Built in 1912 by George Bernhard Prinz, the Flatiron Hotel was constructed in the Georgian Revival style. One of the most peculiar buildings in the city, the Flatiron has a unique triangular design, owing to its location at the crossing of St. Mary’s Avenue and Howard Street. There is also a circular tower at the pointed end of the triangle. Initially a hotel, the building even gained notoriety for being a safe place for gangsters. Over the years, the hotel was turned into office spaces, before finally being converted to an apartment building. The building now features 20 luxury apartments on the upper levels while its lower level spaces are leased out for commercial purposes.
A historical marker points out the birth site of African American activist Malcolm X. His family left Omaha in the 1920s, and decades later community leaders launched a crusade for this memorial, which appears on the National Register of Historic Places. His home no longer exists, but a marker stands on land at his former address. Although there really is not much to see, history buffs will find this memorial site in North Omaha a nice side trip. Admission is free.
Take a trip back in time to 1903 with a visit to the exquisite family home of George and Sarah Joslyn, two of Omaha's most respected historical citizens. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this Scottish-Baronial style home boasts four stories and 35 rooms. Originally built at 250,000 Dollars, the Joslyn Castle is located in the beautiful Gold Coast district and is across the street from the Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast. The castle is open to the public on the first and third Sundays of each month.
Landmarks and monuments pay tribute to the religious pioneers who traveled the 1,300 miles of the Mormon Trail. The route took the Mormons along the northern edge of Omaha. This site, known as the Winter Quarters, is a significant stop because it marks the pioneers' winter camp of 1846. The more than 600 Mormons who died here due to the harsh weather are buried in a nearby cemetery. Free daily tours detail this historic trek.
