Parks and Recreation

Now that the weather has cooled off a little bit, perhaps you are thinking of getting outside and visiting a local park. If it’s still too hot for you, you can enjoy the images of parks in Nebraska Memories instead. While parks have been an important part of many Nebraska towns, the Nebraska Memories collection is especially rich in images of Omaha’s parks.
The parks of Omaha have been used for many recreational purposes, including performances. At Hanscom Park, a portable bandstand could be brought in with horses when needed for performance events. Other parks had more permanent structures, such as this pavilion in Riverview Park.
Parks also provide more informal recreational opportunities for children and adults alike. These boys are enjoying a merry-go-round in a local park, and Peony Park provides the backdrop for a game of horseshoes for this group of men.
In addition to recreation, parks often serve as nature retreats in the middle of an urban landscape. The long winding drive in Miller Park and the lagoon in Fontenelle Park are just a couple examples of the beauty of nature in the middle of Omaha.
Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.