Rent a Bus for the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting in Omaha: The Complete Transportation Guide

Every first Saturday of May, roughly 40,000 shareholders, investors, and Buffett watchers descend on downtown Omaha for what has long been called "Woodstock for Capitalists." The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting at CHI Health Center Omaha (455 N. 10th St, Omaha, NE 68102) is unlike any shareholder event anywhere in the world — a full weekend of exhibitions, discounted shopping at Nebraska Furniture Mart, cocktail hours at Borsheims, and a Q&A session that runs for hours. And all of it lands in a downtown street grid that, in 2026, was simultaneously dealing with Omaha Streetcar construction on 10th Street and reduced lanes on Douglas, Farnam, and Harney.

The question every group organizer faces is the same one locals dread answering: how does everyone get there, stay together through a multi-stop weekend, and actually get back to the airport on Sunday without paying surge pricing?

This guide answers it plainly, using the venue's own published parking information, the city's current construction advisories, and the weekend's shuttle and event logistics as of 2026. By the end, you will know exactly where a bus drops off at CHI Health Center, which lots accept oversized vehicles, how the weekend's multi-stop itinerary — meeting, Nebraska Furniture Mart picnic, Borsheims, Old Market — works best with a dedicated vehicle, and what the per-person math looks like when you split one charter bus across a group of investors. Party Bus in Omaha runs groups to CHI Health Center and across the Berkshire weekend circuit every year.

The advice below is the same walkthrough we give our own clients before they book.

Why the Berkshire Weekend Demands Group Transportation

The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting is not a one-stop event. It is a full two-day calendar built around a hub — CHI Health Center — and a ring of stops scattered across Omaha. The meeting itself runs Saturday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM at CHI Health Center Arena.

That same afternoon, the Nebraska Furniture Mart Berkshire Picnic kicks off from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Nebraska Furniture Mart (700 S. 72nd St, Omaha, NE 68114) — roughly seven miles west of CHI Health Center across downtown. Borsheims (120 Regency Pkwy, Omaha, NE 68114) runs shareholder-only shopping Friday and Sunday, and the Berkshire-sponsored shuttle that runs from CHI to Borsheims on meeting day fills up fast. Friday sees a wave of arrivals at Eppley Airfield.

Sunday sees the entire crowd trying to leave at once, with rideshare surge pricing that notoriously spikes to three and four times the standard rate.

That spread-out, multi-day schedule is exactly what makes a private Omaha charter bus rental the most sensible call for any group of six or more traveling together. One vehicle, one schedule, one pickup and drop-off coordinator — instead of a Slack thread of 14 investors trying to agree on when to leave Borsheims and whether anyone remembered to book a car for the airport run on Sunday morning.

Charter Bus Drop-Off and Parking at CHI Health Center Omaha

Here is the detail that most articles get wrong or leave entirely unaddressed. According to CHI Health Center's guest services page, buses may use the designated drop-off and pick-up zones on the west side of the building along 10th Street and on the south side along Capitol Street, near the Arena and Convention Center entrances. These zones are for loading and unloading only — no parking in the drop-off lanes.

For buses that need to park rather than circle back, CHI Health Center's parking page lists bus parking at $25 per vehicle. No in/out parking is permitted, so once the bus is parked in the lot, it stays. Cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express are all accepted.

The venue strongly advises allowing extra travel time for larger events, and the Berkshire Annual Meeting is the single largest event on CHI's calendar every year.

For groups dropping on the 10th Street side: in 2026, streetcar construction created head-to-head single-lane travel on 10th Street between Dodge Street and Capitol Avenue, making the western drop-off approach slower than normal. The north lot at 10th and Abbott — the easiest general access point from Eppley Airfield — remained the cleanest approach: take Abbott Drive south from the airport and turn into the lot before reaching 10th Street. The south lot at 8th and Capitol is reachable via Douglas Street east to 8th, then north into the lot.

Always confirm current construction impacts with the city before meeting day, as Omaha's downtown streetcar project continues phasing in through 2026 and beyond.

