Joslyn Castle & Gardens

Highly Spirited in the Midwest
2025-10-09 21:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago) | 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!

Public Tour
2025-10-09 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-08 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-06 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-05 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-03 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-02 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-10-01 12:30 - 14:00, 2025-09-29 12:30 - 14:00 and 9 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

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

Jazz Night with the Michael Lyon Quartet
2025-10-03 19:00 - 22:00
Join us for an exceptional evening in the Carriage House with the Michael Lyon Quartet, one of the Midwest’s premier jazz ensembles.

Welcome to the Carriage House lounge for a swanky evening of jazz! Vocalist Michael Lyon brings the Great American Songbook to life, performing timeless standards alongside selections reimagined by today’s celebrated interpreters. An evening of sophisticated swing and enduring classics, beautifully presented in the stately surroundings of the historic Joslyn Castle Carriage House.

What: Jazz Night at the Castle
When: Friday, Oct. 3 at 7pm, doors open at 6:30pm
Where: Joslyn Castle Carriage House
3902 Davenport St. Omaha, NE 68131

The Castle bar will be open accepting cash and card. Cocktail attire encouraged!

Michael Lyon, vocals
Pete Hall, Keyboard
Mark Luebbe, bass
Doug Montera, drums

Joslyn Castle Vendor Fair
2025-10-02 17:00 - 20:00
Shop 20+ local artist and creatives’ booths in the Castle garden and check out the closing reception of two art shows in the Carriage House!Rain, rain, go away! Our Vendor Fair will come again another day – Thursday, October 2nd from 5-8pm that is! Joslyn Castle & Gardens October 2nd from 5 – 8 pm Joslyn Castle & Gardens welcomes you to the closing reception of two art shows in the Carriage House and our end of season vendor fair where guests can shop over 20 local artists’ and creatives’ booths in the Castle gardens! Vendors include: Ambrosial Apothecary Thorn Wren Stephanie Sleeper Art Clover 24 #109 Pinecones and Thorns Wander About Oddities Teri Coolidge Utility Bags Lion Heart Canyon Studio Third Nail Creations Stellar Made Spencer Fine Art Winter Count Mary Makes Mischief Alexis Johnson Fashion Design 402 Beauty Therapy Pressed in Black Lisa Harnack Art Cannon Marz The Bay OMA will be set up on the East side of the Castle leading skateboarding demonstrations for kiddos! “The Bay OMA, a Benson-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, will be on-site facilitating free skateboarding demos and lessons for youth ages 18 and under, with rental skateboards and helmets available at no extra cost. A signed liability waiver must be completed by a parent/guardian on-site or ahead of the Third Thursday Art Walk by visiting https://bit.ly/thebaywaiver.” Join us in the Carriage House for the closing reception of two art shows! The Carriage House Gallery will feature a joint show by Omaha Artists Fredy Rincon & Gerardo “Pollo” Diaz. In the newly opened second gallery in the Carriage House will be the opening reception of “Exhi-BIKE-Tion.” This exhibition invites artists to explore how biking shapes the way we move, connect, and imagine our lives. From everyday commutes to childhood memories, critical mass rides to quiet moments in motion—we want the stories only your art can tell. This event is not only a display of our community’s love for biking and talent for art but also a fundraiser for The Community Bike Project, Omaha’s only non-profit dedicated to providing low-to-no-cost access to bikes, tools, and cycling education for people of all ages.

Risky Business: Navigating a Renovation
2025-10-01 18:00 - 20:00
Starting a renovation project can be overwhelming! Our panel will break it down, step by step.Old home ownership is not for the faint of heart (trust us, we know!), but we’re here to help! We’ve teamed up with our friends at the Nebraska State Historical Society and Preserve Omaha to bring you a series designed to demystify maintaining and preserving your old home or building. Join us for This Old Castle as we learn from the best experts in town. Join us Wednesday, October 1 at 6pm for a panel discussion we’re calling “Risky Business: Navigating a Renovation.” Renovation dream or worst nightmare? A panel of design and construction professionals will discuss the most common risks associated with renovations and how homeowners can be prepared for them. While some risks are associated specifically with older homes, much of the discussion will apply to homes of any vintage. Topics will include understanding the difference between types of contractors, what to look for in an agreement and what to expect before, during and after your project. Panelists will include a contractor, architect and homeowner.

Goth Night: Old Ghosts & New Romantics
2025-09-27 21:00 - 2025-09-28 01:00
Halloween comes early this year… Join us for our next edition of Goth Night at the Castle: Old Ghosts & New Romantics!

The veil is thinning, and we are READY for an early Halloween!
Join us for the next edition of Goth Night at the Castle: Old Ghosts & New Romantics. Dance till you die with DJ Cemetery Gates and explore the historic Joslyn Castle under the shroud of darkness!
We’re taking Goth Night to the next level by adding two special guests! Local favorites @cvltplay and @_x_i_d_ return to the Castle to play live sets in the third floor ballroom!
@djcemeterygates will keep the dance party going in the first floor Music Room playing 80’s synth and New Romantics hits all night long.
Choose your own adventure! Haunt the Castle Halls in a ghostly get-up or take inspiration from the colorful costumes of New Wave fashion icons. Prizes will be awarded to the three most inspired ensembles!

Figure it Out: New Work by bARBER and Watie White
2025-09-26 17:00 - 20:00
Join us for the opening reception of a two person art show in the Castle featuring works by, bARBER and Watie White.

