Buildings connect communities to the past — to their heritage. It’s fitting that the National Register of Historic Places now includes one of Omaha’s most culturally rich neighborhoods: Little Bohemia, for generations the vibrant center of Czech life in our city.
The Czech experience in Omaha extends back to our city’s earliest decades, and Czech life in South Omaha’s Little Bohemia neighborhood gathered particular momentum in the late 1880s. Today, the neighborhood is notable for the large number of existing structures dating from 1885 to 1900.
A standout is the Prague Hotel, a three-story Renaissance Revival structure built in 1898 and in use in our era as apartments. In the early 20th century, the hotel was well known throughout Czech circles worldwide; it hosted many prominent travelers including the foreign minister of Czechoslovakia.