Winter Date Ideas
Coming up with fun date ideas when the weather gets cold can be a challenge — but no fret, cause we’ve got you covered. Here’s a BUNCH of winter date ideas around Omaha to inspire your plans.
Go ice skating
Grab your skates (or rent a pair) and get out on an ice rink together. Omaha is lucky to have multiple ice skating rinks available for all ages.
FREE skating & skate rentals! Make reservations online.
301 S 145th St, Omaha, NE 68154
FREE skating! Small cost for skate rentals. Make reservations online.
South 8th Street &, Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68102
Visit an underground wine bar
Mon Càve is a romantic wine bar (underneath Le Bouillon) in the heart of The Old Market. Cozy up next to the fireplace with a glass of your favorite wine.
1015 Howard St, Omaha, NE 68102
Mini bowling
Bowling with mini bowling balls is fun for any age! Both Bob & Willie’s locations are great spots for an indoor date activity.
Bob & Willie’s Wonderbowl — Blackstone
21+ at all times. Price depends on time & day. Reserve a lane online (reservations not available on Friday and Saturday nights after 8pm).
724 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131
Bob & Willie’s Wonderbowl — Blue Sky
Price depends on time & day. Reserve a lane online.
10730 Pacific St, Omaha, NE 68114
Take a snowy hike
If there’s snow on the ground, rent snowshoes from Visitor Services at Fontenelle Forest and take a hike around the forest. Warm up afterward with hot chocolate (maybe even a bite to eat) from a place nearby like Stella’s Bar & Grill.
General admission cost applies for entry to the forest. Snowshoes are available seasonally for a small fee. Call ahead to reserve snowshoes.
1111 Bellevue Blvd N, Bellevue, NE 68005
Visit a holiday market
Take a stroll around one of the many local holiday markets this season! Need ideas for which ones to visit? Sign up for our email list to get our monthly events list.
Tour a museum or art gallery
Spend an afternoon wandering through a museum or gallery together. Omaha has multiple to choose from! Here are just a few recommendations.
General admission is always free.
2200 Dodge St, Omaha, NE 68102
Tickets required.
801 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68108
Admission cost applies.
1111 Jones St, Omaha, NE 68102
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
General admission is always free.
724 S 12th St, Omaha, NE 68102
Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum
Tickets required.
28210 W Park Hwy, Ashland, NE 68003
Tickets required. (Pro tip: visit during their adults-only Night Light on Thursday evenings.)
345 Riverfront Dr, Omaha, NE 68102
Admission cost applies.
1110 Douglas St, Omaha, NE 68102
Check out a holiday pop-up bar
What’s more festive than enjoying seasonal cocktails together at a decked out holiday bar? See our list of this year’s holiday pop-up bars to pick a spot. Visit them while they last this season!
Grab a bite & play arcade games
Drop into Fizzy’s for a fun meal and/or boozy milkshake in a retro restaurant with a 50’s diner vibe. Then walk across the street to play arcade games at Beercade2 with an after-dinner drink.
21+ at all times.
1408 S 13th St, Omaha, NE 68108
21+ after 7pm. Minors allowed before 7pm when accompanied by an adult.
1423 S 13th St, Omaha, NE 68108
Try an escape room
Work together to find your way out of an escape room. Omaha has a bunch of options for escape rooms — these are just a couple top suggestions.
Book a room online ahead of time.
2564 Leavenworth St, Omaha, NE 68105
Book a room online ahead of time.
7905 L St #110, Ralston, NE 68127
Drive around to look at Christmas lights
We’re always a fan of driving around to look at neighborhood lights! Not only is it cheaper than paying for entry to a lights display, there are SO many beautifully lit houses around town that are fun to see. Family Fun in Omaha has an interactive map of light displays in the Omaha area, so you can plan your route before you leave.
Why not also stop by a local coffee shop to grab hot chocolate for the road? The Mill, Hardy Coffee at Chalco, Coffee Society, and 13th Street Coffee and Tea are open in the evening for a hot cocoa pit stop.
