Parents' Guide to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is advertised as "the #1 Zoo in the Nation" and it's less than 2 hours from Sioux City! Does it live up to the hype? As someone who grew up in San Diego and regularly visited the world-famous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, I'm a huge fan of zoos while also having a somewhat high standard for them. But the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha truly impresses me and holds own amongst the best zoos in America. I even think you can make an argument that it is literally THE best zoo in the entire nation. If you have never been to the Omaha zoo, or haven't been lately, you're missing out. Here's everything you need to know about visiting the Henry Doorly Zoo with kids:

Where is the Henry Doorly Zoo?

The Henry Doorly Zoo is at 3701 South 10th Street in Omaha, Nebraska, almost exactly an hour and a half from downtown Sioux City. There is ample free parking in the zoo's parking lots, but expect a bit of a walk from your car to the entrance unless you're some of the first visitors of the day. I appreciate that the Omaha zoo parking lots have cute signs on each row to make it easy to remember where you parked at the end of a long day (we parked in J for Jaguar in the mammal lot recently.)

What animals can you see at the Henry Doorly Zoo?

The Omaha Zoo is home to hundreds of different species of animals including birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. You can find sharks, tigers, elephants, giraffes, flamingos, okapis, red pandas, tarantulas, orangutans, gorillas, lions, sea lions, rhinos, and so many more spectacular animals at the Henry Doorly Zoo. In fact, there are so many that you may not even want to try seeing them all in one day. The animals are primarily visible in habitat-based exhibits, which include:

African Grasslands

The African Grasslands is one of the zoo's newer exhibits, completed in 2018, and is home to lions, zebra, rhinoceros, elephants, cheetahs, gazelle and other hoofstock, giraffes, ostriches, meerkats, mini goats, tortoises, and more! Some of the highlights include a giraffe feeding station, an outdoor amphitheater for the elephant show, and a huge African Lodge where families can eat (with heat, a/c, and free Wi-Fi!) their own food or zoo food. 

In the winter, most of the animals head indoors, but the giraffe and elephant barns in particular are close enough to the other big indoor exhibits to visit in all but the worst weather, and once you get to them, are warm and spacious inside so you can enjoy these beautiful animals.

Alaskan Adventure and Sea Lion Shores

The Alaskan Adventure area opened in 2019 and so far, the Alaskan Adventure part of the area mostly shines as a play area, with an amazing orca themed splash pad, a lighthouse slide, the carousel, and eye-catching eateries and event space. I would love to see them add a sea otter exhibit someday, because they're my favorite animal, the zoo doesn't have any yet, and they would fit in great with the theme!

Sea Lion Shores is now complete and is really spectacular, with so many different viewing areas from different angles around the 275-thousand-gallon sea lion pool, and theming that is so immersive. I cannot wait to see this in summer. We didn't even see a single animal on our recent visit and were still just blown away. My kids were thrilled climbing on the rocks and stairs and such that were clearly intended for that purpose and I love as a mom being able to say yes to that and not worry that we are destroying something.

Asian Highlands

In the newly finished Asian Highlands, visitors can see a red panda, Asian rhinos, rare deer, a Malaysian sun bear, and a snow leopard, plus an amazing temple ruins themed tiger exhibit. It is probably the coolest zoo exhibit I've ever seen anywhere! And in the Yeti camp at the top of the hill, visitors find a cute Himalayan base-camp themed area with eateries and souvenirs, open seasonally. In winter, the Asian Highlands are a bit of a trek from the majority of the large indoor exhibits, and can get very cold, but there's also something extra magical about seeing these animals who are used to the cold weather and thrive in it when they are enjoying their favorite weather. We hiked up to the top during some flurries in late November and it was the most active I have ever seen a tiger or snow leopard! 

Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium

The Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo is one of my family's favorite parts of the zoo. Inside, you'll find puffins, penguins, tons of beautiful fish, rays, an octopus, jellyfish, eels, sea turtles, seahorses, sharks, and more! One of the most fun parts of the exhibit is a walk-through tunnel where sharks, rays, turtles, and fish swim next to you and above you! Again, as a San Diego girl I'm hard to impress, and this aquarium truly does it. You would be hard-pressed to find anything better between California and Georgia. The aquarium does fill up though, so if you're planning an all-day trip, this might be a good exhibit to hit first thing or last thing when the crowds are a bit lighter. Otherwise, it's still a blast, but plan for the crowd to be a bit slow-moving at times. 