The Three Main Parking Lots — and Which Approach Works

The Berkshire official visitor guide and local traffic advisories consistently point to three main lots around CHI Health Center. Knowing the approach to each one saves your group from getting caught in construction-related single-lane traffic on 10th Street:

• North Lot (10th & Abbott): The simplest approach, especially from Eppley Airfield. Take Abbott Drive south and turn into the lot before you reach 10th Street. This lot is widely cited as the easiest entry for groups coming in from the north or east side of the city.
• Center Lot (across 10th Street from CHI): Access via Capitol Avenue east to 13th Street, then right on Mike Fahey Street. In 2026, the 10th Street construction complicated direct access to this lot — verify current conditions before relying on it.
• South Lot (8th & Capitol): Take Douglas Street east to 8th Street, then turn left toward the lot. This is a workable alternative when the north lot fills early, which it does — meeting day lots have historically opened as early as 3:30 AM for shareholders who want guaranteed spots before the gates crowd up at dawn.

Surface lots run approximately $10 and the garage runs approximately $15, per the official guidance and local reporting. Bus/RV parking is approximately $25. ADA parking is available in the garage and in Lots B, C, and D. We recommend checking the official CHI Health Center parking page before your visit to confirm current lot assignments and any event-specific restrictions, since Berkshire weekend can carry its own published rules separate from standard event parking.

The Construction Factor: What It Means for Your Approach

The 2026 Berkshire weekend landed at a complicated moment for downtown Omaha's road network. The Omaha Streetcar construction was actively underway through much of the Farnam Street corridor — a street many visitors use to reach Warren Buffett's office at 3555 Farnam St, a pilgrimage stop for shareholder weekend regulars. By 2026, Farnam was westbound-only between Turner Boulevard and 38th Street, with closures and sidewalk restrictions scattered between the Blackstone Plaza and 34th Street.

The 10th Street head-to-head lane situation between Dodge and Capitol added another complication for vehicles trying to reach the center lot directly.

What that means in practice: the approach roads that worked well in 2023 may not be the fastest in 2027. For any group arriving by private bus, this is the single strongest argument for a booking process that includes a current route review. We track these changes because our groups are in and out of downtown Omaha year-round — which is why we confirm the current construction map and adjusted approach for your specific event date, rather than sending you a turn-by-turn that was accurate two years ago.

For the latest road closure advisories, the WOWT Berkshire weekend traffic tips coverage from 2026 and the city's own construction updates are the best current sources to check before you travel.

The Full Berkshire Weekend: Multi-Stop Itinerary by Bus

The annual meeting itself is only a piece of the Berkshire weekend. Shareholders come to Omaha for a full calendar of events, and most of those events are not at CHI Health Center. A private Omaha bus rental handles all of it without the group splitting up or anyone waiting on a surge-priced rideshare at the wrong corner of a construction zone.

Here is how a typical Berkshire weekend itinerary looks with a dedicated vehicle:

Thursday & Friday — Arrivals and Borsheims Evening

Thursday is the biggest travel day: flights pour into Eppley Airfield from across the country (and the world) as shareholders make their way to Omaha. Eppley Airfield (OMA) sits approximately 3.5 miles northeast of CHI Health Center — roughly a 10-minute drive in normal traffic, a longer one on Thursday afternoon when the entire shareholder community is arriving at the same time. Coordinating a bus pickup at OMA and doing a hotel loop before the evening activities is straightforward; the airport's Ground Transportation Center is on the lower level of the terminal at Door 3, and commercial vehicles stage there for group pickups.

Borsheims (120 Regency Pkwy, Omaha, NE 68114) runs its shareholder cocktail party Friday evening — a ticketed event that draws a serious crowd of Buffett followers to the jewelry store's showcase rooms about 7.5 miles west of CHI Health Center. The official Berkshire-sponsored shuttle from CHI to Borsheims runs on meeting day itself, per the official Berkshire weekend schedule, but a private bus handles the group's Friday evening timing without depending on the complimentary service's schedule.

