Take a ride on a historic train and learn about the animals in your backyard and beyond at this downtown zoo, tailored for curious kids.
Lincoln Children’s Zoo is an exciting family-oriented attraction in one of inner Lincoln’s lush green parklands. Specifically designed to provide fun and educational experiences for kids, Lincoln Children’s Zoo has a wide range of exhibits, encounters and events that showcase 300 different animals. Check out little critters like bugs and beetles, or have an up-close experience with big creatures, including baboons, leopards and camels. Jump aboard the zoo’s train and take a scenic loop around the zoo’s 10-acre (4-hectare) park.
Enter the zoo and begin your exploration of the park. To your left, you’ll find the Animal Kingdom enclosure. Check out cheeky meerkats, lumbering sloths and soft-shelled turtles. In the trees, you might spot tamarins, marmosets, flying foxes and tree kangaroos. Look a little harder and you’ll see the camouflaged reptiles, such as chameleons, lizards and boas. Wander over to the adjacent enclosure, where the kids can enjoy horse rides.
Check out the Hive exhibit and Laura’s Butterfly Pavilion to discover the miniature world of fascinating insects. See Humboldt penguins swimming around their pool and a red panda munching on bamboo. Wallabies bound across the lawns and tortoises amble around their enclosure. Zookeepers showcase a different animal every hour at the Critter Outpost, which contains small animals such as guinea pigs, doves and hedgehogs. Check the program at the Animal Encounter Stage, where the zoo’s different animals are put on show at varying times during the day.
The zoo has exciting play areas for younger kids, as well as a café that serves quick snacks and refreshments. The whole family will love a trip on the zoo’s railway, which has been traveling its scenic route around the site for over 50 years.
Lincoln Children’s Zoo is situated in central Lincoln, 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometers) from the Lincoln Amtrak Station. There is an admission cost for the zoo, and train and horse rides are separately priced. The zoo is open between April and mid-October, as well as select weekends in March. Make the most of the zoo’s late opening hours on Wednesdays.
