More than 1,000 trees and shrubs fill this free 26-acre arboretum in Omaha, along with walking paths, prairie plantings, a gazebo, and educational gardens. The surprising part is who created it.
The OPPD Arboretum was developed by Omaha Public Power District partly to demonstrate how choosing and planting the right trees can help prevent conflicts with power lines. Today, it doubles as an easy outdoor escape where visitors can walk, learn about plants, and explore a very different side of Omaha.
Discovering a Green Heart in Omaha
The OPPD Arboretum sits at 10600 Blondo Street, Omaha, NE 68164, tucked into the city’s northwest quadrant near the junction of I-680. Most people expect a park to announce itself with grand signage or dramatic gates, but this one greets you with a simple entrance and an immediate wall of green that shifts your mood the moment you step inside.
Twenty-six acres of carefully curated native trees, flowering shrubs, and restored prairie spread out across gently rolling terrain. The arboretum is owned and operated by the Omaha Public Power District, which gives the whole experience an unexpected twist: a utility company built one of the city’s most beloved natural spaces…