We talk a lot about enjoying the Omaha area, with its wonderful places to enjoy date night as a couple, its nearby romantic weekend getaway destinations, and its bars perfect for watching major sports games. However, we don’t want to leave the kids out of the fun, especially since they play such a major role in our lives. And let’s be honest — sometimes the kid-centered activities are just as fun for adults to do, especially if it involves seeing the pure joy on your kids’ faces throughout the night.
It’s pretty easy to find some fun outdoor, daytime activities to enjoy with your kids over the weekend, but it might be a little more difficult to think of things to do on a Friday or Saturday night. But alas, there are plenty of nighttime activities in the Omaha area that the whole family can enjoy! Therefore, we wanted to highlight a few of our favorites to spark some ideas for your next family night out.
Ramp up the excitement by writing each of these down on small pieces of paper and randomly selecting one from a jar each weekend. It will build up anticipation and make the activity that much more of a surprise for everyone — even you!
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Hours: Monday–Sunday 10 a.m.–2 a.m.
Location: 12750 Westport Parkway, La Vista, NE 68138
We talked extensively about the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema that is new to Omaha but well-loved in other cities throughout the country. This theater takes a night at the movies to the next level for you and the whole family, with its Star Wars-themed lobby, full restaurant, and overall enriched movie-going experience. Thankfully, this theater does not have an across-the-board age requirement like many 21+ theaters do. However, children under the age of 6 are not allowed, except for select shows where age policies may vary. Children of all ages must be accompanied by an adult at all times, because Alamo Drafthouse prides itself on having a talk-free, phone-free environment for the ultimate movie fanatic to fully enjoy the film.
If you have older kids who would enjoy a one-of-a-kind movie experience, consider the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for your next family night out! The Death Star in the lobby will make their jaws drop.
The Amazing Pizza Machine
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday & Saturday 10:30 a.m.–12 a.m.
Location: 13955 South Plaza, Omaha, NE 68137
The Amazing Pizza Machine sounds like a kids dream just by looking at the name of the establishment. And it really is! This 60,000-square-foot, all-indoor restaurant and entertainment center features rides and attractions including laser tag, go karts, bumper cars, mini bowling, the Frog Hopper, a roller coaster, and more than 170 arcade games. This makes the perfect destination for a birthday party or simply a night to have a blast as a family. Whatever you do, make sure you bring your appetite to fully take advantage of the Amazing Pizza Machine’s enormous buffet, including pizza, pasta, salad, soups, breads, nachos, baked potatoes, desserts, ice cream, beverages and more! The kids will especially appreciate the option to dine in one of their four themed rooms — Cogswell’s Cartoonery Theater, Johnny Sprockets, Fan Factory Sports & Fun, and Luigi’s Cafe.
The Amazing Pizza Machine has been named the Top Family Entertainment Center of the World by the International Association of Amusement Parks. That means you certainly need to check this place out for yourselves if you haven’t already!
CoCo Key Water Resort
Hours: Friday 3–10 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Closed Monday–Thursday
Location: 3321 South 72nd Street, Omaha, NE 68124
Make your family night out a weekend family getaway by booking your stay at the Ramada Plaza Inn next to CoCo Key Water Resort. With a room reservation, you get all the included amenities offered at CoCo Key Water Resort, a 57,000 square-foot indoor water resort adventure with three 40-foot body- and raft-slides, Key Quest Arcade, Adventure River, Parrot’s Perch interactive play island, Wet Rooster Bar, dip-in kiddie pool, private cabanas, restaurants, and more. This is the weekend adventure the kids — and the parents! — will never forget.
Defy Gravity
Hours: Monday–Thursday 3–8 p.m., Friday & Saturday 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday 12–7 p.m.
Location: 10421 Portal Road, La Vista, NE 68128
See if you and your family can defy gravity at Omaha’s first trampoline park. Defy Gravity hosts over 6,000 feet of trampoline fun, with expansive trampolines for jumping on during open jump, trampoline dodgeball games, a laser maze, and a quarterback challenge. This is the ultimate destination for an action-packed family night out, and you’re sure to get a workout in as well. In fact, Defy Gravity provides fitness classes throughout the week, and you can even bring in your kids to play while you exercise. That sounds like a win-win for all involved!
Defy Gravity hosts their Family Nights every Tuesday from 4–8 p.m. and Sunday from 4–7 p.m. You can purchase four 60-minute jumps for a low price of $29.99! This is the perfect solution for a family of four looking for a fun and inexpensive activity to do together.
Family Fun Center XL
Hours: Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 10 a.m.–12 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–11 p.m.
Location: 10765 M Street, Omaha, NE 68127
Of course the Family Fun Center XL is on our list, because it is exactly as it sounds — a fun center for the family. It’s quite overwhelming to attempt to summarize all that this place holds in store, but you can expect arcade games, lazertag, Glow Golf, paintball, Bazooka Ball, a lazermaze, and so much more. Plus, everyone will be stuffed at their buffet, featuring a variety of pizza, salad, pasta, vegetables, macaroni and cheese, drinks, and lots of desserts! The Family Fun Center XL is your one-stop-shop for a fun and active night with the kids.
The Escape Omaha
Hours: Wednesday–Friday 5–10 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Closed Monday & Tuesday
Location: 6315 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68106
The whole family will enjoy the thrilling mystery at The Escape Omaha. Teams of 2-6 people are locked in a room for an hour, attempting to escape using a set of clues hidden throughout the space that will in turn unlock the door. Each room has a different theme and difficulty level. Discover what drove the alchemist mad in The Four Brothers room, decipher the code to save the asset in the soviet bunker’s room in The Forgotten Outpost, or find the killer’s identity in The Uptown Murder Room.
Whichever one you choose, the whole family will enjoy the exciting plotline, chance to work together as a team, and the relief found if you do, in fact, escape! You may think that being trapped in a room is the opposite of what you want to do as a family, but we promise, this is much more exciting than being trapped in a doctor’s waiting room with your kids for an hour.
The MARK
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 10 a.m.–12 a.m.
Location: 20902 Cumberland Road, Elkhorn, NE 68022
Bowling is always the perfect family night out activity — especially at The MARK in Elkhorn/West Omaha. This is one of the finest independently owned bowling centers in the country, as it provides a quality bowling experience for all who enter due to their exceptional service and top-notch facilities. Consider The MARK for your kids’ birthday parties or simply go as a family any night of the week for non-stop fun. Grab dinner at their full-service bar and grill, featuring daily specials, play some arcade games, then of course play a few rounds of bowling games!
Let the family fun begin!
What is your favorite family night out tradition? We’d love to know what family activities are worth doing in Omaha so we might add them to our list!
PHOTOS COURTESY OF: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Visit Nebraska, Ramada Plaza Omaha, The Daily Nebraskan, Trip Advisor, Groupon, Family Fun Center XL, The Escape Omaha and The Mark