The Omaha Children’s Museum has paused fundraising efforts for a new Riverfront facility.
Announced a little over a year ago, plans for a new museum on the Riverfront looked to bring an updated facility, new exhibits, cafe and fresh programming to the heart of the city’s newly developed downtown parks.
Those redevelopment efforts were put on hold Friday. Museum officials in a press release announced a pause in the project’s capital campaign. The fundraising effort was supported by Heritage Omaha, a nonprofit group that spearheaded funding for massive projects in recent years, including a new city library and the Kiewit Luminarium.
A spokesperson for Heritage Omaha declined to comment on the museum’s announcement Friday. It’s unclear how much money had so far been raised for the project, which was estimated at more than $100 million.
Omaha Children’s Museum will remain in its current location at 20th and Howard streets and will “focus on strengthening its core mission,” according to the museum’s press release.
“This is an exciting opportunity for OCM to reinvest in our current operations, elevate our status as a world-class destination, and lay the groundwork for future growth,” said Dana Washington, Omaha Children’s Museum board president. “We look forward to revisiting expansion plans when the time is right, confident in our momentum and community support.”
More than the museum was tied to this project. The venture was a partnership between the City of Omaha, Children’s Museum and NuStyle Development, which planned to build a 16-story apartment building next to the new museum at Eighth and Douglas streets.
Nicknamed “The Beam,” the 16-story complex was planned to rise next to the new home of the Omaha Children’s Museum. The combined museum/apartment development would be built on city property located on the north side of Douglas Street bordering Heartland of America Park.
Whether the apartment building will continue without the Children’s Museum is unknown. NuStyle representatives couldn’t be reached Friday afternoon.
The City of Omaha was also involved. The city planned to build and operate two parking garages and a surface lot with about 600 stalls available for public use, museum patrons and tenants. In October 2024, the estimated site development and parking cost was about $36 million, the city pledged to pay $26 million of those costs, using lease purchase bonds.
Omaha Mayor John Ewing said the city is committed to the development of the site.
“We will evaluate opportunities that maximize its prime location near the riverfront parks,” Ewing said.