Day Trip: Lincoln's Historic Haymarket with the Family

You point the car west on I-80, and about 50 to 60 minutes later you're pulling off into a district of hundred-year-old brick warehouses with a steam locomotive parked in the middle of it. That's Lincoln's Historic Haymarket. It's an easy day trip from Omaha, close enough to do and be home before bedtime, and it packs restored old buildings, a train park the kids will love, and a Saturday market into a few walkable blocks. Here's how to run it with a family.

First, the district itself. The Historic Haymarket grew up as Lincoln's wholesale and market square, mostly built between 1880 and 1920, and it landed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. The warehouses got restored into restaurants, shops, and galleries, but the bones are all still there: brick, big windows, loading docks, the whole turn-of-the-century feel. It's a nice place to just walk, and the streets are flat and stroller-friendly.

The part that turns a walk into a kid's afternoon is Bill Harris Iron Horse Park, tucked right into the heart of the Haymarket on 7th Street. There's a restored 1901 steam locomotive, a replica water tower and reflecting pool, a big brick mural, and a railroad-themed play area for the little ones to climb. It's free, it's small, and it's exactly the kind of spot where you can sit on a bench with a coffee while the kids burn off the car ride.

If you go on a Saturday morning in season, you time it right. The Haymarket Farmers Market sets up at 7th and P Street, Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon from early May through mid-October (as of July 2026). Local produce, baked goods, kettle corn, breakfast to eat on the go, and live music staged over in Iron Horse Park mid-morning. Let the kids pick a peach or a cookie and wander the stalls. It's one of the oldest markets in the state and it's been running 40-plus seasons.

When everybody's hungry for a real meal, the Haymarket is stacked with sit-down spots in the old warehouses, and right next door is The Railyard on Canopy Street, Lincoln's open-air entertainment district. It's got a cluster of restaurants and bars around a big outdoor screen called the Cube, and in the right season there's an ice rink and events. It sits across from Pinnacle Bank Arena, so if you're in town for a show or a game it's all right there together.

Here's a piece of geography worth knowing. The Haymarket is a short walk from the University of Nebraska campus and Memorial Stadium, home of the Huskers since 1923. On a fall Saturday when there's a home game, the whole district turns into a sea of red and it is a sight, but parking gets tight and the crowds get thick, so know that going in. Off a game day, the campus edge makes for a pleasant add-on walk. And if you've got younger kids who need an indoor option, the Lincoln Children's Museum at 1420 P Street is a few blocks over, three floors of hands-on play, a solid rainy-day backup.

Now the practical stuff. Drive time from Omaha is right around an hour, a straight shot down I-80 to the downtown Lincoln exits. For parking, the Haymarket has several public garages, the ones off 9th and Q and around the Pinnacle Bank Arena are your friends, and street parking exists but fills fast on weekends. Park in a garage, pay the few bucks, and don't stress about the meter. On a game day, honestly, park farther out and walk in.

Lincoln makes a great pairing with the rest of the drive. If you want a fuller Lincoln itinerary beyond the Haymarket, our day trip to Lincoln with the kids covers the zoo, the museums, and the capitol. On the way down or back, Gretna and Nebraska Crossing sits right off I-80 if you want to add outlets or a river park. And for another easy cross-the-line day, Council Bluffs on the Iowa side runs the same play, close, cheap, and full of family stuff.

Here's the tip. Come on a Saturday morning in summer or early fall, hit the farmers market first while it's cool, let the kids loose in Iron Horse Park, then grab lunch in a warehouse before the drive home. Avoid Husker home-game Saturdays unless the game is the whole point. Do that and you've got a full Lincoln day for the price of gas, a garage, and lunch.

Then hop on I-80 west and go see the Haymarket.

Prices and hours change, so always confirm the latest on each place's official website before you go — the figures in this guide are current as of July 2026.