Omaha 's Henry Doorly Zoo

The Omaha Zoological Society was founded in 1952 to operate a nonprofit zoo for the city of Omaha. Today Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is a preeminent facility welcoming over 1.1 million visitors from all over the world. In fact, the Zoo was named the "Best Zoo in America" in the May 2004 issue of Reader's Digest and the July 1999 issue of FamilyFun magazine ranked Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo as "the best family spot in America," ahead of both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

The Zoo's Lied Jungle is the world's largest indoor rain forest, covering 1.5 acres, and immerses the visitor's senses in the sights, sounds, smells, and humidity of three different jungles of the world.

The Walter and Suzanne Scott Kingdoms of the Seas Aquarium is a world-class aquarium featuring a 70-foot long acrylic tunnel that gives the visitor the experience of being on the ocean floor with large sharks, rays, and colorful fish swimming inches away.

The Desert Dome is the world's largest indoor desert and showcases the plants and animals of three deserts from around the world. The dome itself is noteworthy as the world's largest glazed geodesic dome, containing 1,760 glazed acrylic panels.

Beneath the Desert Dome is The Kingdoms of the Night, the world's largest nocturnal exhibit. This exhibit reverses the day-night cycles so the visitor experiences a variety of nocturnal animals going about their nightly routines in realistic settings, including a swamp complete with a beaver lodge, trappers cabin, and cypress trees.

Many visitors enjoy adding a movie at the Lozier IMAX Theater to their Zoo visit. The Theater presents movies on a 61-foot tall by 83-foot wide screen enhanced with a 12,000 watt surround sound system.

The Zoo's newest attraction is a state-of-the-art gorilla complex, Hubbard Gorilla Valley. This exhibit includes two acres of space where visitors can watch gorillas climb, tumble, run, and relax.

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