No doubt about it, the Transcontinental Railroad changed America forever. And Omaha, Nebraska, played an important role in the development of the Transcontinental Railroad. A great day trip, a weekend getaway, and a wonderful way to "track" Omaha's heritage, exploring the railroad history of the Omaha area is a brilliant outing.

The best way to begin the tour is actually just across the river from Omaha. The Lincoln Monument, across the Missouri River from downtown Omaha in the burg of Council Bluffs, is an impressive pylon that was erected in July 1911 to commemorates Abraham Lincoln’s visit to the site in 1859. From this site on today’s Lafayette Avenue, Lincoln, along with Grenville M. Dodge, viewed and selected the location for the eastern terminus of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad.

The Golden Spike Monument, also in Council Bluffs, commemorates the 1869 joining of the East with the West via rail. Rearing its head 56 feet into the air, this huge concrete replica of a railroad spike is located at the zero-zero mile post of the Union Pacific. Erected in 1939 to coincide with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille’s "Union Pacific" movie in Omaha, the giant golden spike is located at 9th Avenue and South 21st Street.

A mere two miles west of the Golden Spike Monument and across the Missouri River, Omaha is home to the Durham Museum, housed in the restored Beaux Arts-style Union Station. An extraordinary exhibit at this Smithsonian-affiliated museum provides visitors with the rich history of the Union Pacific Railroad and their 10 passenger depots in Omaha. Directions, hours and information about special and traveling exhibits can be found at www.durham,org.

Kenefick Park is home to two of the greatest locomotives ever to power Union Pacific Railroad – Centennial No. 6900 - the largest and most powerful diesel-electric locomotive ever built - and Big Boy No. 4023 - the world's largest steam locomotive.  Just off 13th street and only a short drive south from the Durham, Kenefick Park is situated on the southwest point of the Lauritzen Botanical Gardens property. The locomotives, perched atop “canyon walls”, are highly visible to passersby on Interstate 80 and welcoming motorists to Nebraska. 

The park is named in honor of former Union Pacific Chairman and CEO John C. Kenefick, and features landscaping with native plants and grasses maintained by Lauritzen Gardens horticulture staff and nterpretive signage documenting the role the Union Pacific had in the development of Omaha and the western region of the United States. More information about Kenefick and the Lauritzen Gardens can be found at www.omahabotanicalgardens.org

A brief 20-mile trek due west of Kenefick Park (and worth the easy drive, the Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad runs 1940’s-themed entertainment and dining excursions with exceptional food, great scenery and the fun of Murder Mysteries, Melodramas, USO dinner shows, Wine-tasting dinners, theme occasions, holiday runs, period movies, and even an occasional dance floor. To learn more, visit www.dinnertrain.com