Culture of Omaha, Nebraska

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.

The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, just east of Omaha's Old Market Historic District, was founded in the early 1980s and hosts artists from all over the world.

[16] The Shelterbelt Theatre focuses on the development of original theatrical works and provides practical theater education to playwrights, performers, creative and technical staff.

[20] Other major music groups either located in or originally from Omaha include Mannheim Steamroller, Azure Ray, Tilly and the Wall and the late indie-folk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith.

American Idol, a popular reality television show and talent competition broadcast on Fox network, chose Omaha as one of its auditioning cities for their seventh season in 2007 at the Qwest Center.

The Reuben sandwich may have been invented in Omaha,[23] and the collection of single malt Scotch whisky at Dundee Dell may be one of the largest in the United States.

Other sports facilities in Omaha include Morrison Stadium, home of the Creighton Bluejays men's and women's soccer teams.

[27] Omaha is home to numerous important historical and modern sports figures, including Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson; Gregg Olson, 1989 American League Rookie of the Year; Ron Prince, former head football coach at Kansas State University; Heisman Trophy winners Nile Kinnick, Johnny Rodgers, and Eric Crouch; and Gale Sayers, a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

A special train from Hollywood to Omaha carried director Cecil B. DeMille and stars Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea.

[31] Portions of The Assassination of Richard Nixon and The Indian Runner were also shot in Omaha, including scenes of the now demolished Delmar Hotel.

In 2005, Payne joined the board of directors of Film Streams, a nonprofit arts organization opening a two-screen cinema in downtown Omaha.

The demolition of Omaha's Indian Hills Theater, at one time the largest Cinerama in the nation,[32] remains a source of contention between the local artistic community and Methodist Hospital.

A variety of actors, including Fred and Adele Astaire, Nick Nolte, Dorothy McGuire, Marlon Brando and Gabrielle Union, were born in Omaha.

Montgomery Clift came from Omaha, and his family's home still stands on South 33rd Street, a few blocks from the Gerald Ford birthplace site, which memorializes the 38th President.

Omaha's rich musical heritage includes legends such as Wynonie Harris, Preston Love, Buddy Miles, Calvin Keys, and Eugene McDaniels.

[37] Early populations to settle in the city included Belgians, Czechs,[38][39][40] Irish,[41] Germans,[42][43][44] Italians,[45][46] Swedes and Norwegians,[47] African Americans, Greeks, Poles, Jews[48] and Slovaks.

Part of the former "Jobbers Canyon" that included fruit markets, warehouses and other agricultural and industrial buildings, it is home to a number of shops, restaurants, bars, and art galleries.

Recognizing Union Pacific's long history in Omaha, situated on the grounds of Lauritzen Gardens is the new Kenefick Park, featuring two of the largest locomotives ever used in the United States - Big Boy #4023, a steam engine, and Centennial #6900.

Omaha is home to a number of nonprofit and charity organizations, including Father Flanagan's famous Girls and Boys Town.

Omaha has five sister cities: Shizuoka, Japan (1965); Braunschweig, Germany (1992); Siauliai, Lithuania (1996); Naas, Ireland (2002); and Xalapa, Mexico (2005).