Freedom Park (Omaha, Nebraska)

Set on the Missouri River shoreline at the Greater Omaha Marina, Freedom Park functions as an open-air study collection of Cold War and World War II naval and aviation hardware. The park centers on two preserved vessels: the World War II minesweeper USS Hazard (AM-240) and the small Cold War training submarine USS Marlin (SST-2), both positioned out of the water where hull form, fittings, and topside equipment can be examined in detail. Around them stand aircraft such as a Douglas A-4C Skyhawk, an LTV A-7D Corsair II, and a Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard helicopter, along with artillery pieces, anchors, and nameplates from multiple U.S. Navy ships, creating a compact cross-section of mid-20th-century American sea power and naval aviation. The site’s closure after Missouri River flooding in 2011 and its 2015 reopening underscore the preservation challenges of maintaining steel warships and aircraft in a riverfront environment. For historians and engineers alike, the park offers rare access to the structural realities of small combatants and support craft that usually receive less attention than capital ships, yet carried much of the day-to-day operational burden.