bestillandwrite On our road trip to Winnipeg Manitoba this summer we decided to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha Nebraska. This zoo was voted #1 in the nation and has 160 acres of plants, animals and unique habitats from around the world. Basically, you need to add this park to your bucket list. Read below to discover What You Need to See at the Omaha Zoo.
First, a few suggestions…
- We visited the zoo on a Sunday in summer, so it was rather busy. I recommend choosing a day during the week, perhaps not while everyone is on vacation.
- If you do go in the summer, bring lots of water and wear sunscreen. It was rather toasty and it’s a big zoo.
- The parking situation is interesting. The lot we had to park in was pretty far from the door, so if you forget something it will be a bit of a trek back to the car.
- The Desert Dome is pretty, but hot. It’s not my favorite exhibit to be completely honest. Also people tend to move through that exhibit a little slow, which is not fun when you are hot and just want to get out of the building.
- Finally, I do recommend having a full day to see the entire zoo. We only had a couple hours, but could have easily stayed for many more.
Our Favorite Exhibits:
1. Scott Aquarium
I am a sucker for a good aquarium. Maybe it’s because I grew up in Kansas, but ocean life is just fascinating to me. We went to the Scott Aquarium around lunchtime on a Sunday, so it was pretty busy. However, even with the crowds it was worth it. They had puffins, y’all. Adorable.
2. Giraffes & Elephants
At the time of our visit there were three baby elephants and even a couple baby giraffes. We could have spent most of our visit just staring at them. Both the giraffe and elephant viewing areas are quite large, so if one area seems crowded then I would try the next one. It’s worth the wait!
3. Lied Jungle
My daughter and I went into Lied Jungle right before we left the zoo and I was astounded by how big it was. Afterward I found out it’s actually America’s largest indoor rainforest. Everywhere you look there’s something new to see. Some of our favorites were the waterfalls, gibbons, monkeys, macaws and even pygmy hippos. Definitely a trip highlight.
4. Butterfly Pavilion
I’ve been in the butterfly pavilion on previous visits to the Omaha Zoo and it’s definitely a highlight. Our daughter absolutely loves butterflies, but there was a line out the door to get in, so we didn’t have the time to wait. I recommend making this one of your first stops in order to beat that crowd. If it’s something you really want to see, that is.
5. Gorilla Valley
The Gorilla Valley is an excellent place to get a break from heat on a summer day. We went to the zoo on a Sunday, so it was pretty busy. However, I found the gorilla area to still be spacious enough even with the crowd. There were so many vantage points from which to see the gorillas.
6. Children’s Trail
We didn’t have enough time to visit the children’s trail on our visit to Omaha, but I am excited to see more of it on our next trip there. They have a budgie encounter and even a baby care center!
Thank you for reading What You Need to See at the Omaha Zoo. I hope they will help you on your next trip. For more travel content, be sure to check out the additional posts below:
How to Overcome Post-Vacation Blues
Optimizing Your Evening Routine at Disney World
Essentials for Your Disney World Park Bag
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Safe Travels,
