Joslyn Castle & Gardens

Opera in Conversation | After the Curtain Call
2025-10-28 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
An open response conversation with Omaha artists reflecting on their experience of The Barber of Seville

Opera in Conversation is a series of three sessions surrounding Opera Omaha mainstage productions that features creatives, scholars, and other public figures. These FREE events exist to foster cross-disciplinary exploration of art, big questions, and community connections.
Join Opera Omaha on Tuesday, Oct. 28 inside the Joslyn Castle for our final The Barber of Seville Opera in Conversation.
This Opera in Conversation, After the Curtain Call, will open an artist response conversation with Omaha artists and creatives reflecting on their experience of the production and connections to their own artistic practice, while encouraging the audience to share their reflections from the opera.

SPEAKERS:
Dan Crane, artist and curator of Buffa Style
Ella Weber, artist
Gina Tranisi, Moderator

Admission is FREE, advance registration is requested

Media Notification: Photography and Video will be captured at this event. By attending, you agree to allow Opera Omaha to use your image in social, archival, and promotional materials.
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Thank you to our partners:

Public Tour
2025-10-27 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-26 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-24 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-23 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-22 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-20 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-19 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-17 12:30 - 14:00 and 8 more dates | Joslyn Castle & Gardens, 3902 Davenport Street, Omaha, NE, 68131, United States
Be our guest as we swing the Joslyn Castle doors open for public historical tours. No reservations required, just show up!

Step back in time to the stunning estate of Omaha’s first millionaires, George and Sarah Joslyn. Learn about their fascinating story and impact on Omaha while you stroll through their Scottish Baronial mansion and 5.5 acre grounds.

Tour Details

The tour includes a 14 minute video, and an hour long walking tour of the three levels of the Castle.

An elevator is available for guests with mobility issues.

Tours are held at 12:30pm with no advance ticket purchases or reservations required.

Tickets are $20.00 for adults, and $17.00 for students, seniors, or military with ID. Children 5 and under are free.

The front door of the Castle opens 15 minutes before tour start time.

Contact Information

mmccarthy@joslyncastle.com

402-595-2199

Public Tour
2025-10-26 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-10-19 10:30 - 12:00

