Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in Nebraska
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every zoo in Nebraska that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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On-site diningNight and evening openingSensory and cognitive support
Lincoln Children's Zoo
Zoo in Lincoln
Close to 200,000 people come each year, making it Nebraska's third best-attended arts and science venue. Privately funded and 10 acres in size, it records the highest attendance per acre of any zoo in the United States. As of March 2019 it opens all year.
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Touch poolPlaygroundBehind-the-scenes tour
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Omaha
It traces back to the Riverview Park Zoo, founded in 1894, and took its current name in 1963 after a $750,000 gift from Margaret Hitchcock Doorly given in memory of her husband, Henry. The grounds include the Desert Dome, a 137-foot-high, 230-foot-wide glazed geodesic dome built in 2002 and described as the largest of its type, the Lied Jungle, an indoor rainforest opened in 1992 covering 123,000 square feet, and the Scott Aquarium, opened in 1995 with 1.2 million gallons of water and a shark tank crossed by a 70-foot viewing tunnel. Later additions include the 28-acre African Grasslands exhibit, opened in 2016 at a cost of $73 million, alongside a free-flight aviary for around 500 birds and an amphibian programme that has released more than 121,000 animals to date.
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Overnight stayBehind-the-scenes tourParking
Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park
Zoo in Ashland
The park covers 440 acres and is driven through. Prairie and wetland habitats hold North American natives such as bison, elk and cranes, with a new Wolf Canyon overlook, trams and a visitor centre. It is tied to Henry Doorly Zoo and lies 22 miles west, at exit 426 on Interstate 80.
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Riverside Park and Zoo
Zoo in Scottsbluff
The city park holds the only zoo in the western part of the state, with over 125 animals from more than 50 species. It lies half a mile west of Nebraska Highway 71. The wider grounds hold three lakes with camping and a recreation ground, a trail beside the North Platte and over 30 garden plots.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 4 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.