A Mom’s Guide To Visiting Mahoney State Park With Kids

Eugene T. Mahoney State Park is a fun day-trip from Omaha or Lincoln. There are a lot of free things to do, and a lot of seasonal fun that costs extra, from horseback riding and swimming in the summer, to ice skating in the winter. There’s so much to do, I recommend planning at least staying overnight if not longer.

UPDATE: This post was first published in 2013 and it was last updated in April 2026.

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In this post, I share all the things families can do any season while visiting Mahoney State Park. I include tips on things I’ve learned first-hand while visiting with my kids. We’ve been visiting bringing our kids here for more than 15 years, so I have a few opinions! I also include suggestions for staying overnight at Mahoney, including prices to help you decide whether you should camp or stay in a cabin or lodge.

Where to stay at Mahoney State Park

The park offers camping/RV parking, a hotel, and cabins. Depending on your budget, your accommodations can be inexpensive or cost as much as a hotel would (or more!). How early you start planning will also factor into your options. Cabins are booked months in advance for peak season weekends.

Your most affordable option is camping. There are nice campgrounds near the main lake (the paddleboat lake, as I’ll call it for simplicity’s sake). Some sites are reservable in advance, while others are first-come, first-served.

If you stay at the Peter Kiewit Lodge, expect your rooms to be about the cost of a hotel room. All rooms come with a mini-fridge, microwave, coffee pot, AC and heat, wireless Internet, telephone, TV, and a private bath. More than half the rooms have a balcony. There is no pool in the lodge, since it’s within walking distance of the aquatic center.

For families or groups that want a lot of space, cabins are your best option. The park has 60 cabins available, including two-, four- and six-bedroom cabins. Some of the biggest cabins are pretty modern. We opted to stay at a two-bedroom cabin and a treetop cabin. I’d recommend the treetop cabin even though they’re a little older looking. Governor’s Row cabins are ultra-modern cabins and fit the most people.

The downside to cabins is two-fold: They can be expensive and they need to be reserved far in advance. Reservations open a year in advance and most summer weekends will be booked months before summer. If you’re willing to stay during the week, you may have luck reserving one in a shorter window of time.

How much are cabins at Mahoney State Park?

Prices vary greatly for cabins at Mahoney State Park. For the most basic accommodations, you’ll pay between $170 and $260+. If you stay in the off-season, there is a discount.

Mahoney State Park cabins have AC, appliances and dishware, bathtubs, grills, and for those who like going to a state park but not going outside, they have satellite TV. They also all have housekeeping.

If you’re ready to go camping or to reserve a cabin, click here to check availability.

Mahoney State Park’s Activity Center/Indoor Playground

My kids’ favorite place to visit at Mahoney State Park is the Activity Center. It doesn’t matter what season it is, the Activity Center should be a stop during your visit, no matter your kids’ ages. It’s especially great to visit in the winter.

The Activity Center has an indoor playground that’s good for kids ages 10 and younger. There are several slides, tubes, and ball pits. Cost to enter is $5 for kids ages 3-12 and $3 for anyone over 12 years old. Kids under 3 years old are FREE.

Connected to the Activity Center is a rock climbing center called Venture Center. It has a 42-foot wall. While it looks high, my kids climbed to the top when they were ages 6 and 8. The rock climbing center allows for free climbing, as well, though there is a minimum age requirement.

The costs for climbing is $12 for adults and $11 for children age 12 and younger. There is no time limit. 

There is an outdoor ice skating rink open seasonally. In 2025, the park switched over to a synthetic surface to mixed reviews (mostly complaints. Admission to the Activity Center includes admission to the ice skating rink; however, skate rentals are not included. Skates are $5.

About that pool at Mahoney

The Mahoney State Park aquatic center has water slides, wave pool and an area for small children. It’s a very popular summer spot, open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The hours are noon to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. daily from late May to mid-August. Hours are reduced from mid-August to Labor Day (including being closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays).

The cost to enter the pool is $15 for ages 6+, $10 for 5 and under. They offer season passes if you think you’ll be going frequently or staying at the park for a week.

Tip: Pay attention to the hours. They will kick you out of the pool for that evening break.

More great family activities At Mahoney State Park

Basically, everything at the Mahoney State Park is family-friendly; what will be the most fun depends on the age of your children. Mine are happy running across a bridge or collecting rocks. Your older kids might require a little more to thrill them.

Conservatory

The park’s conservatory got a major update in 2025. The classroom space is large and has several native animals to Nebraska for kids to check out. Really young kids will like the sensory table. The programming there is great for the 12 and under crowd.

There’s a greenhouse connected to the conservatory. While small, it’s a nice, peaceful place to look around. I like the water feature in there.

