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Venues Within the Arboretum

MCC's Arboretum

The Neihardt Prayer Garden, All-American Garden and Fort Omaha Campus Historic Walk are three of the six venues comprising Metro's Arboretum, a Nebraska Statewide Arboretum site.

Neihardt Sacred Hoop Prayer Garden

The John G. Neihardt Sacred Hoop Prayer Garden is located on the Northwest corner of the Fort Omaha Campus, just north of the Douglas County Historical Society.

This garden is a replica of the Sacred Hoop Prayer Garden located in Bancroft, Nebraska. Neihardt called Bancroft home from 1900 to 1920 and authored 25 volumes of poetry, fiction and philosophy.

The Neihardt Center was established there, which includes the poet?s original study, an interpretive center and library. Neihardt, Nebraska?s Poet Laureate and author of Black Elk Speaks, based the garden's design on an object, "The Sacred Hoop of the World," given to him by Black Elk, an Ogala Sioux holy man. It symbolizes Neihardt's interest in American Indian customs and traditions.

This garden was established by the Alpha Eta Sigma Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Society at Metropolitan Community College. No plant list is available.

1997 All-American Garden

The All-American Garden is maintained by the Omaha Men's Garden Club. This garden features new varieties and hybrids of flowers and vegetables that are being tested before commercial distribution. Because the types of plant material are constantly changing, no plant list is available.

Fort Omaha Campus Historic Walk

Step back into time and envision Fort Omaha from its beginning in the mid-1800s. Through a brochure and the historical markers identifying each building, the year it was constructed and its original purpose, you can get a taste of the rich history of Fort Omaha while admiring the landscaping along the way. Brochures are available at the Fort Omaha Campus Library. No plant list is available.

Arboretum Venues