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OmahaRiverFront.com
- RIVER NEWS
New Tourist Attraction at Downtown
Omaha Lake
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Heartland of America Park in downtown Omaha will be getting a new attraction this summer. The Douglas County Board approved a five-year agreement last week with a company called Heartland Gondolas, Inc.. They will be offering gondola rides on the park's lagoon.
The 15-acre lagoon currently has a tour boat called the General Marion that offers rides for a quarter.
 This boat will still operate, however, the price per ride is expected to increase to $1. Charters which go from $12.50 currently, will probably increase to $25 to $50 for a half hour or $75 for a full hour.
For safety reasons, both boats will not be able to operate on the lagoon at the same time so the county will be adjusting the hours of operation for the General Marion. They are proposing that the tour boat offer public tours on Wednesdays over the noon hour and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3 pm.
The gondola will offer public tours on Thursdays and Fridays from 5 pm to 10 pm and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 4 pm to 9 pm. Cost per person for a 30-minute ride is expected to be around $5. Under the agreement, the county would receive nothing the first year but will receive 5 percent of the gross income the second year and 10 percent after that. The gondola is expected to be afloat by May or June.
 The vessel, which holds up to six passengers is similar to what you would envision going along the canals in Venice. It can be paddled or on windy days, be powered by a small electric motor. This same type of boat currently offers tours along the Chicago river and has even had weddings performed on-board.
Heartland Gondolas is owned by Steven Anderson and Angelo Moctezuma who are co-workers for an Omaha crisis line. They submitted the only proposal after the county made it public that they were seeking out tour-boat operators. They also plan on offering charter excursions by appointment.
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