Go to Zoolightful
Take a stroll through the zoo . . . even in the winter! Through the rest of December, the zoo transforms into a holiday evening spectacle with festive lights and activities for all ages. Select exhibits are also open for the evening event.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
Tickets required.
3701 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68107
Stop into a board game cafe
Snuggle up with a warm drink and play unlimited board games at Spielbound Board Game Cafe.
Day pass required to play games.
3229 Harney St, Omaha, NE 68131
Try axe throwing
Take a crack at axe throwing at one of these local spots. Omaha has a variety of axe throwing options — these are a few of the top places.
Book online ahead of time. Participants under 18 must have a guardian sign a waiver. 16+ only admitted after 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
2562 Leavenworth St #100, Omaha, NE 68105
Book online ahead of time. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
1507 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68102
Race go-karts
Show a little of your competitive side on the indoor race track at Joe’s Karting.
Race cost or day membership required.
2121 S 32nd St, Council Bluffs, IA 51501
Visit Bright Nights
The weather may be cold outside, but an indoor garden is a great spot for a warm walk. Lauritzen Gardens is open select evenings through December with their holiday display of lights, poinsettias, and activities for all ages. On certain Friday/Saturday nights, there’s a bar so you can get a drink and stroll around the indoor gardens.
Tickets required.
100 Bancroft St, Omaha, NE 68108
Go on a tapas crawl
Head towards an area in town with multiple restaurant/bar options and make your own “tapas crawl”. Split a small dish, enjoy a drink if you want, then grab your coat and walk over to the next spot. See a few examples below, but you can always get creative and come up with your own combo!
Benson: The Tenant → Ika Ramen → Veg.Edible
Blackstone: Corkscrew Wine & Cheese → Nite Owl → Coneflower Creamery
Old Market: La Buvette → Jackson Street Tavern → Centi
Aksarben: Ponzu Sushi and Grill → Saffron Urban Kitchen → Freezing Thai Rolled Ice Cream
Go mini golfing
Work on your putting game together at an indoor mini golfing spot. Omaha has multiple options — here are just a few of the top recommendations.
21+ only after 6pm. Has an in-house bar and kitchen.
111 N 10th St, Omaha, NE 68102
2500 S 120th St, Omaha, NE 68144
20915 Cumberland Dr, Elkhorn, NE 68022
Thrift cozy sweaters
Hit up a local thrift shop and shop for the coziest sweater you can find for one another. Bonus: grab a warm drink at a nearby coffee shop afterward (I probably wouldn’t wear your new sweaters until you’ve had a chance to wash them though 😄). See our list of thrift shops to get ideas for where to shop.
Visit an entertainment center
Smash Park combines food and drinks with a bunch of fun activity options for any couple. Try duckpin bowling, indoor pickleball, axe throwing, karaoke, darts, arcade games, shuffleboard, ping pong, or cornhole — then grab some food or a drink from the bar.
Reserve activities online ahead of time. A few activities are free / first come first serve.
8121 S 125th St, La Vista, NE 68128
Check out a pottery studio
Omaha has multiple spots available for pottery — whether you want to paint a piece of pottery or throw a pot on a wheel, the options below have you covered.
138 N Washington St Suite 101, Papillion, NE 68046
2518 S 132nd Ct, Omaha, NE 68144
7828 Dodge St, Omaha, NE 68114
Listen to live music
Check the upcoming schedule at a small-ish live music venue and grab tickets. It’s a fun way to discover new artists together!
Small plate menu + live music. Reservations are available for some shows. Others are first come first serve.
1030 Capitol Ave, Omaha, NE 68102
Tickets required.
6212 Maple St, Omaha, NE 68104
Reverb Lounge
Tickets required.
6121 Military Ave, Omaha, NE 68104
Tickets required.
729 N 14th St, Omaha, NE 68102
Tickets required.
2234 S 13th St, Omaha, NE 68108
There’s usually a cover charge at the door.
4330 Leavenworth St, Omaha, NE 68105
