Spending an evening at the Holland Performing Arts Center is a classy night out, as this home stage of the Omaha Symphony feels much more intimate and sophisticated than the city's larger-scale concert venues. The shoebox-style main hall seats 2,000 and offers wonderful acoustics, whether you're there to hear the symphony or acts like Herbie Hancock, Patti LuPone or Lily Tomlin. Step into the hall for an intermission drink, and a wall of windows provides views of downtown's high-rises and the Gene Leahy Pedestrian Mall. The mall is particularly pretty when its many trees are lit during the holidays when the United States Air Force -- Heartland of America Band performs yearly concerts, which are especially suitable for those who enjoy brass, woodwind and jazz ensembles. Santa visits for the show and to hear children's wishes. During summer months, the center hosts outdoor concerts on its courtyard. The venue is just a short walk from many downtown hotels and from the popular Old Market restaurant and retail district, making it easy to enjoy a pre or post-show drink or dinner without having to move the car or catch or taxi.