Watie White and bARBER: Two Person Art Show
When: Friday, Sept 26 from 5 to 8pm
Where: Joslyn Castle
ART TALK with Watie and bARBER (led by Adrian Duran, UNO art history chair) at 7:00pm in the Castle’s Music Room
All are welcome at the free opening reception on Friday, Sept 26th! Meet the artists and learn about their inspiration and process!
Other opportunities to see the exhibit include attending public tour or an event at the Castle before October 5th.

Watie White is a contemporary American public artist, painter, and printmaker based in Omaha, Nebraska. Watie is known for his socially engaged public art that incorporates community voices. He holds an MFA from American University and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Since relocating to Omaha in 2006, Watie’s Studio and public practice has created over 30 site-specific, socially engaged projects leading to collaborations with over a dozen schools and more than a hundred murals with communities throughout the Midwest. Watie’s work has been featured in exhibitions at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, AR), the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Minneapolis, MN), Museum of Nebraska Art (Kearney, NE), Joslyn Art Museum (Omaha, NE), the Telfair Museums (Savannah, GA), The Mint Museum (Charlotte. NC), The Frist Center for the Arts (Nashville, TN) and the Dixon gallery and Gardens (Memphis, TN).

bARBER is a recipient of 3ARTs’ Chicago 2024 Ignite Fund for groundbreaking and experimental visual art-based works and is a resident of the School of Art Institute’s 2024 Tower A-I-R program. He has participated in prominent events such as the Evanston Art Center Biennial (2025), EXPO CHICAGO (2025 and 2023), the MdW Art Fair, The Other Art Fair (2023 and 2024), the Chicago Artists Coalition’s 2023-24 HATCH program, and residencies across the country and globe.Among his accolades are the 2020 Biennial Artist Research Fellowship at Sam Fox Island Press, University of Washington in St. Louis, and a feature in New American Paintings, Issue #150 and being acquired by notable collectors like Dan Gilbert’s Family of Companies in Detroit.

Closed for Private Event
2025-09-22 12:30 - 14:00
There will no public tour today, the Castle is closed for a private event. Please check our schedule for other public tour opportunities.

Ambient Night at the Castle
2025-09-19 20:00 - 23:00
Join us in the Carriage House for an evening of FREE ambient music with sets by three local synth enthusiastsCalling all synth enthusiasts! On Friday, Sept 19, the Carriage House opens its doors for an evening of ambient music performed live by three local artists: Mindscaping by Tob, classic space music by Ladd Doane and the Dylan, the “Mad Scientist” who builds all his own gear. Accompanied by visual projections by Aaron Gum. This evening of modular music is brought to you for FREE by the Castle & Cathedral District! Where: Carriage House at Joslyn Castle & Gardens (3902 Davenport Street, Omaha, NE 68131) When: Friday, September 19 from 8pm-11pm (doors open at 7:30pm) What: A FREE all ages event.

Art Walk Vendor Call
2025-09-18 17:00 - 21:00
Joslyn Castle & Gardens is looking for vendors for our September 18th Art Walk!

We are currently booking artists and makers as vendors for our final art walk of the season on Thursday, September 18th, at Joslyn Castle & Gardens!
The vendor fair will take place on the lawn from 5-9pm. Load in will be 3:30-5pm.
In the case of bad weather, we will move the vendors inside the Castle.
Please reach out to mmccarthy@joslyncastle.com for more information.
In order to reserve your place as a vendor, we are asking for a $20 donation due by September 5th.

exhi-BIKE-tion at the Joslyn Castle
2025-09-18 17:00 - 20:00
A bike themed art exhibit and fundraiser for Community Bike Project Omaha

Exhi-BIKE-tion is a juried community art show celebrating the spirit of bicycles as transport, transformation, a tool of community, resistance, and release. Hosted in the historic Joslyn Castle Carriage House, this exhibition invites artists to explore how biking shapes the way we move, connect, and imagine our lives. From everyday commutes to childhood memories, critical mass rides to quiet moments in motion—we want the stories only your art can tell.

This event is not only a display of our community’s love for biking and talent for art but also a fundraiser for The Community Bike Project of Omaha. This is Omaha’s only non-profit dedicated to providing low-to-no-cost access to bikes, tools, and cycling education for people of all ages.

Community Bike Project provides a third space for our community to exist and thrive in unapologetically. The space is ever-evolving and calls for close quarters, which asks participants to shed any guard and involve themselves in a transformative experience. This experience provides them with a tool of autonomy and the gift of self-discovery.

Our mission is to create a city in which all residents experience a high quality of life and a thriving sense of personal agency as a result of universal access to bicycle ridership. We aim to achieve this by directly connecting Omahans in need with bicycles to own, the space and tools to maintain their bikes, and the skills and knowledge to independently repair and safely ride their bikes. Your creative contribution helps make that vision real.
For questions regarding the art shows, please contact John Paul at: jpaul@joslyncastle.com
If you have any questions for the bike shop, email info@communitybikeproject.org or message us on Instagram @bike_project_omaha.

Castle & Cathedral District Art Walk
2025-09-18 17:00 - 20:00
Every third Thursday in the Castle & Cathedral District along 40th Street, between Dodge and Cuming Streets.

Once Upon a Time at the Castle: Omaha Public Library Storytime
2025-09-15 17:30 - 18:30
Every third Monday step into a world of literary wonder at Joslyn Castle & Gardens with our friends from the Omaha Public Library.
