Had a family day recently at the Durham to check out the newest exhibit, Disney: Heroes & Villains,…read moreand we had the best time! We loved seeing Cinderella's dress up close, admiring all the incredible details of Maleficent, and taking part in the scavenger hunt (don't forget to grab it at the front desk!). Such a fun, interactive exhibit that's truly great for all ages. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTDRNvYs7/

I was in town visiting and wanted to see how Omaha's Union Station compares to the one we have back…read morehome. It was built in 1931 in the Art Deco style and designed by LA architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood. The museum has lots of photographs and examples of materials used that would be a delight for all those interested in architecture. Downstairs was the train depot and where you can go inside and sit in the train cars. Most of the rooms appeared to be part of their permanent collection, but part of the downstairs area has rotating exhibits. The exhibit on display was "The Negro Motorist Green Book" which you may be familiar with if you watched the 2018 film "Green Book." I had a great time at the museum and would return, although check the calendar as I went when the NE SciFest going on and I prefer calmer museum visits. Still, definitely would recommend checking it out!

Life as a prisoner is not for me. There's a friendly…read moreattendant at the entrance to guide you and give info annoy the jail. Very interesting especially for my hubby and his friend.

This is a one of a kind place worth visiting. It was a revolving prison that was used from 1885 to…read more1969. It had 3 floors of pie-shaped cells inside a cage. The fourth floor was where the jailer and his family lived. The staff were very nice and knowledgeable about the place. This is not free but your $10 is definitely worth it. Their small gift shop (also were you check in) has shirts, pins, and magnets. This is walking distance from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum which is also another place to see in Council Bluffs.

This place is freaking awesome! We are visiting from Denver and I was so excited to visit. It…read moreabsolutely lived up to the hype! There were so many awesome artifacts and each item had its own notecard explaining the story. There were two of us and we used the black light flashlights and a spirit box, and it ran us $96. Price is a bit steep BUT the place was really cool and the staff is incredibly helpful and kind. The manager was giving us lots of stories on the building's history and some of the artifacts he actually helped retrieve! Such a special and fun experience, I can't recommend enough! Thank you, Museum of Shadows!

I REALLY wanted to love this place, as I LOVE all things paranormal, but sadly I was quite…read moredisappointed with this place, purely because of the lack of care and attention to detail. But because of how badly really wanted to love this place, I'm going to leave a super long review with points I really think could benefit you guys if you're open to it, and really help make this place flourish! So Each room we went into was just a big empty room, with a million cluttered artifacts lining the perimeter of each room, complete with the same laminated piece of paper typed up on word, accompanying literally every single item. So if someone wanted to read every single piece of paper in here, I have no doubts it would take AT LEAST 34 hours... And it's unfortunate bc they really did have a ton of awesome items with super interesting stories attached, but everytime you walk a couple more feet around the perimeter, you're again overwhelmed with the sheer amount of clutter/things to read. So I'd really recommend to the staff to try and change the layout of this place. Ideally the rooms would be smaller, so that you aren't overwhelmed by a big empty room. Even just some kind of cheap room dividers that simulate a divided up room would work. And the 2nd biggest recommendation I have would be changing up how you present information. At the very least that means just changing the sizes of the captions you have next to items, like making some of the captions in much bigger frames, and maybe keeping some small ones, there just needs to be more of a variety to keep the scene in front of your more interesting. And maybe don't have soo many captions that were excessively long, like you could sum up the item in just a couple sentences, and then save the entire detailed story about the item just for guided tours or something. Lastly- WHY IN THE WORLD DO YOU NOT LET PEOPLE USE THEIR PHONES? Don't you understand every time someone would take a pic of something in your museum and then post it on social media, that's LITERALLY FREE ADVERTISING for you! Trust me, you're only hurting yourself by not letting ppl share pics of their visit here.

Incredible property and amazing staff. The house is…read morebeautifully decorated and well-maintained, full of curious household items from the epoch. Even has a fully functional music box which guests can operate, as well as a cool small exhibit of Valentine Day cards from 1920s to 1950s. Exhibits of vintage purses and childrens' shoes were also interesting. Staff were very knowledgeable and visibly enjoyed educating about the house and surroundings. They were so exceptionally hospitable that even... offered us an ice cream!!! Can't recommend enough. Amazing piece of Omaha history and great staff.

Great meal and atmosphere was pleasing. We were on a bus trip to Omaha and this house was on the…read moretour. Learned a lot about General Crook and the house. Food was great and served hot! Even with a full house.