FolkHouse at the Castle: Grace Pettis & Natalie Price
2025-10-23 19:30 - 23:00
Join us in the historic Joslyn Castle Carriage House for a night of folk music with Grace Pettis & Natalie Price!FolkHouse at the Castle: Grace Pettis and Natalie Price in Concert Located in the Carriage House at Joslyn Castle3902 Davenport St., Omaha Thursday, October 23rd Doors at 7:00, show at 7:30 GRACE PETTIS: Grace Pettis’s music is described as a little bit of folk, a little bit of country/Americana, and a whole lot of soul. Grace is the winner of many of the nation’s most prestigious songwriting contests, grants, and residencies, including NPR’s Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, and The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico. Grace’s songs have been recorded by other esteemed artists, including Sara Hickman and Ruthie Foster, with three co-writes on Foster’s Grammy-nominated album, Healing Time (2024). Grace was an official showcasing artist at SXSW and Folk Alliance International last year (2024). She has independently released three acclaimed records and signed with MPress Records in 2020. NATALIE PRICE: Texas-born, Nashville-based Natalie Price is a singer-songwriter whose music blends Americana, indie folk, and melodic pop in what she calls “Ameri-kinda.” Her self-titled full?length album, Natalie Price (2023), produced by acclaimed artist Mary Bragg, showcases her confessional songwriting and wide emotional range—from introspective ballads to catchy, pop rock anthems. The album has garnered praise for its authenticity and cinematic depth, positioning her as a compelling new voice. Her 2025 single “Monday & Tuesday” dives into the bliss of newfound love with earworm melodies and slow-burn tension, marking a continued evolution of her sound. With a gift for transforming deeply personal experiences into songs that feel universal, Natalie is quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Nebraska Impressionist: Augustus W. Dunbier
2025-10-22 18:00 - 19:00
Free art history presentation by local historian, Jeffrey Spencer, on the life and work of Omaha artist, Augustus W. DunbierPlease be our guest for Art History with Jeffrey Spencer, a monthly lecture series discussing Nebraskan artists and Omaha’s connections in the art world. Where: Carriage House at Joslyn Castle & Gardens (3902 Davenport Street, Omaha, NE 68131) When: Wednesday, October 22 from 6pm-7pm (doors open at 5:30pm) What: A FREE all ages event. About the speaker: Jeffrey Spencer has long been associated with numerous historical and community organizations in the greater Omaha area. A graduate of the University of Nebraska, he has lectured and written extensively on many aspects of local history. He has served as a Trustee of the Nebraska State Historical Society, President of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition Historical Association, Executive Director of the Historic General Dodge House Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa; Director of the Library/Archives Center of the Douglas County Historical Society and as Executive Director of Landmarks, Incorporated (an organization involved with neighborhood redevelopment and historic preservation in Omaha. Currently, he is associated with Preserve Omaha, a local historic preservation group and is a member of their Board of Directors. About the Artist: Dunbier’s career from 1915 to 1977 was one of the longest uninterrupted art careers of any Nebraska painter and he was an important teacher to his peers and the next generation of Nebraska artists. One can still see the influences of Augustus Dunbier in the work of many Nebraska painters today. He died on September 11, 1977 at age 89 in Omaha. He made many trips to the Southwest both for archaeological work and for inspiration for his paintings. However, his beloved Nebraska was always his primary source of subject matter. In 1916, Gilder built a studio-home called “Wake Robin” in a wooded spot in Bellevue. He used this as a primary residence until his death and the house appears in many of Gilder’s paintings as well as those of his friend, Augustus Dunbier.

Tales of Poe
2025-10-17 21:00 - 22:30, 2025-10-17 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-10-15 19:00 - 20:30
Join us at Joslyn Castle and Gardens for the return of Tales of Poe, featuring dramatic performances throughout the Castle.

Opera in Conversation | Pollinating a Creative Community
2025-10-14 18:00 - 19:00
How do we build a diverse, resilient, and thriving Omaha arts sector? Explore cultivating a creative community through the Barber of Seville

Opera in Conversation is a series of three sessions surrounding Opera Omaha mainstage productions that features creatives, scholars, and other public figures.
These FREE events exist to foster cross-disciplinary exploration of art, big questions, and community connections.
Join Opera Omaha on Tuesday, October 14 inside the Joslyn Castle for our second The Barber of Seville Opera in Conversation.
Jump into an artist-lead conversation exploring the art show Buffa Style inspired by The Barber of Seville, and the way different mediums and disciplines can inspire creation and pollinate a creative community. Learn about LALA (Local Artists. Local Art.), our partner in this art show, and the work they are doing to build a more diverse, resilient and thriving Omaha arts sector.
Speakers:
Dan Crane, Artist and Curator of Buffa Style
Weston Thomson, co-director LALA

Admission is FREE, advance registration is requested.

Dan Crane is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2009, Crane earned his BFA in Printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute. Since then, he has participated in solo and group exhibitions in and around the Midwest. Crane has been offered fellowship, grant, and collaboration opportunities from many organizations, including The Union for Contemporary Art, The Joslyn Art Museum, The University of Nebraska in Omaha, Kent Bellows Studio, Kaneko, Film Streams, Amplify Arts, and The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.