Saturday Morning — The Meeting at CHI Health Center

This is the day the entire weekend builds toward. Doors open early — shareholders who want seats in the main arena for the Q&A session line up well before the 7:00 AM opening, and the lots at CHI Health Center fill quickly. A charter bus picks up the full group from the hotel in one coordinated departure, rather than having 12 shareholders individually hailing rideshares in the 5:30 AM window.

Rideshare surge pricing on Saturday morning is a consistent complaint among attendees, per the WOWT pre-meeting guide; having a pre-arranged private bus cuts that out entirely. The bus drops the group on the west side along 10th Street or at the south side Capitol entrance — both steps from the arena's main entrances — and waits in the bus lot through the meeting.

The Hilton Omaha is connected to CHI Health Center via skybridge, so guests staying there effectively walk in. But for groups at hotels elsewhere in downtown or midtown — the Courtyard by Marriott at 101 S. 10th St, the Hyatt Place at 540 S. 12th St, or any of the other properties in the Old Market area — a bus pickup keeps everyone on the same schedule and in the same building when the doors open.

Saturday Afternoon — Nebraska Furniture Mart Picnic

The meeting wraps at 4:00 PM, and the NFM Berkshire Picnic kicks off at Nebraska Furniture Mart (700 S. 72nd St, Omaha, NE 68114) at the same time — with live entertainment and food running until 8:00 PM. The complimentary shuttle that runs from CHI Health Center to NFM is a documented option, but it runs in a loop taking approximately 45 minutes and comes with the wait times of any shared service on a day when 40,000 people are all trying to leave the same building at once. A private bus takes your group directly to NFM, on your schedule, the moment the meeting breaks.

NFM's extended Berkshire weekend hours in 2026 were 10 AM to 10 PM on Saturday — plenty of time for the picnic plus shopping at the Omaha store, which covers over 500,000 square feet of retail space on one campus.

Sunday — Borsheims, Old Market, and the Airport Run

Sunday is the day everything converges. Borsheims runs shareholder-only shopping from 11 AM to 4 PM. The Old Market entertainment district — roughly 0.8 miles southeast of CHI Health Center along the brick-paved streets between 10th and 13th Streets — draws the crowd for brunch and farewell dinners.

And then everyone tries to get to Eppley Airfield at once. Rideshare surge pricing on Sunday afternoon and evening during the Berkshire weekend is a consistent attendee complaint — per the BRK Central independent planning guide, getting an Uber to the airport on Sunday can be genuinely problematic. A pre-arranged bus departure from the hotel, with a planned OMA dropoff time, takes the scramble out of it entirely.

One call, one vehicle, everyone at the curb together.

What Size Bus Does Your Group Need?

Not every Berkshire group is the same. Some are individual investors meeting up with a research club of 12. Others are institutional teams shuttling 35 analysts and portfolio managers through a full weekend program.

Here is how the fleet breaks down for a Berkshire weekend run:

For a multi-day Berkshire weekend with luggage, the charter bus's undercarriage storage bays matter — your group isn't just moving people, it is moving checked bags, shareholder exhibit materials, and whatever anyone picks up at the NFM store Saturday afternoon. A 40–56 passenger charter bus handles all of it in one vehicle. For smaller investment club groups, a 15–35 passenger minibus gives you the right-sized vehicle without paying for seats you do not need.

ADA-accessible vehicles are available — just let us know before your departure date and we will match you with the right vehicle for your group's needs.

Charter Bus vs. Rideshare vs. Rental Cars: The Berkshire Weekend Comparison

There are alternatives, and they all have a place. Here is the honest breakdown for a group:

For a group of two, the complimentary shuttle loops and rideshares are perfectly workable — there is no reason to charter a bus for a pair. But once the group reaches a half dozen or more, the hassle of separate rides — different pickup windows, surge pricing on the two highest-demand windows of the weekend (Saturday AM and Sunday afternoon), and no single vehicle for the NFM run — tips decisively toward one pre-arranged bus. The math gets more compelling the larger the group: one charter bus at a flat rate versus a dozen separate rideshares, each with its own surge multiplier on Saturday morning and Sunday evening.