Berniece Grewcock Butterfly Pavilion and Insect

The Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion is such a fun experience. They let groups of up to 8 visitors at a time into the butterfly house, which is basically a large room with lots of flowering plants and butterfly feeders and literally hundreds of butterflies. They flutter around and are so beautiful! Then you have to be checked in a little room full of mirrors to make sure none of them try to come home with you! The one tricky thing about the butterfly exhibit is that no strollers are allowed, so if you are using one to walk around the zoo, be ready to split up and take turns, or you can park it and walk in. It's worth it! 

The insect side of the exhibit is just as impressive but may not be a favorite if you are squeamish! You'll find spiders, scorpions, cockroaches and much more in the insect exhibit.

Desert Dome

If you've driven past the zoo, you've seen the iconic desert dome. It's actually the biggest glazed geodesic dome in the world and the largest indoor desert in the world! Inside the dome, you'll find critters from a wide variety of desert habitats from around the globe, from ocelots and peccaries to kookaburras and quail. 

One of my favorite parts is rattlesnake canyon, filled with dozens of rattlesnakes and a cute Wild West goldmine theme.

Garden of the Senses

I think this is one of the most underrated areas of the zoo. In summer, the beautiful parrots are the main animal attractions, and the Garden of the Senses also features a beautiful plants, fountains, and awesome animal sculptures. There are nice benches so it's a great place to rest a minute or have a snack or picnic lunch, and the bathrooms in the garden are some of the nicest in the entire zoo. And there are some large bronze sculptures that are so fun for taking pictures. The garden itself is a cute little walk. This may not be the showiest part of the zoo, but I really love it. 

Kingdom of the Night

The Kingdom of the Night sits under the desert and is kind of creepy in the best possible way! The entire exhibit is dark, with just enough lighting to keep visitors safe as you walk through zones providing habitat for amazing nocturnal creatures like naked mole rats, aardvarks, wallabies, and so many awesome bats. There's also a swamp zone where you walk on wooden boardwalks past alligators, beavers, and more! The Kingdom of the Night is a perennial favorite with tween and teen boys in my family. 

Lied Jungle

Step into an indoor rainforest, with walking paths around two levels. On the upper floor, stroll amongst waterfalls, a swinging bridge, and see parrots, monkeys, bats, plus great views of the forest floor below you. 

On the bottom, feel the mud under your feet as you hop across rocks, duck under vines, and pass by an Olmec head. Along the way, you'll see into pygmy hippos, river otters, crocodiles, spider monkeys, and other delightful creatures. 

Hubbard Gorilla Valley

Omaha has always had a really impressive gorilla exhibit, and they've recently added lots of nice new decorative touches that truly make a difference in the overall ambiance. It is so cool in there!!

Hubbard Orangutan Forest

The Hubbard Orangutan Forest is a relatively small exhibit focused on just one thing: orangutans! The animals are of course spectacular, but what's new in 2025 is the amazing theming. You almost feel as if you have accidentally stumbled upon some ancient ruins in the jungles of Indonesia. 

Expedition Madagascar

In the small-but-mighty Hubbard Expedition Madagascar exhibit, come face to face (safely behind glass) with lemurs and foosa. Whether you're a fan of Madagascar or Zooboomafoo, these stripey critters are sure to delight. 

Outside, lemurs romp on Lemur Island in good weather, which is always entertaining to watch as well.

Simmons Aviary

The aviary at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo is home to some of the most spectacular birds on earth, and some of the most common. Enjoy swans, ducks, flamingos, geese, and so much more. They generally open the aviary in May or June because the majority of the birds like warm weather. We were super excited the other day though to find the flamingos out in March! We couldn't go in the aviary to get a better look since it wasn't open yet, but the whole flock of flamingos was visible from the sidewalks between Madagascar and the Orangutans, so we caught a great view of them anyway, to our delight. 

Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom Pavilion

The Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom Pavilion is a cute little building that often hosts animal encounters, like one time my kids and I got to see a porcupine up close! Even when there's not an animal encounter out, there are educational displays all over and some cute little animals like snakes and turtles. Plus, good bathrooms. Overall, it's a solid place to pop in. And if you visit the zoo with grandparents like we do sometimes, be sure to ask them about their memories of watching the Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom show! My dad had fun telling my kids about it, and my kids had fun hearing about their Grandad being a kid like them watching animal shows on tv.

How's the food at the Henry Doorly Zoo?

The food at the Henry Doorly Zoo is really, really good! It is a bit more expensive than most Midwest fast food, but you are also allowed to bring your own. So, it's easy to find a blend of packing and buying that fits your family's budget. One fun way to save money if you go to the zoo frequently is to buy the souvenir cups. There are two sizes, and the less expensive size was under $10 as of December 2024. Then you can get refills for less than $3!

If you're buying zoo food, one of our favorite places to eat is in the restaurant within the African grasslands area, and I love the South African-style barbecue they offer (and the burgers and chicken strips!) 

The restaurant in the jungle is also really cool. There's a giant window in the dining area that has a view of the jungle itself. And that is just so fun to eat your food while looking out at the animals. There's also a nice patio with grilled Omaha Steaks meat and that's pretty hard to beat too!

One place I haven't eaten at the zoo yet but really want to try is the Asian Highlands yeti camp area. The Asian food they serve there smelled so amazing there that I was super tempted to get a second lunch last time we visited. On a future visit, I will try to intentionally stop there at lunch time.

What else is there to do at the Henry Doorly Zoo?

Besides the animals and the food, there's actually a lot to do at the Omaha Zoo! Some of the most fun include:

• Visit the movie theater: this is a traditional zoo movie theater, playing educational titles about a wide variety of animals
• Splash around in the fountains or at the amazing splash pad in the Alaskan Adventures area
• Go for a ride on the skyfari, the zoo train, the tram, or on the carousel
• Play in the Bay Family Adventure Trails
• Sign up for a class or camp to learn more about the amazing animals
• Watch an animal show at one of the many performance areas, including the new elephant show ampitheatre or the Meadowlark Family Theater
• Camp out at the zoo: check the zoo website to find dates and descriptions for opportunities to camp out in places like the aquarium or the African Grasslands exhibit near the lions!
• Attend a special event: the Henry Doorly Zoo hosts special events throughout the year, from Halloween nighttime fun to the Zoolightful holiday lights event leading up to Christmas, and breakfast with the penguins and early morning yoga with animals throughout the year! 

What should you bring to the Omaha Zoo?

The Omaha Zoo mercifully allows strollers, wagons, backpacks, and coolers (all subject to search by zoo employees, of course) so you can bring all the gear you need to really enjoy the day with your kiddos. My zoo packing lists based on our own family trips is:

• Weather appropriate clothing, including layers so we don't get too hot in the rainforest
• Comfy shoes for lots of walking (my PR for most steps in a day according to my Garmin was set at the Omaha zoo!)
• Swimsuits or quick drying clothing, swim diapers, and water shoes or sandals with good grip if you want to check out the splash pad.
• Mittens, coats, hats, and gloves if visiting in winter
• Sunscreen and hats if visiting in sunny weather
• Face and hand wipes and hand sanitizer
• Diapers, wipes, and other diaper change supplies. There are good bathrooms throughout the zoo where you can change diapers. 
• Some snacks and lunch if you prefer to pack than buy
• Water to drink and any sippy cups, bottles, etc your family needs
• Camera or phone--you're going to want to remember this experience!
• Stroller and/or baby carrier: most of the zoo is stroller accessible, and there are some big hills that can be tough for little legs. and if you want to see the whole zoo, in our experience it's a bit too much walking for preschoolers and toddlers to be on their own feet the whole way. Strollers can't go in the butterfly house or into certain viewpoints in the rainforest. 

For more information:

To find out more about Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, you can visit the Omaha Zoo website or connect with them on social media.

Kim from Oh My, Omaha! also has excellent Omaha Zoo posts.