LALA’s (an acronym for Local Artists, Local Art) goal is to transform Omaha into a nationally recognized arts mecca where local visual artists can earn a living because both public and private art collectors are abundant. Local artists thrive when their art is sought after, purchased and proudly displayed. Through excellent, thoughtful and engaging public murals, sculptures, exhibitions, and art forward initiatives, they work to bring attention to local artists and build a more vibrant city.
Learn more and explore at lalaomaha.org

Thank you to our partners:

Media Notification: Photography and Video will be captured at this event. By attending, you agree to allow Opera Omaha to use your image in social, archival, and promotional materials.
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Public Tour Cancelled
2025-10-12 12:30 - 14:00 | Joslyn Castle & Gardens, 3902 Davenport Street, Omaha, NE, 68131, United States
**Public Tours CANCELLED on Sunday, October 12, due to an event on the grounds**

Be our guest as we swing the Joslyn Castle doors open for public historical tours. No reservations required, just show up!

Step back in time to the stunning estate of Omaha’s first millionaires, George and Sarah Joslyn. Learn about their fascinating story and impact on Omaha while you stroll through their Scottish Baronial mansion and 5.5 acre grounds.

Tour Details

The tour includes a 14 minute video, and an hour long walking tour of the three levels of the Castle.

An elevator is available for guests with mobility issues.

Tours are held at 12:30pm with no advance ticket purchases or reservations required.

Tickets are $17.00 for adults, and $15.00 for students, seniors, or military with ID. Children 5 and under are free.

The front door of the Castle opens 15 minutes before tour start time.

Contact Information

mmccarthy@joslyncastle.com

402-595-2199

Cindy Chinn: Not Your Typical Artist
2025-10-10 17:00 - 21:00
Join us for the opening reception of Cindy Chinn’s solo show in the Joslyn Castle Carriage House

Watie White and bARBER: Two Person Art Show
When: Friday, Oct 10 from 5 to 9pm
Where: Joslyn Castle Carriage House
Cindy Chinn is fascinated by the poetic potential of overlooked and discarded materials — the tip of a pencil, a rusted saw blade, an old bicycle tire — and how they can be reimagined into vibrant narratives. Whether she is coaxing intricate detail from a lead-thin pencil or welding together scrap metal into sweeping sculptural forms, her work is rooted in transformation: in re-seeing what we take for granted and in revealing hidden possibilities. In her “Re-Tired” series, for example, Cindy reclaims bicycle tires to create lively, textured compositions; in her metal and saw art she elevates industrial detritus into expressive, heartfelt forms; and in her murals and paintings Cindy weave stories across scale and surface. Cindy’s background as an animator and entertainment-industry designer continues to inform her sense of visual storytelling, composition, and attention to detail.
Cindy’s goal is to spark wonder and connection — to invite viewers to pause and imagine new life in the familiar, to see beauty in the discarded, and to feel that art can emerge from unexpected places. She wants her pieces to be both bold and intimate — capable of drawing you in with details you may only discover after lingering, and powerful enough to transform a space. Across mediums, Cindy aims to bridge craft and concept, sustainability and surprise, whimsy and weight, in ways that resonate beyond the object itself.
Other opportunities to see the exhibit include attending public event at the Carriage House.

Highly Spirited in the Midwest
2025-10-09 21:00 - 23:59 | Joslyn Castle & Gardens, 3902 Davenport Street, Omaha, NE, 68131, United States
Join us at Joslyn Castle for a night of dark history, libations and paranormal investigations!Join us at Joslyn Castle and Gardens for a night of dark history, libations and after hours paranormal investigation. We are offering two unique opportunities to explore the macrabre at the Castle this Halloween season featuring presentations by local historians followed by an hour long investigation in the Castle. Will you encounter the spirits of Omaha’s first philanthropists? Jamie Nestroyl – Omaha’s Gilded Age Midwest Paranormal History Tours Take a journey with us into the opulent—and often ominous—chapters of Omaha’s past. From the glittering wealth of the Gilded Age to the social upheavals of the Progressive Era, we’ll uncover the untold stories that shaped the city’s rise—and haunted its foundations. With a blend of dark history, intriguing local legends, and maybe even a ghost or two, we’ll explore the powerful families, the hidden crimes, and the strange happenings that echo through time… and perhaps still linger in the shadows of Omaha itself John Paul – The Many Deaths of George Joslyn Castle & Cathedral District Community Liaison John Paul digs into the dark depths of the Joslyn Castle archives for incredible tales of George Joslyn’s own brushes with death, including a legal battle with serial killer, H.H. Holmes! Brian J. Corey – Hauntings: What are they? Who are they? Necronomicast Brian joined Necronomicast in 2014 and has been hosting the podcast since 2020, guiding you through topics better left mentioned after sundown and under a full moon. In addition to hosting the “Historic Haunted Heartland” of live events, Brian has emceed the “Omaha Haunticon” paranormal convention and the Nebraska Bigfoot Conference. Doors open at 8:30pm, presentations begin at 9pm in the Carriage House. A bar will be open throughout the evening, accepting both cash and cards. As always, creative dress is encouraged!