What It Costs and How Pricing Works

Party Bus in Omaha offers all-inclusive pricing online in under 30 seconds — you will know the exact number before you ever book. The quote is shaped by a few clear factors: vehicle size, total hours (including the multi-stop Berkshire weekend itinerary), mileage between CHI Health Center, NFM, Borsheims, and the airport, and the date. The Berkshire weekend — always the first Saturday of May — is one of Omaha's highest-demand weekends of the year, and vehicles book out early.

For reference ranges: Sprinter vans run approximately $170–$344 per hour; 15–35 passenger minibuses run approximately $150–$300 per hour; and 40–56 passenger charter buses run approximately $150–$300 per hour or $1,200–$2,500 per day for longer multi-stop itineraries. A full Berkshire weekend package — Thursday airport pickup through Sunday airport drop-off, with hotel loops, CHI meeting day coverage, NFM picnic transfer, and Borsheims runs — is quoted as a multi-day block, not individual trips. The per-person math on a 40-seat bus split across a group of 35 institutional attendees frequently comes out well below what those same 35 people would spend on individual rideshares across three days of surge pricing.

Call 402-973-1398 for a free, all-inclusive quote built around your group's specific Berkshire weekend schedule.

A Real Berkshire Weekend Example

To put numbers behind the math: last May, a 32-person investment club booked a 35-passenger minibus for the full Berkshire weekend. The bus picked up the group at Eppley Airfield Thursday evening at 6:30 PM — one arrival consolidation instead of coordinating 11 separate rideshares from the airport. Friday morning brought a midtown hotel loop before the Borsheims cocktail evening pickup at 6:00 PM and return by 10:00 PM.

Saturday, the bus waited at the bus lot at CHI Health Center from 6:00 AM through the 4:00 PM meeting close, then carried the group directly to NFM for the picnic — bypassing the 45-minute shuttle loop entirely. Sunday morning: Borsheims, Old Market brunch, and a 2:00 PM airport run that beat the Sunday surge entirely. Three-day all-inclusive contract: $5,800 — approximately $181 per person across the full weekend, covering every trip and every transfer.

The group estimated they each would have spent $120–$180 in rideshare fares on Saturday alone during the surge window, before accounting for the airport and NFM trips.

Getting to Omaha: Eppley Airfield and the Hotel Block

Most out-of-town groups fly into Eppley Airfield (OMA) (4501 Abbott Dr, Omaha, NE 68110) — approximately 3.5 miles northeast of CHI Health Center, a 10-minute drive in standard traffic. The airport's Ground Transportation Center is on the lower level of the terminal at Door 3, where commercial ground transport vehicles coordinate pickups. The airport has been undergoing its own expansion construction, so allow a few extra minutes for the terminal approach on Berkshire Thursday (the single highest-travel day of the year for Omaha's airport).

Once the group has pulled luggage and assembled at Door 3, one call confirms the bus is ready to pull from its staging area.

On lodging: the Hilton Omaha (1001 Cass St, Omaha, NE 68102) connects to CHI Health Center via skybridge — if your group is staying there, the meeting itself requires no bus at all. For groups at other downtown properties or in Midtown, a morning hotel loop is the cleanest approach: the bus sweeps the hotel stops in one circuit and drops the group at CHI's drop-off zone before the lines at the main entrance form. We recommend reviewing the BRK Central independent planning guide for current hotel recommendations and shuttle details, as proximity and skybridge access can materially change your Saturday morning logistics.

The Satellite Events: NFM, Borsheims, and the Old Market

Getting to the meeting is the part everyone plans. The satellite events are where groups without a dedicated vehicle start improvising.

Nebraska Furniture Mart (700 S. 72nd St, Omaha, NE 68114) is seven miles west of CHI Health Center — a 15-minute drive in normal conditions that becomes considerably longer when 40,000 shareholders try to make the same trip in the 4:00–4:30 PM window right after the meeting closes. The complimentary shuttle runs in a continuous loop but takes approximately 45 minutes per circuit, per local coverage of the event. A private bus from CHI's drop-off zone to NFM's entrance gets your group there in the time it takes to find the end of the shuttle queue.

