Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium


Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In August 2014, TripAdvisor rated it the "world's best zoo", ahead of the San Diego Zoo and Loro Parque, based on an algorithmic assimilation of millions of reviews for 275 major zoos worldwide.
The zoo is known for its leadership in animal conservation and research. Evolving from the public Riverview Park Zoo established in 1894, today the zoo includes several notable exhibits. "Kingdoms of the Night" is the world's largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp, the "Lied Jungle" is one of the world's largest indoor rainforests, and the "Desert Dome" is one of the world's largest indoor deserts, as well as the largest glazed geodesic dome.
The zoo's mission includes four pillars—conservation, research, recreation, and education—which are represented by the four squares in the logo., Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo. Retrieved 5/8/08.

History

In 1894, the first animals were exhibited here under the name Riverview Park Zoo. By 1898, the collection had grown to over 120 animals. The Omaha Zoological Society was founded in 1952 to organize the long-term efforts of the zoo. The name was changed to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium in 1963, after a $750,000 donation from Margaret Hitchcock Doorly, given with the stipulation that the zoo be renamed in memory of her late husband. Henry Doorly had an influential career the chairman of the World Publishing Company. In addition to the World Publishing Company, the zoo soon connected with another notable Omaha business: Union Pacific. Union Pacific helped the zoo lay down of track in 1968 and the inaugural run of the Omaha Zoo Railroad was made on July 22, 1968.
The zoo has two rides that circumnavigate the property : a carousel and the Skyfari, an aerial tram which opened in 2009 and takes visitors from the [|Butterfly and Insect Pavilion] to the lion viewing exhibit.
The zoo is adjacent to the former site of Rosenblatt Stadium. In 2011, the zoo began developing the land at the stadium to become the new parking area and visitor center, leaving a small memorial at the location of home plate. Rosenblatt was replaced by the Charles Schwab Field Omaha downtown.

