The Essentials
Club: Union Omaha
Stadium: Morrison Stadium — 1804 California St, Omaha, NE 68102. 6,000 capacity. A proper soccer-specific venue on the Creighton University campus serving as Union Omaha’s home while their new downtown stadium takes shape. Intimate sightlines, close to the pitch, and easy to find right in midtown.
Tickets: unionomaha.com. Season tickets move fast — grab singles early or check the secondary market.
Nearest Airport: Eppley Airfield (OMA), roughly 5 miles northeast of the stadium.
Driving from Fort Wayne FC Park: Approximately 612 miles via I-80 W, roughly 9.5 hours nonstop.
Parking & Transit: Street parking and university lots are available near the stadium. Rideshare from downtown or the Blackstone District is cheap and easy — you’re never more than ten minutes from the ground.
Weather: Continental plains weather with real range. Early season can be raw and windy — 40s and gusty. Summer gets hot and humid, mid-80s to 90s. Fall is ideal. Bring sunscreen and a layer you can shed.
Where to Stay
The Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel in the Blackstone District is the pick — a restored 1916 landmark with a speakeasy bar, rooftop pool, and walkable access to some of Omaha’s best restaurants and nightlife. For a mid-range option closer to the Old Market, the Hotel Deco is an Art Deco gem on Farnam Street with sharp rooms and a great central location. On a budget, the La Quinta Inn Downtown/Old Market puts you walking distance from the cobblestone streets without breaking the bank.
Eat & Drink
Block 16 is the one. Alton Brown called it his favorite burger in America, and you’ll understand why after the Croque Garcon — a smashed patty loaded with secret sauce that has no business being this good from a counter-service spot on Farnam Street. Go at lunch, don’t fight it, just order. For the best dinner in the city, The Boiler Room in the Old Market is a refined farm-to-table spot in a raw brick industrial space — the menu changes daily, the cocktails are dialed, and it feels like a place that knows exactly what it is. You’re in Omaha, so you need a steak. Gorat’s has been the local steakhouse since 1944 — Warren Buffett’s regular spot, old-school Italian-American sides, no pretense, just perfectly cooked beef. Brickway Brewery & Distillery sits in the Old Market and does double duty — handcrafted beers and their own bourbon, single malt, and rum under one roof. The Omaha Stylee IPA and a whiskey flight make a great evening. For breakfast, Lisa’s Radial Cafe is a no-frills neighborhood diner in the Dundee area with manhole-sized pancakes and the kind of hash browns that make you reconsider your morning plans. If you’re in the Blackstone District, swing by Bob’s Donuts — same owners as the bar next door, absurdly good donuts, and yes, you can order a table-sized one to share.
Things to Do
The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is not a polite suggestion — it’s consistently ranked the best zoo in the country, with the world’s largest indoor rainforest, a 70-foot shark tunnel, and a desert dome that feels like another planet. Plan for half a day minimum. The Old Market is Omaha’s beating heart — cobblestone streets, independent shops, galleries, and enough restaurants to fill a long weekend. Walk it at least once. For something a little different, the Joslyn Art Museum is a free art museum in a stunning Art Deco building with a collection that punches way above what you’d expect from a midsize Midwestern city. If the weather cooperates, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge crosses the Missouri River into Iowa — it’s one of the few places in the country where you can stand in two states at once.
The One Thing
Eat a burger at Block 16 at lunch, walk the Old Market cobblestones, then grab a whiskey flight at Brickway before the match. That three-block stretch of downtown Omaha is the best argument for why this city deserves a longer look than most people give it.