Henry Doorly Zoo Guide
Hi friends!
I hope you are all having a wonderful day! Today, I will share all about our trip up to the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium! If you are a Nebraska native, you’ve likely been there on more than one occasion. However, if you’re not, I would highly recommend checking it out while visiting. It’s been ranked in the top 10 zoos to see in the country. USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards recently announced that the Asian Highlands and Wildlife Safari Park are the number one top contenders for Best Zoo Exhibit and Wildlife Park in North America! How awesome is that?! Let’s begin with some tips for your visit:
TIPS
Purchase tickets in advance—If you are a first-timer at the zoo, I recommend purchasing your tickets ahead of time. It makes things way more convenient, and you can skip right past the line. Kent and I did this and had no wait time. Thankfully, we did too, because the line was very long on the day we went.
Bring your own food— As we all know, food and drink can be pricey at these places, especially if you have little ones. Thankfully, the zoo is very accommodating about bringing in your own food/drinks. Kent and I packed up a small drawstring bag with some snacks and water, but we also saw many people bringing in large coolers. So don’t be afraid to pack extra! However, If you are looking to splurge, they have fantastic choices such as the Durham TreeTops Restaurant (located next to the Lied Jungle) and the Omaha Steaks Grill!
Take breaks— There is a lot of ground to cover at the zoo, and it’s usually an all-day thing. I suggest taking multiple breaks throughout the day. Regardless of whether you have children or not, you’ll be doing a lot of walking.
Bring sunscreen— If you are planning your visit during the summer months, sunscreen is a must! You’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors. If you have children, I would also suggest bringing a wagon or stroller to protect their skin.
Wear comfortable clothes/shoes—When I know I’m going to be spending a lot of time outdoors and on my feet, I gravitate towards athletic wear and shoes. Comfortability takes priority over looking cute these days, lol. Trust me, your feet will thank you for it later!
Now that you’ve got your tips let’s talk about some of the exhibits! :)
DESERT DOME
This is the world’s largest indoor desert. It features animals from three deserts around the world! It’s incredible and can be seen from miles away. Here you will find snakes, lizards, bobcats, foxes, and much more! Below are a couple of pictures I took. Located below the desert dome, you will find the Kingdoms of the Night exhibit (side note: I did not take any photos of this exhibit due to the animals being sensitive to light).
AQUARIUM
The aquarium at this zoo is unreal. Whenever I walk in, I feel like I’m diving down under just without the scuba gear, lol! Here you’ll discover the polar regions, see the penguins, walk through the shark tunnel (see it here), and see the most beautiful, vibrant fish! It truly is spectacular and a must-see!
This little guy was just outside of the aquarium. We thought for sure we were going to get him to fan his feathers!
LIED JUNGLE
The jungle was always my favorite as a kid! I think it’s just because I’ve always been a sucker for the tropical vibes. Here you will see monkeys, hippos, and tropical birds. There are beautiful, lush green plants everywhere, and one of my favorite parts about this exhibit is the waterfalls! In fact, there is a bridge right next to one of the waterfalls that visitors can walk over to get the whole experience.
AFRICAN GRASSLANDS
This is one of the zoo’s newer exhibits, and my first time seeing it since the project has been completed. I was beyond impressed when I saw it. This exhibit features all kinds of African wildlife, including zebras, elephants, giraffes, and rhinos. I think it turned out amazing, and it was nice to see them add more space for the animals.
I caught these two kissing! <3
Pride Rock :)
ASIAN HIGHLANDS
This exhibit is also new to the zoo and features animals such as the red panda, sloth bear, tigers, and the snow leopard. Sadly, we did not see the snow leopard on our visit this time, but we did get to witness the sloth bear doing some tricks!
EXPEDITION MADAGASCAR
This exhibit is indoors and a great option if you are looking to get out of the sun for a little bit. Here you will find some of the most unique animals! My favorite is, of course, the lemurs!
SEA LION SHORES
This was the last exhibit we stopped at, and we had a ball watching the sea lions frolic around in the water. We weren’t able to see much above the water, but once we moved down to the lower level, we could see them a lot better. I can’t get over how cute sea lions are. We watched one interact with a small child, and it was just precious!
One exhibit was closed due to construction, and a few others we didn’t get to, but overall we had a great time. If you are interested in visiting and would like a more in-depth look at what the zoo has to offer, you can go to https://www.omahazoo.com/ for more information.
I hope you all enjoyed this post, and don’t forget to check out the YouTube video, which can be found here.
Let me know in the comments what your favorite animal is! :)
Love, Brandi