Omaha
Little Bohemia
Little Bohemia is a historic district in Omaha, Nebraska, running along South 13th Street just south of the Old Market. Built by Czech and Bohemian immigrants, it's known today for its concentration of bars, breweries, coffee, and small shops. Spend an afternoon here and you're mostly drinking, browsing, and looking at what's left of the old commercial buildings.
A Little History
Little Bohemia has gone by other names, including Praha and Bohemia Town, and its official federal boundary runs along South 13th and William Streets, extending south two blocks to Hickory Street. The National Register of Historic Places lists the district's significance as commerce and European ethnic heritage, a nod to the concentrated Czech immigrant community that settled and built here.
Sokol Omaha, the Czech and Slovak cultural organization that built the auditorium at 13th and Martha, sold the building in 2020; it now runs as The Admiral (see Things to Do). The Prague Hotel and the Swoboda Bakery building are two of the district's best-documented survivors from that era, both still standing on the same blocks that built them. The Bohemian Cafe, once one of the neighborhood's defining restaurants, has closed.
Where to Drink
This is the part of Little Bohemia that earns the visit. A short stretch of South 13th Street holds a run of bars, breweries, and coffee shops, and that's the honest draw.
Archetype Coffee
One of Archetype's three Omaha cafes, open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Beercade 2
Pairs a retro arcade with a neighborhood beer bar, a quick hop from the Old Market. Families with kids are welcome before 7 p.m.; after that, it's 21 and over.
Lumen Beer Co.
Runs a brewery taproom on the same block.
iDLE Wine & Goods
A neighborhood bottle shop and bar that pours natural wine.
Tiny House and Platypus Bar
Two sister cocktail bars sitting side by side in 110-year-old houses.
Where to Eat
Erick's Enchiladas
A frozen-food shop selling enchiladas, burritos, and tamales to take home and cook yourself. It sits at the district's southern edge, near Hickory Street.
Omaha Dog Bar, just south of the Old Market (see Things to Do), also serves food alongside drinks.
Shops Worth a Stop
1404 Collective
A secondhand and vintage shop with 10-plus resellers under one roof.
Fontenelle Supply Co.
Sells menswear and handmade leather goods.
Bel Merch
A custom-merchandise design studio that has occasionally hosted gallery receptions; it's open by appointment Monday through Friday and closed weekends.
Things to Do
Landmarks and Public Art
The Prague Hotel (1402 S. 13th St.) is a three-story, nineteenth-century commercial building with Renaissance Revival details, and the National Park Service calls it the center of the district.
Two blocks away, the Swoboda Bakery building (1422 William St.) once housed an ethnic bakery that opened in 1889 and ran for more than 40 years.
The Admiral
A live-music venue inside the former Sokol Auditorium, built by Sokol Omaha, a Czech and Slovak cultural and athletic organization founded in 1877. Sokol Omaha sold the building in 2020 and still operates today without a home of its own. Sokol's own history places the auditorium "in the heart of" Little Bohemia, though it sits south of Hickory Street, the district's mapped southern boundary. If the exact line matters for what you're doing, check both accounts yourself.
The Bohemian Gardens (1424 S. 13th St.) was built in 1895 as a Czechoslovakian dance hall, later became a restaurant and bar, and now operates as a wedding and event venue.
Printmaker and public artist Watie White keeps a working studio just off 13th Street on William Street; it's not open to the public.
Bringing the dog along? Omaha Dog Bar (1231 S. 14th St.) is a dog-focused bar and eatery with a dog park and daycare, just south of the Old Market. It's 18 and over during all operating hours, and dogs need vaccine records uploaded to the online portal before their first visit.
Recurring Events and Markets
Little Bohemia's business association has held a Spring Market in past years, usually in May. It has also held a Backyard Bash in past summers and a Holiday Stroll on December Thursdays, and some months have brought a Second Friday gallery night, including receptions at Bel Merch. Check individual businesses' own pages for what's actually happening before you go.
What's on
Coming Up in Little Bohemia
Getting There and Parking
Metro Transit's Route 13 runs on 13th Street and L Street, and Route 36 runs on South 16th Street and Vinton Street. Every Metro bus and ORBT (Omaha Rapid Bus Transit) vehicle carries a free bike rack, and the racks also take Heartland B-cycle bikes.
There are ParkOmaha lots on William Street, between 13th and 14th Streets, plus ample free street parking nearby, according to Omaha Dog Bar's site — check posted signs for current rules.
Plan a Visit
An Evening Out
Start at Tiny House or Platypus Bar for cocktails, walk the block to iDLE Wine & Goods or Lumen Beer Co. for something else, and check what's on the calendar at The Admiral before you call it a night.
A Daytime Visit
Get coffee at Archetype, browse 1404 Collective and Fontenelle Supply Co., walk past the Prague Hotel and the old Swoboda Bakery building, and pick up dinner at Erick's Enchiladas to cook at home.
Little Bohemia doesn't need much of your day to work — a coffee, a browse, and a beer where the neighborhood's own history built the room is enough.