This is a smaller zoo but it's very charming and is a nice way to spend a couple hours! I loved being able to feed the giraffes, watch an animal ambassador presentation, and watching them feed all the penguins was cute to see. read more

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Love the Lincoln Children's Zoo! I've been visiting regularly since I moved to Nebraska 10 years ago, and it's been so fun to see all the positive changes and improvements over the years. Now having a toddler, this zoo is truly perfect for little ones. Easy to walk, the right size, and packed with activities they can actually enjoy. We stopped by for a couple of hours on Sunday to soak in the beautiful mid-November weather. It wasn't busy, which was great, and we got to see all the animals we were hoping to. The giraffe exhibit is one of my favorites! The staff is always so kind and the grounds are incredibly clean. They already have the Christmas lights up, and wow I was so impressed by how many there were! I'll definitely be coming back at night to see everything lit up during the Zoo Lights experience. read more

Lincoln Children's Zoo - Indoor giraffe feeding exhibit - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

The cheetahs were off exhibit on the morning we were here, but this is still a lovely space to walk around a bit. We really enjoyed the red pandas and it was amazing (and a little weird tbh) to be so close to the giraffes at eye level. You can buy a bunch of salad greens to feed the giraffes, but even if you don't it is still a great up close exhibit. I noticed a lot of great native prairie plants in their landscaping, so major aura points for that. read more

The best childrens zoo I have ever seen! Better than most adult zoos that I have seen too! Modern, well organized, great habitats, well presented, lots of foilage and greenery. Some unique animals like a red panda, and a cerval. Giraffes, big cats, emus, flamingoes, meerkats, and many other animals in very nice roomy habitats. Cute train that goes around the zoo. Pony rides available for smaller kids. Awesome zoo! read more

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This is a small zoo but my kids love the indoor playground where there are monkeys. We also like the red pandas. They were much more active than the Omaha ones. It's small enough to see all exhibits in one day but the indoor playground is big enough that you could still be there all day. My kids were 8 and 6 when they played on the playground for over an hour. read more

This zoo is incredible. Its clearly catered to children hence the name. We have an annual pass and it pays for itself. My son loves feeding the camels and giraffes, riding the train, watching the cheetah run, and penguin feed time! The playground is a hidden gem in the winter. We love the zoo so much! Ps- the zoo lights at xmas time are 100% worth it kids or no kids read more

Lincoln Children's Zoo - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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How can you not love the Lincoln Children Zoo, great place to get the kids out of the house for a fun educational day. Lots of attractions to interact with, plenty of activities for the kid's, the train ride is always a must. Seems like they are always improving their exhibits and adding new animals to the zoo, so there is something new to see very time we visit. read more

The animals were great! Not the BEST zoo I've been to but it was fun to spend time here. The biggest complaint I have is we had a group of 5 and we rode the train and honestly it's not worth paying for. The conductors and everything are super nice and are just doing their jobs but the train is super squeaky, you basically just see the facility buildings and a couple of the animals. The zoo in itself was cool though! read more

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If you are looking for a version of the Omaha zoo that is smaller, more child-friendly, and intimate, then you're in luck, because just an hour away from Omaha is the Lincoln zoo, which ticks every box! It has a variety of animals, things for the whole family, and can be done in 2 and a half hours. Don't miss the giraffes, the otters, or the building with bats and tree kangaroos! read more

I really love this zoo! The name suggests it's for just kids and families but I believe anyone can have a good time there. For me the best parts include feeding the giraffes, seeing the majestic tiger, and those adorable red pandas. There's a lot of classic fun and variety. A childhood favorite was the train which was still fun and a nice cool trip that goes twice around. Especially good on a hot day like yesterday. Definitely would recommend the zoo which is a stones throw from the beautiful rose and Sunken Gardens across the way. :) read more

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Cute little children's zoo. It's actually pretty big. They have a nice little train ride and animal feeding opportunities. We fed the giraffes and the goats. They give various discounts for seniors, military and zoo members. Even Omaha zoo members get a 50% off. read more

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We visited here on our second day in Omaha. Just an hour from Omaha to Lincoln so not too far. We enjoyed this one far more than Omaha zoo since it was free and many offerings like train and giraffe feeding at nominal price. Train was $5 or less per person and had stroller parking and did loop twice through tunnel. Also giraffe feeding was $3 for 3-4 large lettuce leaves. We broke it down so son could stretch out feeding. Food was also reasonable with plenty of options. Son had soft pretzel and we split a sandwich wrap. Parking free and nice walk to visit all the animals. There is even an indoor playground with balls to catch and sent up tubes to trees. Rain showers then released the balls back down. Nothing like this at Omaha zoo. read more

