Omaha Exploration

While I shared a few pictures of Sofia’s Play Garden when it opened last summer, I didn’t get the opportunity to explore it in detail. I wanted to make up for it following my most recent visit.

Sofia’s Play Garden took more than three years to build and opened last year just outside the visitor center on the site of former greenhouses. It replaces the former children’s garden which I can tell you from experience, was located quite a ways from the entrance and required a challenging hike for young kids.

Lauritzen Gardens has long aimed to provide a space where children can not only learn about nature but also experience it hands-on in creative ways. It represents the second phase of its “Play and Grow at Lauritzen Gardens” initiative.

The children’s play area is just over one-acre and features eight thematic areas where visitors can explore plants and nature through hands-on experiences and play. They include Artifact Hills, Crafting Nook, Thicket Forest, Hager Family Springs, Songbird Village, Loess Hills Landing, Mary’s River View, and The Neighborhood.

Some of our favorites include:

Hager Family Springs, a splash area that includes a natural stream that allows for the creation of dams as well as water pumps, and a waterfall that feeds into the garden’s irrigation system.

The Neighborhood, a play area that includes residential and commercial structures as well as a town center and lots of mailboxes to open and close.

Songbird Village, another play area that contains giant birdhouses that can be entered and climbed into along with a spider-web climbing area, outdoor instruments, and wind-activated elements.

Some of its other features include a forest thicket, urban green, plant petting zoo, building zone, amphitheater with puppet theater, and a lookout over the Missouri River in addition to restrooms and classrooms.

With its immersive experiences ranging from calm to creative, it is designed to be inclusive and sensory-friendly while allowing for interactivity, exploration, and discovery.

John Newman, Lauritzen Gardens’ executive director, said that kids in urban areas don’t always have a yard to play in. This fills a gap for those kids and provides them an informal educational experience.

It was funded by more than a dozen donors including Polina and Bob Schlott, who named it after their daughter. The Schlotts also helped fund Polina Gardens near The Old Market.

Also worth noting is that the last phase of its initiative, Teri and Ron Quinn Family Oasis, recently opened and offers a much-needed rest area once you reach the bottom of the garden. It includes an amphitheater, patio, restrooms, cafe, and some shade during the hot summer months. The first phase was the Claire M. Hubbard Plant Production Center that opened in 2024 and included four greenhouses in addition to office and work spaces.

Access to Sofia’s Play Garden is included in the cost of admission to the gardens located at 100 Bancroft Street. It has proven to be an extremely popular addition and is a favorite of ours during any visit. If you have children, or even if you don’t, it’s worth a visit.