Opera in Conversation | Inspiration, Process & Insights
2025-10-07 18:00 - 19:00
Is Barber of Seville the most recognizable score in all opera? Explore this hilarious opera with the conductor and director themselves.

Opera in Conversation is a series of three sessions surrounding Opera Omaha mainstage productions that features creatives, scholars, and other public figures.
These FREE events exist to foster cross-disciplinary exploration of art, big questions, and community connections.
Join Opera Omaha on Tuesday, October 7 at the Joslyn Castle for our first The Barber of Seville Opera in Conversation.
The first Opera in Conversation features director Stephen Lawless and conductor Gary Thor Wedow as they preview what to expect and what’s going on in the rehearsal room.
Admission is FREE, advance registration is requested.

Gary Thor Wedow returns to Opera Omaha after last conducting Don Pasquale. Mr. Wedow has established an enviable reputation for dramatically exciting and historically informed performances with opera companies, orchestras, festivals, and choral organizations throughout North America. During his 24/25 season Mr. Wedow lead Mozart’s masterpiece Le nozze di Figaro with Palm Beach Opera, joined Cincinnati Conservatory of Music for the same composer’s La finta giardiniera, and returned to the Santa Fe Symphony for Handel’s Messiah. In the fall of 2023 he collaborated with Opera Southwest for Carmen, and returned to Des Moines Metro Opera for Il barbiere di Siviglia. The 22/23 season found Maestro Wedow at The Juilliard School to lead their production of Atalanta. A favorite with Seattle Opera audiences, Mr. Wedow has also been a frequent guest of Florida Grand Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Arizona Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Portland Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Utah Opera, Chautauqua Opera, among others.

Stephen Lawless makes his Opera Omaha debut with The Barber of Seville. Born in Warrington Cheshire, UK, Mr. Lawless was Director of Production for Glyndebourne touring opera from 1986-1992 where he directed a production of Britten’s Death in Venice. Subsequently he has worked for most of the world’s leading opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera (Don Giovanni, 2000), the Royal Opera Covent Garden (La Clemenza di Tito, 2002), Glyndebourne Festival (Die Fledermaus, 2003 and 2006), the Bolshoi (Der Rosenkavalier, 2013), and San Francisco (Capriccio, 1992 and Roberto Devereux, 2018). In North America he has also worked for the opera companies in Los Angeles, Dallas, San Diego, Houston, Toronto, Kansas City, San Jose, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, Seattle, and Portland, as well as the Santa Fe, St. Louis, and Glimmerglass festivals. His work has been seen at opera houses in Beijing, Seoul, Glasgow, Strasburg, Graz, Vienna, Berlin, Nuremberg, Magdeburg, Oldenburg, Lubeck, Erfurt, Genoa, Turin, Amsterdam, Ghent, Venice, Madrid, Barcelona, and St. Petersburg, as well as festivals in Innsbruck, Potsdam, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Grange Park, and Buxton.

Thank you to our partners:

Media Notification: Photography and Video will be captured at this event. By attending, you agree to allow Opera Omaha to use your image in social, archival, and promotional materials.
Explore more upcoming events
