Lauritzen Gardens in South Omaha, Nebraska, grew from a long-discussed botanical center into a major public horticultural attraction. The idea dated to the early 1970s, but after an initial proposal failed, a renewed effort in 1982 led to formal plans in 1988. Built on a former garbage dump cleared in 1981, the garden finally began planting in 1993 and opened in April 1994 as the Omaha Botanical Gardens. Renamed in 2001 to honor the Lauritzen family, it expanded with a visitor and education center, a model railroad garden, the Marjorie K. Daugherty Conservatory, and later additions including Sofia’s Play Garden and conservatory renovations.