A tour of eight of midtown Omaha’s beautiful historic churches will be held Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of an activity sponsored by Destination Midtown.
Participants can start their tours at any of the churches listed below. The churches will provide a variety of activities, such as musical performances, guided tours and bookstores.
Visit www.destinationmidtown.org to download a tour map.
The churches featured on the tour will be:
- Harvest Community Church, 3903 Cuming St. — Harvest Community Church began in 1994 and has been meeting in its current location since the winter of 2004. Harvest Community is widely known for its community involvement such as its “Caroling Winter.”
- First Central Congregational Church, 421 S. 36th St. — First Central Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, was founded in 1856. The current building, which was completed in 1921, was designed by Goerge Prinze. The congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. The Evergreen Thrift Shop will be open until 1 p.m. the day of the tour.
- First Unitarian Church of Omaha, 3114 Harney St. — First Unitarian Church of Omaha was founded in 1869. The congregation’s current home is a beautiful example of Georgian Revival Architecture. The building was constructed in 1917 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- First Baptist Church, 421 Park Ave. — First Baptist Church was established in the fall of 1858 and will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2008. The current building was built in 1904 and is Italian Renaissance Architecture.
- St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 602 Park Ave. — St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church is the metro area’s only Orthodox Byzantine-style church. The church is 100 years old and was purchased in 1951 from Temple Israel. Its dome is like that of the sixth century marvel Haghia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) of Constantinople. The breathtaking internal view has rich color and distinctive iconography.
- First Lutheran Church, 542 S. 31 St. — First Lutheran Church was organized in May of 1873 and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1997. The
interior of the nave is in the form of a cross. Two pipe organs provide music for liturgical services. In spring of 1987, First Lutheran saw the dedication of the new entrance to the church complete with handicap accessible facilities and a bold piece of art by noted Nebraska artist Milt Henrich.
- Westminster Presbyterian Church of Omaha, 3416 Woolworth Ave. — Westminster Presbyterian Church of Omaha celebrated 120 years of worship last month. The Gothic Revival brick church features original stained glass windows and custom-made contemporary banners celebrating the six seasons of the church.
- Bethel Lutheran Church, 1312 S. 45th St. — Bethel Lutheran Church was founded in 1916 and celebrated its 90th year in Morton Meadows in
2006. The church has Georgian Colonial architecture and beautiful stained glass designed by a parish member.
Convenient parking is available at each church.
For more information about the tour, contact Destination Midtown at 978-7926.
Destination Midtown is a partnership of public and private interests working together to return the Midtown District to prominence and make it the destination of choice in Omaha.