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We often go to Lincoln for swim meets and see that there is a zoo there but we usually don't take the time to go. One weekend during a swim meet, my son and I made a plan to go check it out one of the days we were in town. We were certainly not disappointed with our visit! Since we are members of the Omaha Zoo, we were able to use that membership for a discounted rate at the Lincoln zoo! We were also able to purchase train rides and tickets to feed the giraffes right from the ticket office. The first thing we went to see were the red pandas. They were in an enclosed air conditioned building, so they were actually out and about! The zoo isn't too big, but we still had to come another day to see the exhibits we missed and to ride the train! Some of our favorite things we did here was to see the new baby penguin and to see the red pandas. In all, we really enjoyed our visits to the Lincoln Children's Zoo and will more than likely visit again when we are in town! read more

I'm new in Lincoln, and I decided I wanted to see all the local attractions the locals are familiar with. Something tells me it's all happening at the zoo. Among the most widely advertised attractions in Lincoln is the Children's Zoo. I'm pretty busy with work, but I found an afternoon recently when I could spare a couple of hours away from clients to visit the zoo. Truth be told, I was fed up enough with human foibles that I wanted to see some healthy animals. I found the zoo on google maps, but I needn't have bothered. There are signs on lampposts directing you toward the zoo from all over the city. When I got to the zoo, I found out it was going to cost me $16 to get in. I knew there would be a fee, but I was thinking to myself, "if I had known it would be such a large investment, I would have come in the morning with a picnic lunch prepared to stay all day." I love zoos so much I could watch just the elephants or monkeys all day. Not to mention the weird snakes and other reptiles. After I entered the zoo, I found it was laid out in exhibits numbered from 1 to 5. #5 was directly to the right as I crossed through the entry gate. It wasn't labeled with what kind of animals were on display inside the #5 building. I wanted to see the monkeys, and it wasn't labeled monkey house, so I figured I'd save #5 for later. There weren't any animals in evidence from the gate, so I walked in toward where the activity was. Maybe there would be camels. "Beware of the spitting camels, I thought." I walked on to find the animals. I found a cute train. When I'm new to an area, I often take a public tour to get a feel for the size of the city or whatever. What better than a $3 miniature train ride around the park to catch a quick glance of all the animals before I would be forced to budget which I would see -- having only the one afternoon to see them. I love trains. I got an extra special bargain, because when I rode it, the train made TWO complete circuits of the perimeter of the zoo. Forest Park, eat your heart out! But I didn't see any animals. Not one. I saw some bicyclists in a canyon off to the right side of the train. I saw some small humans in a playground. And I saw some giraffes. One of the giraffes was very still. I thought he (she?) was a statue of some kind. But I saw 2 giraffes that moved, and one very life-like life-sized replica. I was surprised that the giraffes were the only live animals I saw from the train. When the train ride was over, I decided to become a right wall follower, and find all the animals by following a path hugging the wall to my right. I found a couple of kind of empty pens, and then I happened upon the giraffes. It turned out there were 4 giraffes. And they were all alive! I was thrilled. There was a kind of bridge where I could stand eye-to-eye with the giraffes, and one was incessantly eating hay from a sack at neck's length. He seemed tired and lonely -- maybe even lazy -- but he was a good listener. After a while, I went in search of the other animals. But I found none. I had followed the right wall all the way back to the entrance area. I checked out building #4 -- the one next to exhibit #5. Someone's child said they saw a red fox. I didn't see any animal inside the glass area, but I found out he was right when I left. I caught a glimpse of a red something with black stripes as it escaped the crowd by running back inside the #4 habitat. But I did catch a glimpse of at least that one captive animal other than the lonely giraffes. One woman decked out in expensive jewelry was headed to exhibit #5. But she couldn't get in. The door was locked. Maybe there were no animals there, either, I mused. Then when I left the area near the locked door, someone came and let her in. It turns out exhibit #5 is a private area for the group who runs the zoo. Their cages are decorated like their natural habitat so as to be familiar to them. They look like offices. So it turns out I was initially wrong. There ARE monkeys in the #5 habitat. If they were as smart as chimpanzees, they would have figured out how to have at least a spider or two on display for me AND THE KIDS to see. As I was leaving, I passed through a group of eager young people trying to decide whether to spring for the $16 each to see the animals. I remarked that there were only 4 giraffes, and that came to $4 dollars apiece. They laughed -- thinking I was joking. I didn't have the heart to tell them that those were the ONLY animals on display. FOR SHAME! The people in charge of this zoo should be ashamed! Spanky and Our Gang could do a better job of collecting animals to show the kids with no budget at all!!! Mark my words: If I stay in this town, I'll make it my mission to place at least a few living snakes, turtles and spiders behind glass for the kids to look at. Meanwhile, you primates on display in exhibit #5, just rattle your jewelry! read more