Borsheims (120 Regency Pkwy, Omaha, NE 68114) sits about 7.5 miles west of downtown — the same general corridor as NFM, near the Regency neighborhood. Berkshire runs an official free shuttle from the AGM to Borsheims on meeting day, but it runs on Berkshire's schedule, not yours. If your group wants to arrive at a specific time for the shareholder shopping window and leave when it's ready, a private bus handles that without anyone waiting at a shuttle staging area.

The official Berkshire weekend schedule, including confirmed shuttle times and Borsheims hours, is published annually at the Borsheims blog — always check that before finalizing your Saturday itinerary.

The Old Market — Omaha's historic entertainment district along 10th through 13th Streets, roughly 0.8 miles south of CHI Health Center — is a natural gathering point for shareholder dinners Thursday and Sunday nights. It's walkable from most downtown hotels in fair weather, and a bus drop along Howard Street or Jackson Street gets the group to the district's brick-street center. Several Old Market restaurants and bars do brisk business all Berkshire weekend; reservations at the most popular spots fill out weeks in advance, so book those separately well before you arrive.

Booking Timing and Berkshire Week Availability

The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting is the single biggest event weekend Omaha's charter bus market sees all year. Hotel rooms in the convention hotel block book out months in advance; the vehicle supply tightens on roughly the same timeline. Book your Omaha charter bus as soon as your shareholder calendar is confirmed — for groups traveling the first weekend of May, that means booking no later than February, and December or January gives you the best rate and the widest vehicle selection.

Groups that wait until March find the right-size vehicles already committed, and the remaining options carry premium weekend pricing.

For the widest vehicle selection and the most flexibility on pickup times, reaching out to Party Bus in Omaha immediately after the next meeting date is announced gives you the longest runway. Call 402-973-1398 any time for an all-inclusive price quote, or use our online tool for instant availability.

Tips for Attending the Berkshire Hathaway Meeting

A few things every group should know before meeting day, drawn from the official visitor guidance and Omaha's own event advisories:

• Shareholder credentials are required for the meeting. Every attendee needs a shareholder meeting credential (admission ticket), which Berkshire distributes to registered shareholders in advance. The meeting is not open to the general public. Confirm your group's credentials well before you travel; the official visitor guide from berkshirehathaway.com details the exact process each year.
• Arrive early if you want a seat in the main arena. Thousands of shareholders queue before the 7:00 AM doors-open on meeting day for the best seats in the arena, where the full Q&A session is projected live. Groups arriving at 7:30 AM or later are typically redirected to overflow rooms with video feeds. The bus drop-off on the west side of the building puts your group at the entrance — not at the end of a parking garage walk.
• The lots open as early as 3:30 AM. For groups that want to guarantee arena seating, the north lot at 10th and Abbott begins accepting vehicles very early on meeting day. A bus that waits there from that opening window means your group is first in the queue when doors open.
• No charter bus or stretch limousine parking at Borsheims. Per the official visitor guidance, charter buses and stretch limousines are not permitted to park in the Borsheims lot during shareholder weekend. Drop-off and pickup at Borsheims work fine — the bus simply cannot park there during the event. We build that into the booking so your bus has a confirmed location while the group shops.
• Sunday rideshare surge is real and documented. Multiple experienced attendees flag Sunday afternoon and evening as the hardest rideshare window of the entire weekend. If your group has a Sunday afternoon flight, the bus-to-airport leg is the most valuable single trip of the Berkshire weekend to have pre-arranged.
• Omaha's streetcar construction continues phasing through the downtown core. Farnam Street, 10th Street, and adjacent corridors are actively being reconfigured. Routes that were straightforward in 2024 may be slower or partially closed in 2027. We always recommend checking the latest Omaha traffic advisories before meeting day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly does a charter bus drop off at CHI Health Center?

Per CHI Health Center's guest services guidance, buses drop off on the west side along 10th Street and on the south side along Capitol Street, near the Arena and Convention Center entrances. These are loading/unloading zones only — parking requires the designated bus lot at $25 per vehicle. We confirm the specific active drop zone for your event date when you book, since Omaha's streetcar construction has intermittently affected which approach lanes are fully open on 10th Street.

