Everything To Know About Gene Leahy Mall In Downtown Omaha

One of the most exciting developments in Downtown Omaha was unveiled in July 2022 – the renovated Gene Leahy Mall. Here’s a look at the fun things to do at this large green space in downtown Omaha, as well as some interesting facts about it (interesting to me, at least).

UPDATED: This post was published in 2022 and has been updated in April 2026.

Where is Gene Leahy Mall?

Gene Leahy Mall is Omaha’s version to Central Park Mall (in fact, that was its original name). The green space is in Downtown Omaha from 13th to Eighth streets between Douglas and Farnam streets.

It’s situated near some of the city’s biggest employers, like Union Pacific and the soon-to-be-built future headquarters of Mutual of Omaha. The park is also near one of my favorite concert venues, Holland Performing Arts Center.

Nearby restaurants include Omaha Tap House, Kitchen Table, and Dynamite Woodfire Grill (inside The Farnam Hotel). There are a lot more restaurants in the Old Market, which is within walking distance of Gene Leahy Mall.

What’s new at the mall?

A lot is new at Gene Leahy Mall! The RiverFront development began in 2019, which was designed to include three parks (the other two parks are Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing).

The most urban of the parks, Gene Leahy Mall, was the first to open. The mall itself has been a part of Downtown Omaha since the 1970s. So, this is actually a reopened or renovated Gene Leahy Mall.

If you remember what the old Gene Leahy Mall looked like, the biggest change is there is no longer the man-made lake in the middle of it. It took up a lot of space, and while nice to look at, it left little room for recreation (and collected debris like no other. Without that big body of water, the park now has:

• The performance pavilion and Downtown Green. There’s a lot of seating and picnic tables around this space. This is the space where all the “big” shows and concerts are. A lot of festivals set up on the green space, as well.
• Sculpture garden, consisting of six sculptures. The 26-foot-tall “Wind Sculpture” is designed to stand in a pool of water that doubles as a place to cool off in the summer (though, it was under maintenance when we visited). Scattered around the sculptures are seats around fire pits, and there is a section with a few hammocks.
• 11th Street Promenade, where public restrooms are located, as well as new swings. A familiar feature has been retained: The arch from the old Solo Building facade. It’s at the entrance to the mall on the south side of the promenade.
• 13th Street Plaza, where you might find a food truck parked.
• Arches Playground, a modern take on playgrounds with a climbing wall, slides, and tall climbing arches. It’s a green space, though there’s no need to worry about mud since the grass is turf.
• Slides, located at 1208 Farnam Street, just the east of the 11th Street Promenade. These are the original slides plus two new ones.
• Cascade Fountain, which is designed to be waded in, are just to the north of the slides
• Dog park, located at 801 Douglas St. There’s one side for large dogs, and one side for small dogs.
• Canopies (located at 13th and Farnam streets). A lot of free community programs are held there.
• The water feature is called the Pond, and next to it just to the south is the small Boat Cove and Cove Amphitheater. There are plenty of benches and a few Adirondack chairs around the pond.
• Eighth Street Green and The Grove. More green space.

Other interesting facts about Gene Leahy Mall

Are the activities at Gene Leahy Mall free?

Yes…mostly. My family has been to Gene Leahy Mall several times since it re-opened. We’ve attended huge free concerts, like the Omaha Symphony’s Fourth of July fireworks show, and we’ve been there when there were huge lawn games and inflatables scattered around the green space. I seen free workout classes in pass, too.

The summer activities have ranged from yard games, dog training, bootcamp, yoga, and a book cart. The occasional ticketed event is usually held at Heartland of America Park nearby, or was a festival. Check the calendar for details about specific events.

What’s the big deal about the slides in Omaha?

When officials first announced plans to renovate Gene Leahy Mall, there was a huge public uproar. The main reason? No one wanted the two slides to be removed.

Most people of a certain age remember sliding down the slides on wax paper. They remember the burn of their thighs touching the hot surface. And now, our kids, and their kids someday, can enjoy the same sensation.

There are two additional slides added to this part of the park, each shorter and less steep. And while I can’t confirm this, I’m assuming they don’t burn as much to slide down.

Who was Gene Leahy?

Gene Leahy was a mayor in Omaha, and was one of the influential figures who tried to revive Downtown Omaha to combat all the businesses and shoppers leaving in the 1970s. The plan was to build a Central Park Mall for Omaha, and “back to the river.”

Central Park Mall was eventually renamed Gene Leahy Mall in the 1990s.

What did Gene Leahy Mall look like before 2019?

Gene Leahy Mall used to have a much larger pond that divided the north and south sides of the park. There was one bridge to cross, in addition to the sidewalks along the 13th Street and 10th Street (not super convenient for pedestrians).

Gene Leahy Mall had some public art pieces, but only a few scattered benches and no picnic tables that I can recall. A lot of the grassy space sloped making it not the easiest place to keep tables level.

For the 2022 updates, the pond was filled in and the park was raised to street level. The flat landscape makes community gatherings, picnics, and concerts easier. It also makes it easier to walk from the Old Market to places like Holland Performing Arts Center and Steelhouse Omaha, as well as the Capitol District and NoDo.

A few of the original parts of Gene Leahy Mall that remain include the two slides, as well as the large arches that were on the south side of the 11th Street Promenade.