Zoo timeline

  • 1894: Riverview Park opened.
  • 1898: The park had a varied animal population of over 200 animals.
  • 1920s: Gould Dietz donated cat cages.
  • 1930s: The WPA built cat and bear exhibits.
  • 1952: The Omaha Zoological Society was organized for the improvement and administration of the zoo.
  • 1963: Margaret Hitchcock Doorly donated $750,000 to the zoo with the stipulation that the zoo be named after her late husband, Henry Doorly.
  • 1965: The Omaha Zoological Society was reorganized as a nonprofit organization, and the first phase of the zoo, which included bear grottos, gorilla and orangutan buildings, and Ak-sar-ben Nature Kingdom, was dedicated.
  • 1968: The inaugural run of Omaha Zoo Railroad was in July, and the Eugene C. Eppley Pachyderm Hill opened in November on the old baseball diamond site.
  • 1972: The Ak-Sar-Ben waterfall was constructed; in August, the Owen Sea Lion Pavilion opened, complete with a new concession building, public restrooms, and a gazebo where an old public swimming pool was located.
  • 1973: Owen Swan Valley and the Primate [|Research] Building were completed.
  • 1974: A new diet kitchen and educational classrooms were completed.
  • 1977: The Cat Complex was added.
  • 1979: The hospital and nursery opened.
  • 1981: The giraffe and hoofstock complex opened.
  • 1983: The Lee G. Simmons Free-flight Aviary was completed.
  • 1984: A saltwater aquarium opened in what had been the museum.
  • 1985: The gorilla and orangutan buildings were completely renovated and named in honor of the Owen family; Richard Simmons cut the ribbon.
  • 1986: World-Herald Square was completed, and the First Tier Wolf Woods, maintenance building, and hay barn were relocated to the northeast.
  • 1987: The Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom Pavilion, the visitor services area US West Plaza, and a new main entrance were finished.
  • 1988: Construction began on the [|Lied Jungle], and the zoo was selected for the endangered black-footed ferret breeding program. The zoo's greenhouse was built near the maintenance shop.
  • 1989: Durham Family's Bear Canyon was added; Doorly's Pride was installed in the entry plaza area, and the zoo received the AAZPA Bean Award for its long-term gaur propagation efforts. The black-footed ferret building was constructed.
  • 1990: Dairy World featuring a children's petting zoo, educational exhibits, and concession area, was added, and the world's first in vitro-fertilized tiger was born.
  • 1991: The Birthday House for children's birthday parties and education classes was finished; the world's first artificially inseminated tiger was born at the zoo.
  • 1992: The Lied Jungle opened on April 4, with the attached Durham's TreeTops Restaurant and Education Center. Simmons Plaza near the main entrance was completed.
  • 1993: The old aquarium was closed and construction of the new aquarium began. The zoo received two AAZPA awards: the Conservation Award for the black-footed ferret management program and the Significant Achievement Award for the Lied Jungle. The world's first artificially inseminated gaur calf was born.
  • 1994: The Union Pacific Engine House for the Omaha Zoo Railroad was added.
  • 1995: The Walter and Suzanne [|Scott Kingdoms of the Seas Aquarium] was opened. The zoo had more than 1.6 million visitors, and land was acquired for an off-site breeding facility and drive-through park. Construction began on the IMAX 3D Theater, and the zoo participated in the propagation of the world's first in vitro gorilla birth.
  • 1996: The Bill and Berniece Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research was completed, and Timu, the world's first in vitro gorilla moved to Omaha's zoo.
  • 1997: The Lozier IMAX theater was finished.
  • 1998: The [|Garden of the Senses], the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari, and a new diet kitchen were completed, and construction began on a new pathology laboratory and keepers lounge.
  • 1999: Sue's Carousel was added, construction began on the world's largest desert dome, and the zoo hosted a temporary Komodo dragon exhibit.
  • 2000: The new North Entrance Plaza was completed, featuring a new gift shop, warehouse, entrance plaza, and visitor gazebo. The zoo joined the Okapi Species Survival Program, allowed it to be one of 14 zoos in North America to display rare okapi; a traveling koala exhibit visited the zoo.
  • 2001: Cheetah Valley, and new bongo and tree kangaroo exhibits were constructed, and the zoo hosted a traveling white alligator exhibit.
  • 2002: Desert Dome was finished, and construction began on Hubbard Gorilla Valley.
  • 2003: [|Kingdoms of the Night], featuring various nocturnal habitats, opened beneath the Desert Dome.
  • 2004: Hubbard Gorilla Valley was opened, and a tower with two high-capacity elevators were added to take visitors from the main level of the zoo near the Desert Dome down 44 ft. to Hubbard Gorilla Valley.
  • 2005: The [|Hubbard Orangutan Forest] opened in two phases in May and August; a giraffe feeding station opened in the spring; and construction began on an addition to the Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research.
  • 2006: A new Guest Services building and two additional gates at the main entrance were added; the Hubbard Research wing expansion to the Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research opened in July; and the Budgie Encounter was finished.
  • 2007: Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Pavilion was transformed into the Exploration Station, and construction on the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion began.
  • 2008: The Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion opened; and construction on a Madagascar exhibit began.
  • 2009: Skyfari, a chairlift connecting the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion to the old African rangeland exhibit area.
  • 2010: Expedition Madagascar opened.
  • 2012: Scott Aquarium reopened after renovations, Rosenblatt Stadium demolished by the zoo, and the zoo renamed Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.
  • 2013: A new gift shop opened, the IMAX facility was remodeled, and the Infield At The Zoo and Gateway to the Wild exhibits were completed.
  • 2014: Stingray Beach opened to the public. The seasonal interactive exhibit, located by Sue's Carousel, allows visitors to touch and feed cownose, Atlantic and Southern stingrays. Camel rides, also located by Sue's Carousel, opened to the public. Construction on Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium's largest project, the African Grasslands, begins."
  • 2016: Six African elephants arrived at the zoo from Eswatini's Hlane Royal National Park to survive a drought on March 11. On May 27, African Grasslands opened after two years of construction. This, coupled with Memorial Day weekend, caused what local media dubbed "Zoopocalypse". Within two hours of opening the zoo saw over 8,000 visitors enter the main gates; a normal Sunday sees 4–5,000 people all day. Hours later, the entrance count was up to over 20,000 people.
  • 2018: Bay Family Children's Adventure Trails opens.
  • 2020: Owen Sea Lion Shores Attraction opened on September 4.
  • 2021: Hubbard Gorilla Valley, Expedition: Madagascar and Hubbard Orangutan Forest underwent extensive renovations and reopened July 3.
  • 2023: African bull elephant, Callee, transferred to the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, to breed with its female elephants. He joined them in late May.

    Major exhibits

African Grasslands

After six years of planning and three years of construction, the, $73 million African Grasslands exhibit opened to the public May 27, 2016, over the zoo's former eastern boundary area and Pachyderm Hill exhibits.
In 2017, Warren the African elephant unexpectedly died. He was the only male of the six African elephants that arrived at the zoo from Eswatini.
In May 2019, the Birmingham Zoo's male African bush elephant Callee joined the herd of five female elephants to breed with them. In January 2022, two baby elephants, Eugenia and Sonny, were born to two of the females, Kiki and Claire respectively. In March 2022, the zoo announced a third female was pregnant; Lolly would go on to give birth to a male calf in March 2023.
Species include: