Trip Advisor readers rank Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo as the best zoo in the world. Other rankings and polls consistently rank the zoo at the top or among the top. Of all of the zoos I have visited, I have to agree that Henry Doorly Zoo is the best, taking into consideration mainly the animal exhibits but also other zoo attractions, as well.
Animal Exhibits
Enter the Desert Dome, and you’re in the largest indoor desert. The Desert Dome includes the Kingdoms of the Night, the world’s largest nocturnal exhibit.
The Desert Dome was fascinating, but Hubbard Gorilla Valley and Hubbard Orangutan Forest were my personal favorites. Being the closest animal to humans, and faces so expressive makes me often wonder what the gorillas are thinking.
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Moving on to the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium, the larges zoo aquarium, I could watch penguins for hours. I also enjoyed the sharks and colorful fish as they swam all around me, including overhead, in the 70-foot shark tunnel.
The Henry Doorly Zoo also schedules performances with some of their start performers. I caught the tail end of a sea lion show.
So many other animals throughout the zoo are captivating to watch.
Zoo Rides
Walk the entire zoo or take a narrated train or tram tour.
See the giraffes and other exhibits from overhead on the Skyfari.
Ride tickets are sold individually, or pay one price for unlimited rides on the train, tram, Skyfari and carousel.
Lozier Imax Theater
The Lozier Imax Theater, with a screen that’s 61 feet tall by 83 feet wide, plays three different films, some in 2D and some in 3D. On our visit we saw Rocky Mountain Express, the story of the building of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad, the Canadian Pacific Railway, completed in 1885.
Improvements are continuous at Henry Doorly Zoo. The largest project in zoo history, the $70 million African Grasslands, is underway as of spring 2014, with completion of the first phase scheduled for 2016.
The African Grasslands can only add to the popularity of the zoo, which I’m sure will continue to be ranked at the top of zoos for years to come. If you enjoy zoos, Henry Doorly Zoo is a must-see.
If you visit Henry Doorly Zoo
The Henry Doorly Zoo, open year round, is located at 3701 S 10th Street in Omaha, Nebraska. Check the web site for hours and admission fees.
Accommodations
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Disclosures: The Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau and Henry Doorly Zoo sponsored my visit to the zoo. However, any opinions expressed in this post are my own.
If you book a hotel room through the “Check Omaha hotel rates” link above, I will receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
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