Let us take your students on a journey around the world. Join us for a guided tour of the Desert Dome, Aquarium or Jungle led by a Zoo professional. Learn more about the animals that call these exhibits home and expand your knowledge of the Zoo!
What You Need To Know
- Guided tours are 45 minutes in length
- Three weeks notice required when making a reservation
- Capacity: 30 students
- Fee: $120 for up to 30 students (Does not include school group admission to the Zoo)
- Cancellation notice is required 1 week before the tour to avoid a cancellation fee.
Guided Tour Topics
- Ocean Explorer (Scott Aquarium): The ocean covers over 70 percent of our world so it must contain a fantastic variety of life! Become an ocean explorer and see what animals you can discover, and learn how they have adapted to living the life aquatic.
- Rainforest Researcher (Lied Jungle): Layer by layer, virtually every nook and cranny in a rainforest is occupied by some form of life. Become a rainforest researcher and explore our tropical rainforest top to bottom.
- Desert Discovery (Desert Dome): Survival in the sand! Discover reptiles, mammals, and birds which call the desert home. Learn how they have adapted to live in a desert.
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Student Workshops are designed to expand your student's critical thinking skills through interactive STEM learning. Workshops are aligned with Early Learning Guidelines: Nebraska’s Birth to Five Learning and Development Standards.
What You Need to Know:
- Capacity: 20 students per session
- Workshops accomodate 20 students and are one hour in length. Groups larger than 20 students will be split into multiple workshop times and charged accordingly.
- Three weeks notice required when making a reservation
- Fee: $150 for up to 20 students
- Cancellation notice is required 1 week before workshop in order to avoid a cancellation fee.
Topics
Sea what lives in the ocean! - The world’s oceans are home to incredible creatures that are masters of disguise! Students will become ocean explorers, discovering animals and learning how they have adapted to life in the water.
Littlest Vet Shop - Students will explore what it takes to be in this rewarding and challenging field. Learn how to identify symptoms of sick animals, conduct basic exams, and more
Born to be Wild - Do all animal babies look like their parents? Which animals hatch from eggs, and which are live-born? This workshop will compare animal babies and development while introducing the basic concepts of life cycles (including metamorphosis) in both invertebrates and vertebrates.
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Student Workshops are designed to expand your student's critical thinking skills through interactive STEM learning. Workshops are aligned with Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science and Next Generation Science Standards.
What You Need to Know
- Capacity: 20 students per session
- Workshops accomodate 20 students and are one hour in length. Groups larger than 20 students will be split into multiple workshop times and charged accordingly.
- Three weeks notice required when making a reservation
- Fee: $150 for up to 20 students
- Cancellation notice is required 1 week before workshop to avoid a cancellation fee.
Grades K-2
Passionate about Penguins - Who doesn't love these feathered friends?! Put on your research gear and learn more about penguins through scientific observations. Students will use data collection techniques such as ethograms to engage in investigatons about penguin behavior.
Why don't animals wear clothes? - Students will put their inquiry skills to use as they hypothesize, observe, track, record, and discuss the purpose of different animal coverings in mammals, reptiles, birds and more.
Grades 3-5
Surviving the Savannah - Become a Wildlife Ranger and explore the Zoo’s largest exhibit, African Grasslands! Students will observe elephants, giraffes, cheetahs and more, using their investigative skills to uncover unique adaptations that help these animals survive the changing conditions of the savannah. Discover the important role that wildlife rangers play in ensuring they are around for years to come. (Available March-October)
Passionate about Penguins - Who doesn't love these feathered friends?! Put on your research gear and learn more about penguins through scientific observations. Students will use data collection techniques such as ethograms to engage in investigatons about penguin behavior.
UnZOOsual Maneuvers - Students will analyze the movement of animals to predict how certain maneuvers aid to their survival. Hypothesize, observe, track, record, and discuss what makes animal actions a key component to continued existance.
Make a Reservation Here
Student Workshops are designed to expand your student's critical thinking skills through interactive STEM learning. Workshops are aligned with Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science and Next Generation Science Standards.
What You Need to Know
- Capacity: 20 students per session
- Workshops accomodate 20 students and are one hour in length. Groups larger than 20 students will be split into multiple workshop times and charged accordingly.
- Three weeks notice required when making a reservation
- Fee: $150 for up to 20 students
- Cancellation notice is required 1 week before workshop to avoide a cancellation fee.
Topics
Zoo Operations 101 - Did you know that Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium has a Graphics department or a Building Engineering team? It takes many talented individuals from a variety of backgrounds to run the Zoo. In this program, we will explore the vast variety of careers found within Nebraska's number one attraction! This workshop is a wonderful introduction to a multitude of STEM careers.
Zoological Design - It takes a large team to create world class exhibits here at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium. From understanding animal needs and behavior, to creating spaces necessary for animal care staff, to designing interactive areas for visitors, it takes enormous amounts of planning. In this hands on workshop, students will explore the different components of exhibit design and put their engineering skills to work designing their own exhibit!
Animal Behavior - Animal behavior is an exciting area of science! Rooted in psychology and sociology this workshop will look at group dynamics as well as individual behaviors. Making good observations is key to understanding animal actions. Students will take on the role of a field scientist and learn how to make observations and collect data. You choose from one of two animals to observe; Penguins or Gorillas!
Behavioral Husbandry: Training - Let your students exercise their brains in this challenging field study. Animal care staff at the zoo use positive reinforcement techniques to shape animal behaviors, build trusting relationships, which in turn improves daily care. This activity promotes social interaction and stimulates critical thinking and problem solving skills.
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Enhance your high school or college visit with a special talk from one of our Zoo professionals. Correlate what you are learning in your classroom by connecting with an animal care staff member, scientist or business expert. Fill out the request form with information about your class and learning objectives, and we will work to schedule a special speaker to meet your needs!
Speaker Request Form
What You Need To Know
- Available to grades 6th- 12th as well as college groups.
- Talks are approximately 45 minutes in length.
- Capacity: 25 students
- Requests must be submitted a minimum of 3 weeks in advance.
- Scheduling is based upon availability of the speaker and must be during Zoo business hours.
- Fee: $200 (does not include school group admission to the Zoo)
- Cancellation notice is required 1 week before talk to avoid cancellation fees.
Enhance your high school or college visit with a special arrangement behind-the-scenes tour. Fill out the request form with information about your class and learning objectives, and we will work to schedule a special tour to meet your needs. These tours do not include direct contact with animals.
Tour Request Form
What You Need To Know
- Available to high school and college groups only.
- Tours are approximately 1 hour in length.
- Requests must be submitted a minimum of 3 weeks in advance.
- Scheduling is based upon availability of the area and must be during Zoo business hours.
- Fee: $200 for up to 20 people (students and chaperones)
- Does not include school group admission to the Zoo.
- Groups larger than 20 people (students and chaperones) will require multiple tours and will be charged accordingly.
- Cancellation notice is required 1 week prior to the tour.
Tour Options:
- Diet Kitchen - See how the Zoo prepares diets for the many species of animals that call the Zoo home and how to meet the nutritional needs of a diverse animal family.
- Aquarium - Join us behind the scenes to explore the Aquarium from a birds eye view of our shark reef. Check out the many levels not seen by the public eye including the lower level which includes our coral conservation and food prep areas.
- Giraffes - Learn how we care for animals that stand 15 feet above the ground and how our herd rooms are specially designed for the Zoo's tallest residents.
- Center for Conservation and Research - Head behind the scenes in our Center for Conservation and Research where you will learn about the work Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is doing to help protect animals both in the wild and in Zoos and Aquariums around the country.