardens.