Culture of Omaha, Nebraska

The culture of Omaha, Nebraska has been partially defined by music and college sports, and by local cuisine and community theatre. The city has a long history of improving and expanding on its cultural offerings. In the 1920s, the Omaha Bee newspaper wrote, "The cultural future of Omaha seems as certain of greatness as the commercial future... The symphony orchestra, the Art institute, the Community Playhouse and other organizations are on firm foundations and Omaha is destined to be not only a bigger, but a better city, both financially and culturally." Reviewing Omaha's contemporary arts scene in 2007, the New York Times hailed the city as having "a kind of cultural awakening".

The nationally recognized "Omaha Sound" describes the unique alternative rock scene in the city, and Big Joe Williams' 1953 minor hit "Omaha Blues" is about a woman in the city. The baseball College World Series has been held continuously in Omaha since 1950, and a disputed professional wrestling title was called the World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version) during the 1950s and 1960s because promoters in the city hosted their own matches without sanctioning.

Fred Astaire and his sister Adele, Nick Nolte, Dorothy McGuire and Marlon Brando were all born in Omaha, and Academy Award winner Henry Fonda grew up in the city and was encouraged to pursue acting by Marlon Brando's mother at the Omaha Community Playhouse, which she helped found.

Omaha has one major museum and several regionally important museums. The Joslyn Art Museum is nationally renowned for its collections of Native American art and art works relating to the early European exploration of western North America. The Durham Museum is located on 10th Street in the art deco Union Station. The museum has numerous permanent exhibits and is accredited with the Smithsonian Institution for traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian. Since its inception in 1976, Omaha Children's Museum has been a place where children can challenge themselves, discover how the world works and learn through play.

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