Lincoln's zoo, in the shadow of one of the best zoos in the world up the road, has wisely chosen to embrace the children's zoo model, and they are excelling! We have kids ages 2 to 8 and have loved visiting this zoo as they have grown up. It's perfect to stop by for an hour or two in the morning when the first open. read more

This is the perfect zoo for a quick trip out. They have enough animals to make you feel like you truly saw something but not so many that it takes all day and then some to see. It's great for younger kids. Probably best under 2nd grade? They have lots of nice playground/play areas to get energy out. The train, petting zoo food and horse rides are extra, but well worth it. The train goes around the entire park twice. It's nice to let you see where your fav animals might be located. The gift shop is awesome. They have any souvenir you could imagine and the prices are very reasonable. read more

We bought a yearly family plus grandparent/ nanny pass in June and it's been well with it. It's a great easy way to get the kids out and for them to learn. We love all of the play areas too! The indoor play structure with the coffee shop along with the stream are our favorite "rest" areas. The play areas in the "historic" side of the zoo (past the train tracks) is a great sensory spot with fossil digging and different "climbing" structures. There's a basic jungle gym like what you'd find at your neighborhood park and by the camels there's a nature play area with obstacles that are more geared to what your kids might decide to climb on if you're out on a hike such as logs and rocks. The food isn't anything to write home about but it's reasonably priced and they have a good variety. read more

Website keeps saying my emails are already registered. I tried 4 but none of them worked. Since I have never been to Lincoln and I doubt someone else used my emails I was unable to buy tickets. The office is closed on weekends and tickets are not sold at the gate. Poor customer service. read more

Brought my kids to play an the indoor space. Hours on the door read 10:00-1:00. We walked in about 10:30. The restrooms were closed fo almost an hour. Coffee shop also supposed to open at 10:00, staff behind the counter cleaning equipment for over an hour, unable to serve anyone. Staff opened boys bathroom for my 4 year old, watched him go in and then out a sign on the door that said Restroom Closed while my kid was still inside. read more

I wish there was something like this closer to home! This is a perfect day trip for the family, even if for just a few hours. It's big enough that is has plenty to do for a whole day, but not so big that you can't drop in for a half of a day too. First off, my kids absolutely LOVED being able to feed the giraffes. What a fun experience for all of us, me included! My kids loved the train ride, pony ride, and things to play on and do throughout the park. The staff was friendly, the park was clean, the bathrooms were clean, and everything was reasonably priced. read more

AMAZING!! We travel several times a year. We have a 4 year old daughter and one of our favorite activities is local zoos. We loved the low windows and several playgrounds. She fed the giraffes and goats, did a horse back ride, and played in the water. While standing at the flamingos a zoo employee came up and introduced us to Norbert the one eyes stork. Through conversation we learned the story of Norbert and true love Norbert had for this employee. Before leaving we went into a play area called Secret Jungle....WOW!!! The time and thought that went into the design of the play area. The plan was to spend 2 hours at the zoo. We spent almost 5. If you have the time...GO!!!! read more

Visited here with some friends when we noticed we were visiting several days before they closed for the winter. This is a nice small zoo mostly containing small animals. The name Children's zoo says it all. The largest animal, I think, are the camels. Most of the other animals consist of birds, monkeys, and reptiles. They have a lot of play areas for kids. The place is very shady with a lot of trees so it would be great during the summer. The train ride goes around the outside of the zoo and shows how small the zoo is. The zoo is geared to small kids and is worth a couple of hours. read more

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I love to take the kids here. My toddler enjoys exploring the paths and sandboxes and my 12 year old loves the classes and exhibits and it's small enough that she can venture on her own on uncrowded days. All of the animals seem in excellent health and are very well cared for. The staff is always great, and so are the "zoo crew" kids that help out with pony rides and the such. Every time I go we learn something new so it's always a great experience. This is also a fun place to volunteer. I actually volunteered with the butterflies and even engineered the train one year. If you are looking for something to do in the summer, you should go into the office and see what is needed as this is yet another very fun and fulfilling way to enjoy the zoo! The gift shop has a lot of really great stuff and the prices aren't bad either. We always end up buying something even though we are there a lot with our zoo pass! read more

Lincoln Children's Zoo - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

I love the additions they have made to this zoo! With having the Omaha zoo so close it can sometime be hard to compete with, but the improvements and additions that the Lincoln Zoo has made is making it an even more enjoyable experience. We always love going here because it's just the right size. When walking around the zoo with a toddler she was able to do the whole zoo without getting tired too! read more

Lincoln Children's Zoo - Feeding the camel - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

This a great zoo for families and children! I grew up going to this zoo and the staff is so friendly and the animals seem happy! Clean environment and I love the new additions of giraffes! read more

Unless you have a yearly pass, don't bother to go in the winter. Most animals are off exhibit, no shows - so it makes for an expensive walk. read more

Gibbons and camels and seals, oh my! Good for kids & adults alike, but designed with kids in mind. Plan on it taking approximately at least an hour to get through the whole zoo (not including stops for meals or playtime). Bring a stroller if you have little ones. This is no San Diego Zoo, but it's fantastic for a city the size of Lincoln, & we treasure it. These will be the highlights for your kids, aside from seeing the animals: - The train ride around the zoo - Watching the seal show (11am & 3pm) - Playing at the playground at Zooville Square (parents will love the "sit on the shady bench & take a break" exhibit here, too.) - Feeding the goats or camels - Walking through the butterfly pavilion - Making a wish at the Stegosaurus fountain Their website has a lot of handy info, including a printable map you can take with you. read more

My group had such a great time at the zoo. All of the volunteers we encountered were friendly and kind. The kids enjoyed petting a snake and a rabbit. They also enjoyed feeding the goats, the pony rides, and playing on the play equipment. The Secret Jungle was big hit. A big shout out to the ladies in the gift shop. They were trying to close and they were so patient while a little girl choose a toy. It took her a little bit to decide because there were so many great choices! read more

What a lovely little zoo, perfect for young children. There are opportunities to burn off energy, and be interactive with zoo keepers, volunteers, and animals. Lots of extra little trails, seating to take in the beauty, and play areas. I thought it was very reasonably priced as well. They are in the middle of an expansion that will allow for more animals and encounters next summer. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. read more

I am not a child, but I had such a great time here! As others have said, it's small and definitely designed for small kids, though everyone can find something fun. There are free shows (penguins, seals) every few hours, and those are entertaining. There are also a lot of little playground and climbing things, so tiny tots have things to do in addition to the zoo. The train is great, I just hated the recorded scream in the tunnel. Also, free parking! read more

This used to be such an amazing experience for my kids. We really love it and went ALL THE TIME. However, the changes for Covid are awful. They have it going one way so people get really crowded at certain points. It wasn't busy the day we went. less Than half the number of people that are there are a normal summer day. People were literally shoulder to shoulder and slamming into us. We couldn't see the animals and it completely ruined the experience. read more

Not one of the nation's grand zoos but a great way to spend an afternoon and a season pass gives several fun times for the year. Actually while small I think they HAVE played an important role in the preservation of a couple small monkey species. And in recent years they have been remodeling the place in a very interesting way. Destroyed some of my nostalgia but it is for the better. read more

It's the perfect size for small kids. Nice to see they're expanding and adding more, my daughter is looking forward to the new critters. The play areas are fun, and we always like getting to pet the birds, bunnies, and other small animals. We try to go at least twice a year if not more! read more

We came on a very cold day. The wind was howling and it was 40 degrees out, but we came from Colorado so didn't want to skip it. They had several indoor exhibits and I saw more animals than I have in my life, at any other zoo. read more

What a lovely place to spend the afternoon. I loved how it wasn't super crowded so it was easy to view the animals. There were many opportunities to sit and enjoy the nice weather and go through all of the exhibits without feeling rushed. The price of admission is quite reasonable too. This place is perfect for small children with plenty of play areas, a train, horses to ride, and camels and goats to feed. read more

Ok zoo for toddlers n lil ones. Small w play spaces n structures spread throughout. Season pass an ok deal, but not great. Especially in comparison to Omaha Zoo- which is open year round, incredible zoo w IMax for just a few more $. We can do it while they are lil ones, then worth the drive to Omaha for the incredible zoo at nearly the same price! (w membership) Also, Plan on spending another $10 each visit to ride the train n pony. Free large parking lot! read more

This zoo isn't the biggest, but it certainly has a whole lot of heart! Geared to children, the interactiveness of this zoo allows small children to interact with animals safely while still learning and encouraging natural curiosity the leads to a lifetime of learning! This is one of my favorite places to take my daughter! read more

Is it wrong of me to be amused that someone keeps changing the "emu" sign to "emo"? Probably. The zoo staff fights back, as they must, but I'm afraid it's a lost cause. Monkeys! Snakes! Bats! Bats! read more

The Safari Cafe at the Lincoln Children's Zoo has a decent selection of food: Pizza, burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, PB&J, and some healthy and less-healthy sides, plus ice cream and Icees. They also have a small gluten-free menu: pizza and chicken fingers. Prices are really reasonable, not the jacked-up rates you usually pay as a captive customer (I'm looking at you, Henry Doorly Zoo). The pizza was so-so - the crusts were undercooked - but the grilled cheese and kettle fries were good. For zoo food, and with the low prices, I had to go with four stars. read more

A very nice little zoo designed for kids, as the name implies. More than enough to keep your kids occupied for some time, they have a nice variety of animals for a small zoo. Their special events for kids throughout the year are great too, but can get crowded. read more