Way back in 1894, animals began to be exhibited at a place called Riverview Park Zoo. By 1898, the animal population had increased to 120 animals. It wasn’t until 1963 when the famous name of Henry Doorly Zoo came to existence. Since then, the zoo has been thriving with diversity and popularity internationally.
Within the Henry Doorly Zoo, there are many different exhibits that stick out amongst the majority, but there are three major exhibits that tend to be crowd favorites: the Desert Dome, the Lied Jungle, and the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium.
Desert Dome
Opened in April of 2002, the Desert Dome holds the record for the largest indoor deserts at a size 42,000 square feet. The underground area of the Desert Dome—Kingdoms of the Night—adds another 42,000 square feet, making the total size of the biome 84,000 square feet. Alongside this feat, the geodesic dome is considered the largest in the world. The three main deserts featured within the exhibit are the Namib Desert in southern Africa, the Red Center in Australia, and the Sonoran Desert in the southwest region of the United States.
The featured animals in this exhibit are cape cobra, ocelots, laughing kookaburra, and the bat-eared fox.
Lied Jungle
Since April 4, 1992, the Lied Jungle has held the record for one of the largest indoor rainforest exhibits in the world. The jungle has a feature that allows visitors to look out from a 50-foot tall waterfall within the 123,000 square feet of land it occupies. Both levels of the jungle are divided into different sections of each content, including Africa, Asia, and South America. Within the two trails that a visitor can take, there are around 90 different species that can be spotted.
Some unique animals within this exhibit are the blue monkeys, piranhas, philippine crocodiles, and pygmy hippopotamus. One student recalls the experience of exploring the Lied Jungle for the first time.
“I remember seeing the monkeys and being so shocked that they were able to be here in Nebraska,” freshman Grace Voitus said. “It was really cool to see so many tropical and exotic animals in a place such as Omaha, especially with such a realistic looking enclosure.”
Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium
With a cost of around $16 million, the Scott Aquarium was opened on April 1, 1995. The aquarium itself has 71,000 square feet alongside 1.2 million gallons of water. It is one of the largest in-zoo aquariums in the world. Many different species are featured within this exhibit, including aquatic animals from the temperate oceans, the polar regions, the flood Amazon rainforest, and coral reefs.
The zoo holds a positive reputation for being a fantastic zoo to take children to and have a fun time with the family. Mrs. Funk, the English department chair and mother, has recently taken her family to Omaha’s zoo back in June of 2025 and can remember how great of an experience the zoo provided.
“They have a huge variety of exhibits and while most zoos do some work with conservation, I do think Henry Doorly is incredibly dedicated to that cause,” Funk said. “They also have ‘something for everyone’ and lots of things to break up the distance, like splash pads and playgrounds.”
A few of the unique marine life within the aquarium are the jellyfish, pacu, stingrays, and the king penguins.
The Henry Doorly Zoo has been a place of enjoyment for all ages since the late 19th century. Since the opening, the zoo has not only prioritized the care of its animal life, but the satisfaction and safety of the visitors. Omaha’s zoo has reached many accomplishments, making it one of the best to visit in the world. To plan a future visit, click the link here to view the website.
