The Lincoln Children’s Zoo doesn’t try to compete with Omaha’s Henry Doorly, and that’s exactly why people love it. It’s a right-sized zoo in the middle of Antelope Park where the whole point is getting close to the animals: hand-feeding giraffes, riding the ZO&O Railroad, watching Humboldt penguins (part of the AZA Species Survival Plan), and walking through the butterfly pavilion. Families do it in a half day without the meltdowns that come with an eight-hour zoo march.
It’s also a bigger conservation player than its size suggests — the zoo participates in AZA reciprocal admissions with Omaha, Kansas City, and Des Moines, and its CATZ program distributes up to 20,000 admission tickets a year through local nonprofits so low-income kids can visit free. Seasonal events like Boo at the Zoo and Zoo Lights give locals reasons to come back all year.
Open year-round, 10 to 5 daily. Online tickets are date-specific, and there’s a military and first responder discount. Parking is ample, paths are stroller- and wheelchair-friendly, and the whole thing sits inside Antelope Park, so you can extend the day with the playgrounds and trails next door.