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.

You will find this little structure at the end of Gene Leahy Park. It is an iconic photo…read moreopportunity in the heart of downtown Omaha. Contrary to what I thought, the arches do not have any historical significance. They are remanants of the former US National Bank Building that once stood at the corner of 12th and Farnam Streets. They are made of Ohio bluestone and was constructed in 1887. They were reconstructed in it current location in 1979. The arch is currently owned by the city of Omaha. It has a kind of odd placement and looks like a arch just dropped downtown. It is not hard to find and I located it relatively easy. Parking to see this attraction is simple enough. There is tons of metered parking within a reasonable walking distance. This howevre is probably not a destination attractioon. Most of it visitors will come here with this stop as part of a larger itinerary. The arch seems to be in great shape, and has a placard on it that gives some brief information. Anyway, as with most attractions such as this that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes, got my pictures and then I was out. 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.

The Arches, built in 1887 by stone are a very majestic way to signify you are about to enter Gene…read moreLeahy Park in downtown Omaha, NE. When I first saw them, I almost thought I was in Paris! They look just like the Arch de Triomphe. When the former US National Bank Building was originally built, it had two of these very impressive stone arches as it's entrances. However, when the bank was remodeled in 1979, one of the arches was reconstructed here at it's current site along Farnam Street, where it stands today. Owned now by the city of Omaha, the Arches have "stood like silent sentinels at the 12th and Farnam entrance to Gene Leahy Mall," said a story on www.omahabydesign.org. Made of Ohio bluestone, the Arch is a very dignified presence in the Old Market downtown area. I just adore noble pieces of public art such as this, so 5 YELP STARS for sure. But this Arch might need some help. In the omahabydesign story, it mentioned that the "recent condition survey completed by the Omaha Public Art Commission cited the piece as in need of extensive restoration. Although the arches appear complete and sound, there is staining, discoloration, crystalline deposits and drainage problems. It appears as though the drainage system may be clogged or insufficient to remove water from the top of the structure. Water is seeping through the mortar joints along the inside curve of the arch." Not good. Someone with local money needs to step forward or a fund-raising effort should be started to get Arch-y in better shape. Also troubling: minor abrasions, accumulated dust and dirt, bird droppings, lichen and self-adhesive stickers. I imagine some Midwestern graffiti has found it's way onto the Arches. I hope the Omaha-ians can find a way to fix up this distinctly classy reminder of what a lovely city this truly is.

The "Little People's House," which is the politically correct term for what is technically, a…read more"Midget House," is also known as the "Bregant House." Whew! Built in Council Bluffs, Iowa for a tiny Coney Island, N.Y. vaudeville couple in 1912, the house was custom designed to fit the needs of Jean Bregant, who was 42 inches tall and Inez Lewis Bregant who was a robust 39 inches tall. The small home is termed a simple Craftsman Bungalow, which was a popular architectural style in the early part of the 20th Century. "Ceilings and doorways were built to normal height for when normal sized friends came to visit the Bregants, but the fireplace, bathroom fixtures and kitchen appliances were scaled to fit the small couple," said a story on www.nonpareilonline.com I love the 40-inch-high fireplace, small kitchen appliances and mini claw foot bathtub. The home sits amidst several larger homes that now surround it. Best of all, this very quaint home was designated in 2013, as a local landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to www.frontporchnationcom, " A preservation group called Preserve Council Bluffs is raising money to restore the house. One of the most recent projects was restoring the front porch. That included shoring up the foundation and bricks, as well as restoring the original latticework in front." There is a gofundme page set up to solicit donations for Bregant House upkeep. https://www.gofundme.com/5ovym0 4 YELP STARS for this most unusual but fascinating historical home.

We visited this site as part of a church history tour and spent a couple of memorable hours there…read more We loved everything about it! The exhibits are very well done, the paintings are beautiful, the tour guide was expertly knowledgeable, and the messages portrayed were inspiring!

This is an amazing place. You will love the exhibits and enjoy the peaceful spirit as you journey…read moreback in time. Check out the Winter Quarters Temple across the street.

Two of the docents kindly arranged for our group to visit last Monday (outside of the normal…read morehours). They gave us a great tour which included several stories about historical and modern railway transportation. There are many intriguing exhibits within the old Depot building. Although some painting and dusting are needed, that just adds to the overall atmosphere. Very interesting!

What a treasure this depot museum is!…read more My party and I were greeted by Connie, a volunteer. She gave us a tour and plenty of info, beginning with the exterior cars and caboose (that is made of wood and is 140+ years old) and ending in the interior of the building. The interior is complete with three rooms, each filled with historical artifacts, photos, furniture and more. I was pleasantly surprised at all the info that Connie, a worker for the railroad herself, had to offer. She is a perfect fit for this museum that is operated solely by volunteers. The Historic Florence Depot is a must for railroad and history enthusiasts alike. The depot is open on weekends June through August. Though tours are free, I highly suggest donating a little something to keep the place going. Enjoy!

This is a very simple statement of one family and specifically 2 people Granville Dodge and his…read morewife. The description above does a very good job of telling you what to see. During the summer it is a fountain, although the city has been having problems with the piping and it seems to off frequently. If you take the time to stand or sit by the edge of the fountain there is a quiet presence. That it is even here is a story because when the next generations of the Dodge family left Council Bluffs the stature was dismantled and stored in their basement. Many years later when the property was bought with the intent of restoring it to its original look the statue was found. Eventually, a suitable location was found to place it. A personal side note because I live only a few houses from the angel. While they deny it now the Angel goes through stages of legends being told by the kids nearby. She is said to talk or move possibly even cry at certain times of the year. Full moons and Halloween are considered prime times. None of us can verify if any of the legends are true but I know of several 'now adults' who visited the Angel when they were kids usually without their parent's knowledge or approval.

Yes I'm reviewing another cemetery. My friend has a thing for these black angels scattered through…read moreIowa so we found another one (I previously reviewed one in Iowa City). Locally known in Council Bluffs as the "Black Angel," this statue was inspired by visions experienced by Ruth Anne Dodge, the wife of General Dodge, in 1916 on the three nights preceding her death. This memorial sculpture, dedicated in 1920, represents a dream experienced by Ruth Anne Dodge. The angel, on the prow of a boat, extends her hand and offers the water of life. The solid bronze statue, commissioned by the Dodges' two daughters, was created by Daniel Chester French who call the Black Angel one of his finest works. French is known nationally for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. According to the legend, Mrs. Dodge related to family members that she had a vision of being on a rocky shore and, through a mist, seeing a boat approach. In the prow was a beautiful young woman whom Mrs. Dodge thought to be an angel. The woman carried a small bowl under one arm and extended the other arm toward Mrs. Dodge in an invitation to partake of the water flowing from the vessel. Then, according to accounts later published by Mrs. Dodge's daughter, Anne, the angel spoke twice, saying: "Drink, I bring you both a promise and a blessing." The daughter wrote that the vision came three times to her mother and, on the third visit, Mrs. Dodge took the drink as offered and felt "transformed into a new and glorious spiritual being." Mrs. Dodge died immediately after her supposed third vision, on September 5, 1916. She had died in her sleep at her home in New York. Her body was brought back to Council Bluffs where she was buried in a mausoleum in Walnut Hill Cemetery. The memorial was commissioned in 1917 to Daniel Chester French, the same man who sculpted the statue of the Minute Man in Concord, Massachusetts and the Lincoln Memorial Statue in Washington DC. The ten foot tall angel statue is made of solid bronze. The construction of the statue took approximately two years, and the cost of the statue was reported at around $40,000. Council Bluffs began its fine military record during the Civil War when, in 1861, the attack on Fort Sumter brought four companies of the town's volunteers to the famed Fourth Iowa Infantry. In command was Captain Grenville M. Dodge, later promoted to Colonel, then General. As the War ended, Dodge returned to the Bluffs, built an impressive home on Third Street for his wife, Ruth Anne, and family, and took a job as surveyor and chief engineer for the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. Four years prior to the War, Abraham Lincoln, in a personal visit, had designated Council Bluffs as the eastern terminus for this first transcontinental line. Dodge later built railroads all over the world and was president of seven of them before he died. Grenville's daughters, Anne Dodge and Eleanor Dodge Pusey, commissioned and contributed this city's most valuable work of art in memory of their mother, Ruth Anne Dodge. Located very near to the cemetery where The Black Angel is located, is a monument marking the spot where Abe Lincoln selected this as the terminus of The Union Pacific Railroad. This impressive pylon was erected in July, 1911 and commemorates Abraham Lincoln's visit to the site in 1859. From this site, Lincoln viewed and selected the Eatern Terminus of the first transcontinental railroad built on the United States.

This is a "must see" place in Omaha! The heroic-sized statues are beautifully done with intricate…read moreand lifelike details. The park spans over several city blocks as buffalo stampede from the pioneer wagon train and then geese fly off from a pond and through a nearby building. The entire scene is a visual masterpiece that simply must be experienced in person and up close.

This is a small but neat little park that features a bunch of life sized sculptures of early…read moresettlers and pioneers. There is metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance, but this is not a destination park and most people won't be traveling here just for the park. It is touted as one of the largest sculpture parks of its kind in the US. The bronze and stainless steel sculptures are the work of Blair Buswell and Edward Fraughton. They give a very life-like and accurate depiction of westward expansion with statues families and animals, with wagons, venturing into unfamiliar territory. First National Bank commissioned the large project, which was headed by landscape architect Jim Reeves. This was one of two parks that were commissioned by the Bank. The sculptures are divided into sub sections including one titled Wagon Master, which represents the wagon that guided the rest of the pioneers and was responsible for supplies and management of the group. There is also the Hunter Group, which represents the wagon trains that were responsible for hunting and providing food provisions. You will also see the Trail Boss, waving his hat in the air and a Native American sentinel . The sculptures are very detailed. You can really feel their struggle. Viewers are able to mingle about and in between the sculptures. On the back side of the sculptures is an overlook area with some cement benches and some information placards along the wall. There is also a paved walkway and a decent patch of green space that I saw some people with their dogs. This is a nice park and definitely catches your eyes, but I do not see people making this their primary destination. Most visitors, such as myself, will be passing by or on their way to another destination and then are drawn in by the magnificent sculptures. Still, it is something that you must see while in Omaha. I highly recommend checking it out.

You will find this sculpture overlooking the river, just off of Lewis and Clark Landing and…read moreRiverfront Park. It sits in the shadow of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. It is a very nice sculpture with an operational water feature. The sculpture depicts five larger-than-life bronze sculptures and weighs 271 tons and stands 30 feet tall. The piece was dedicated in 2003 and is the work of Matthew Placzek, who intended the piece to "represents the dignity, determination, and dedication of the American workforce." This stands as a testament to the hard working man and woman, "the working-class people." The piece is very sturdy. It even survived a flood in 2011, when the river crested at more than 36 feet. You will find a flood line marked on the side of the monument. The sculpture was renovated, sandblasted and painted in 2023. It is virtually new. The sculptures are very detailed. You can almost feel their effort they are putting in. The center piece of the sculpture are the ladles. These ladles were actually used in the original smelting plant that was located at the same site the monument currently occupies. This is a nice piece and being just off the river, it is very scenic. It is not a destination piece though, nor a large consumer of your time. With that being said, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 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.

Real nice river walk. Clean with plenty of trails and things to explore. Restaurants and bars close…read moreby.

Spectacular views of the whole area looking toward Omaha! We visited near sunset which was an…read moreamazing time to enjoy the scene. It is interesting to ponder that President Lincoln was at this very spot over 160 years ago. Another positive is the short drive through the historic Oakland Ave. neighborhood to get to the monument. Many of the houses are beautiful and well-kept. The nearby Fairview cemetery is also worth a visit.

This is a small monument on a little plaza area located at the end of a small and cozy…read moreneighborhood. If you are driving here, you will find free street parking available within a reasonable walking distance. The area is realtively clean and looks to be in pretty good shape. The monument consists of a tall granite obelisk that was erected in 1911 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to commemorate President Abraham Lincoln's visit to the site in 1859. This is the spot where Lincoln viewed and selected the Eastern Terminus of the first transcontinental railroad built in the US. The bronze plaque on the monument reads as follows: "This monument is to commemorate the visit of Abraham Lincoln to Council Bluffs, Aug 19, 1859. From this point he viewed the extensive panorama of the valley of the Missouri River and in compliance with the law of Congress on November 17, 1863 he selected this city as the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad." The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The monument's plaza offers an amazing panoramic view of the surrounding area. The monument is on the top of a hill and I had to take a steep set of stairs to get up there. It was a work out. You will find some benches to sit on around the monument and you will probably need them after transiting up the stairs. As I mentioned, this is a nice spot to visit that give you an awesome view all the way into Omaha, plus there is its historical significance and the opportunity to stand where President Lincoln once stood. This may not be a long consumer of your time. I was there about 15 minutes and moved on to my next destination. I recommend visiting this place on your way to another destination or making this part of another larger itinerary. The Golden Spike and the Black Angel.