Ropes course

Go Ape Zipline and Adventure Park built a course in Mahoney State Park. A storm in has damaged the course, and I’m unsure if it will open for the 2026 summer season.

Playgrounds

There are a couple playgrounds at Mahoney State Park. The biggest one is near the swimming pool. It has a separate jungle gym for smaller kids.

Horseback rides & pony rides

Read more about trail rides at Mahoney here. You must be 6 or older to ride a horse. The cost is $30 per person. The pony rides are for kids ages 3-9. The cost is $8 per kid. Trail rides are weather permitting and occur only during the summer. You have to register in person at the park’s main office. You can call to see if there are spots open, but you can’t reserve a spot over the phone.

Tip: Trail rides are very popular at Mahoney State Park. If they are full the day you want to ride, consider checking another nearby park, Platte River State Park, because there will often be open spaces.

Paddleboats

Paddleboat rentals are down by the Owen Marina. They are $10 per boat for a half-hour rental. It’s not the most scenic place to paddleboat, honestly. They’re available to rent seasonally for $15 per half-hour.

Fishing

Several fishing clinics are planned during the summer. Most people fish at Owen Marina, which is a catch-and-release lake. CenturyLink Fishing Lake is not catch-and-release.

There is ice fishing at Mahoney. We visited the park during a special event in the winter, and park rangers taught the kids how to ice fish. During these ranger-driven clinics, equipment is provided to the kids.

Explore the marina

For me, includes exploring the marina means exploring the snack options there. This is also where all the arts & craft stuff is. The cost of the projects varies by size and medium and include leather and painting ceramics. The arts & craft center is only open on the weekends in the off-season (which is mid-October through April).

Hiking

Mahoney State Park is not great for hiking, in my opinion. My favorite trail runs from the lookout tower to the southwest end of Margre’s Village. Overall, though, the trails at this particular park are few, short, and not overly scenic.

The highlight for my kids is that the trail near the lookout tower gives you the best chance to spot a passing train.

Putt-putt golf

Mini golf is $8 per person. The putt putt golf course is open daily the summer. There’s also a driving range nearby, and it’s $5 for a bucket of balls.

Lookout tower

The lookout tower at Mahoney State Park is a tall one with a great view, and climbing it is a useful tool for tiring out little ones. The view is nicer in the summer and fall.

Kountze Memorial Theater

Melodramas are often performed here. In the summer, there is usually three show options and all of them are family-friendly. Kids love throwing popcorn at the villain during these shows. Tickets are $10 and you can just buy them at the box office right before the show.

Mountain/trail bicycling

I’ve tried the paved trails with my kids. If they aren’t confident riders, don’t ride here. It seems fairly flat but don’t be fooled. There are a few slopes and turns that were difficult for my novice riders. I can’t say if the mountain bike trails are kid-friendly or not. I haven’t tried them.

Restaurants at Mahoney State Park (and nearby)

To be honest, it’s pretty slim pickings as far as high-quality restaurants go around Mahoney State Park. The lodge is home to Carl’s At Mahoney, which is open year-round. They have a buffet on holidays that has gotten pretty popular. In my experience, even with a reservation for your large group, there may be a long wait for a table.

Other spots in the park with food options: The Activity Center and Owen Marina. The food options leans more snack-y than a full meal.

Outside the park, you have a few options within about a 15-minute drive. You can drive into Ashland for a couple of options. There is a newer ice cream shop in Ashland and one of my favorite bakeries, Fariner Bakery, is in town. Heading east on Interstate 80, you’ll come across the Nebraska Crossing Outlets in Gretna. You’ll find a few more dining options there.

Things to do near Mahoney State Park

If you love the outdoors, you’ll find enough to do at Mahoney State Park. If you aren’t, or if the weather isn’t nice, you will want to find something other things to do. Here are some options:

• Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum: Planes and space exploration. The museum has a concession stand on the lower level (though it’s not great).
• Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari: Drive-through safari featuring native species. This is my favorite side trip from Mahoney. It’s very close to the park!
• Ashland: This is the nearest town to Mahony State Park. You’ll find ice cream options and a pizza option. For grown-ups, there is also the Glacial Till Winery Tasting Room (try the cider) and Cellar 426 Wines & Vines.
• Louisville State Recreation Area: The big draw is the inflatable obstacle course, as well as a small sand lake for swimming.
• Schramm Park State Recreation Area: Nice trails for hiking and a very cool education center. The park recently added wading ponds and a treehouse classroom.
• Platte River State Park: Great hiking trails, including one to a waterfall. Here are 7 Reasons To Visit Platte River State Park. There’s a large sprayground and a fantastic playground.