Does a charter bus need a parking permit at CHI Health Center?

Buses parking at CHI Health Center during the Berkshire meeting pay the bus parking rate of approximately $25, per the venue's published parking rates. No advance permit is required — the rate is paid on arrival at the lot. No in/out privileges are included, so the bus waits for the duration.

Surface lots run approximately $10 and garages approximately $15 for standard vehicles; the bus rate is its own category.

Can charter buses park at Borsheims or Nebraska Furniture Mart during the Berkshire weekend?

Per Berkshire's official visitor guidance, charter buses and stretch limousines may not park at Borsheims during shareholder weekend. Drop-off and pickup are fine — the bus simply cannot leave a parked vehicle in the Borsheims lot. Nebraska Furniture Mart has a large campus with surface lot space and has historically accommodated oversized vehicles, but confirm current restrictions with NFM before your visit.

We build a staging plan into your booking so the bus has a confirmed location at each stop.

How early should we arrive at CHI Health Center on meeting day?

The CHI Health Center lots have historically opened as early as 3:30 AM on Berkshire meeting day. Groups wanting arena seating for the main Q&A session typically aim for arrival before 6:00 AM. The meeting runs 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

A bus departure from downtown hotels at 5:30 or 6:00 AM on Saturday gives your group time to reach the drop zone, find seats, and be settled before the opening. We coordinate the exact pickup time with your group when you book.

How far is Eppley Airfield from CHI Health Center?

Eppley Airfield (OMA) is approximately 3.5 miles northeast of CHI Health Center — roughly a 10-minute drive under normal traffic conditions. On Berkshire Thursday, when most out-of-town shareholders arrive, Eppley's traffic volume spikes significantly, and the airport has been in an active expansion construction phase. A private bus pickup at the Ground Transportation Center (lower level, Door 3) puts your whole group in one vehicle and takes them directly to the hotel — no per-rider surge pricing, no waiting on the curb for separate cars.

How far in advance should a group book for the Berkshire Annual Meeting?

The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting is Omaha's highest-demand charter transportation weekend of the year. Book by January at the latest for a May meeting date — ideally in November or December after the following year's meeting date is announced. Groups that wait until March find the vehicle supply already largely committed, with premium pricing on whatever remains.

Call 402-973-1398 now to secure your group's vehicle for next year's meeting weekend.

How much does a charter bus to the Berkshire meeting cost?

Pricing depends on vehicle size, the total hours across the weekend, mileage between CHI Health Center, NFM, Borsheims, Eppley Airfield, and your hotel block, and the specific days needed. As a reference range: Sprinter vans run approximately $170–$344/hour; 15–35 passenger minibuses run approximately $150–$300/hour; and 40–56 passenger charter buses run approximately $150–$300/hour or $1,200–$2,500/day for a multi-day block. Multi-day Berkshire weekend packages are quoted as a complete itinerary rather than individual trips.

Call 402-973-1398 for a transparent, all-inclusive quote with no hidden costs built around your exact headcount and weekend schedule.

Is the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting open to the public?

No. The meeting requires a shareholder credential (admission ticket) for entry. Berkshire distributes credentials to registered shareholders in advance of each annual meeting. Only shareholders of record or beneficial shareholders who obtained credentials through their broker are eligible for entry.

The official process and credential distribution details are published at berkshirehathaway.com each year — confirm your group's credentials well before you book transportation.

Book Your Berkshire Weekend Bus Today

The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting runs once a year, and the window to lock in the right vehicle for your group closes faster than most organizers expect. Whether your group needs a Sprinter van for a small investment club arriving Thursday, a 35-passenger minibus for a full weekend circuit from Eppley through CHI Health Center to NFM and Borsheims, or a 56-passenger charter bus for a corporate shareholder delegation, Party Bus in Omaha has access to the right vehicle — and the Berkshire weekend logistics to use it well. Give us a call any time at 402-973-1398 for an all-inclusive price quote, or use our online tool for instant availability.

The earlier you call, the better your options for the first Saturday in May.