Lauritzen Gardens Through the End of 2026: What's Blooming and On Display

There's a stretch of ground along the Missouri River bluffs in south Omaha where the seasons show off. Lauritzen Gardens sits on 100 acres at 100 Bancroft Street, and if you've only ever gone once, in one season, you've really only met a fraction of the place. The garden changes its outfit every few weeks. Between now and New Year's, it puts on some of its best shows of the whole year, and most of them are the kind of thing the whole family can enjoy together in an afternoon.

Here's a walk through what's left on the calendar for 2026, roughly in the order you'll get to see it.

First, the big one that's about to wrap up. Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors runs through September 7, 2026, and then it's gone. If you've been meaning to take the kids and keep putting it off, this is your last call. More than a dozen life-sized animatronic dinosaurs are tucked along the outdoor garden paths, and they roar and move as you round each bend. There's a T. rex, a spinosaurus, and a duck-billed hadrosaur, and each one comes with a little lesson about how these creatures actually lived. Grab a prehistoric passport at the start and let the little ones hunt down every stop. It's included with regular garden admission, and members get in free. Labor Day weekend is the finish line, so a cooler weekday morning before then is your friend.

Once the dinosaurs pack up, the garden leans into fall. In October, the conservatory hosts Wicked Plants (October 3 through 31, 2026), a slightly spooky, always fascinating look at the poisonous, carnivorous, and downright strange side of the plant world. It's a fun one for curious kids and grown-ups who like their botany with a little bite, and it fits the Halloween season without leaning scary.

Then comes one of my quiet favorites: the fall chrysanthemum show. Every autumn the indoor floral display fills with mums, thousands of them, in deep golds, bronzes, rusts, and burgundies, often arranged with a graceful, almost Japanese sense of design. It's warm and cozy, exactly what you want when the wind off the river starts to bite. The blooms are only at their peak for a few weeks, so it's worth timing. The garden usually runs this show in November, though the exact 2026 dates weren't posted yet as of this writing, so check the official page before you drive over.

And then the garden saves its showstopper for last. The Holiday Poinsettia Show is the way a lot of Omaha families officially start Christmas. The conservatory glows with thousands of red, white, and pink poinsettias, a towering poinsettia tree, and here's the part the kids come for, model trains. Garden railroad trains wind through the greenery on hundreds of feet of track, chugging past miniature versions of Omaha-area landmarks. It's botanical and mechanical and nostalgic all at once, and it's genuinely hard to walk through without smiling. Little ones will plant themselves in front of the trains and refuse to move, and honestly, that's half the fun.

The holiday show typically runs from late November through the end of December, closing out the year on a bright note. As with the mum show, the specific 2026 dates hadn't been announced yet when this was written, so confirm on the garden's site before you make plans, especially if you're aiming for a busy weekend or a members-only preview.

A few practical notes for any of these visits. The garden is open daily, and the last entry is an hour before closing, so give yourself time. There's a café and a coffee shop on site if you need to warm up or refuel, and the gift shop is a solid spot for a small souvenir. Strollers roll fine on the main paths. And if you find yourself going more than twice a year, a membership pays for itself fast and gets you in free to the special exhibits. Lauritzen was recently named the number three best botanical garden in the country by USA Today readers, and once you've spent a gray November afternoon inside that warm, blooming conservatory, you'll understand why folks around Omaha keep coming back.

You can see the full lineup, hours, and ticket details on the Lauritzen Gardens events page and plan your visit at their visit page.

All dates and details here are accurate as of August 2026; exhibit schedules can shift, so please confirm on the official Lauritzen Gardens pages before you go.