I'm a Hotel Sales Manager with a large, well-known brand of worldwide hotels. I have worked with…read moreSteve at Elite for about the past 8 years now. What a pleasure to work with! He is a great negotiator and consistently seeks THE BEST available accommodations-- at the best possible rates ---to meet not only his clients needs---- but their expectations as well! Since the beginning of our working relationship, I have found Steve to be very fair, honest, and GENUINELY kind! In my many years as a Sales Manager.....I can honestly say that unfortunately.... in this business...it's hard to come by a really "genuine" and caring Tour Operator that has their customers' best interests in mind. Steve is the kind of Tour Operator I WOULD WANT if I were touring and would be my FIRST pick if I had the time to do so! No question....Steve is truly devoted to the satisfaction and enjoyment of Elite's many tour clients! Good for you Steve! Keep it up! That's what we are in this business for! Always a pleasure!

We would not recommend this company to anyone. For years, Steve has offered places on itinerary…read morethat had been closed for 5 years. The bus restroom was NEVER emptied. The bus drivers and tour guides complained about tour owner. Bus drivers and tour guides never followed tour itinerary and we arrived at motels at 10 o'clock at night with no supper. Tour owner, Steve, threatened to sue us for $10,000 because we wrote of bad experiences on his tour site. G&F Foster

From iconic works by artists like Kehinde Wiley, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Auguste Rodin to stunning…read morecontemporary pieces, every corner gives you something new to feel, discover, and reflect on. And the best part? It's completely FREE!  Whether you're looking for a solo reset, a cute date idea, quality time with friends, or a fun family outing, this is the perfect place to slow down, get inspired, and pour back into yourself. Let me also add - great location for weddings and recently did Slow Sundays (yoga) here! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTDLEE28v/

Apparently a relatively recent rebuild as of this writing, this art museum inhabits a majestic…read morespace. The roads leading to the parking include some counterintuitive one ways and you can (and I did) end up in a dead end, but it's generally not busy enough to prevent you from figuring it out. Entrance is free, with one exhibition being a separate paid ticket. I appreciated a substantial portion of the collection devoted to the Native American peoples of the region and the early expansion of the United States. Having said that, it was also a global collection. I gave myself an hour to view it and had to rush just to get a brief run of the place. Some of the modern art didn't really come off for me, but overall it was a thought-provoking collection. There was also a substantial educational component, with rooms being devoted to what looked like early childhood education and more of a summer camp for older children. The site was well known to everyone I talked to in the city, and clearly a significant local institution, but one worth visiting regardless of where you are from.

Night Lite was SO COOL! I am a huge fan of the Night Lite…read morebecause it's low light, no screaming kids, and a DJ! It was about $20 for a non member and $15 for members!

1. Lots of interesting hands on experiences 2. To me it was…read moremore for kids entertainment 3. There is a small kids' indoor playground 4. I personally loved the arts and crafts center, (took me back to my childhood moments) 5. Plenty of parking but they do fill up quick 6. Outside playground for the kids is nearby, as well as the river front 7. Staff is nice

The Golden Spike Monument represents the eastern terminus [starting point] of the Union Pacific…read moreRailroad which then extended westward to form the transcontinental railroad. Abraham Lincoln visited this area in 1859 and later chose Council Bluffs to begin the rail line. The Union Pacific met the Central Pacific Railroad (which began from the western terminus in Sacramento, CA) at Promontory Point, Utah in 1869 where a golden spike ceremony took place. Coincidentally, I lived in Sacramento for many years and visited the excellent California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento several times. In addition, in my youth, my family visited Promontory Point and I made another visit several years ago. I can now state that I have seen all sides of the transcontinental railroad story. This site needs some care -- small gravel parking lot has potholes, monument needs some touch-up paint, and some informational markers would be helpful. Meanwhile, I highly recommend that anyone who wants historical information about the Golden Spike should visit the Union Pacific Railroad Museum which is located next to Bayliss Park in downtown Council Bluffs!

This attraction is one of those oddities that I just had to see. It is located in a little park…read morearea with benches, and a picnic table nearby. There is free street parking within a reasonable walking distance. The monument is located in the center of a plot of green space that is well maintained. The monument is enclosed by a fence and and has a paved walkway around it. The monument marks Milepost 0.0 of the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad and sits where a transfer and passenger station sat. It also, to a minor extent, is meant to address the controversy between Council Bluff and neighboring Omaha over where the railroad actually begin. Apparently, the dispute was bad enough that it had to be taken to court. The monument soars to 59 feet and weighs 243,200 pounds. It took 10 days to construct and was completed on April 26, 1939, which coincided with the premiere of the film "Union Pacific." The spike appears to be in great shape, especially considering its age. It is definitely worth a peak if you are in the area. Well, as with most monuments and memorials that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 10 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. You will find the Lincoln Monument nearby.