Virtual Field Trips
Step inside the world’s largest indoor desert or North America’s largest indoor rainforest without leaving your classroom or home. Virtual field trips are hosted live through video conferencing with Zoo experts and take participants inside the most popular exhibits at one of the world’s best zoos.
Designed to align with and supplement school curriculum, our distance learning programs are perfect for schools that cannot travel to the Zoo and for students learning from home.
During our virtual field trips students will learn about Zoo animals, speak with experts, play games, and explore habitats from around the world. These programs are fun, interactive, and correlate with state and national standards. Programs are scheduled at your convenience and connection is easy. The only technology required is a webcam, microphone, and Internet connection.
Contact the Education Department at (402) 738-6905 or zoo2you@OmahaZoo.com for more information or questions.
Program Fee: $125 (out-of-state), $120 (in-state) for the 1st program and $100 for each additional and consecutive program. Due to the interactive nature of the program, class size is limited to one grade level and 50 students. Small schools may combine grades if they limit to under 40 students. Program duration is 45-60 minutes.
A pioneer of Distance Learning, the Omaha Zoo began connecting with schools in rural Nebraska nearly 20 years ago. The Virtual Field Trip program is a proud recipient of the Pinnacle Award from the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration.
Book a Virtual Field Trip
Penguins LIVE! (Pre K-5th Grade)
Go nose-to-nose with more than 75 Antarctic penguins in our most popular program. Say hello to Gentoo, Rockhopper and King penguins. Witness their unique behaviors and discover the amazing adaptations of these birds from a front row seat at one of the world's premier penguin exhibits. Students will be up and out of their seats in this highly interactive program that explores penguins and their ocean and tundra habitats.
Desert Adaptations (K-7th Grade)
Join us on a quest to find adaptations among the plants and animals of the World’s Largest Indoor Desert! From under the biggest glazed geodesic dome on earth, we find adaptations to survive this dry habitat. As we search the desert for clawed, camouflaged, carnivorous and crawling critters, students learn how plants protect their water, why it’s better to be furry than bald, what a roadrunner has in common with a lizard, and much more.
Endangered Species (5th-12th Grade)
An extinction crisis is threatening our planet. During a virtual look at some of the Endangered Species here at the Zoo, we will learn what makes an animal an endangered species, and why some animals receive protection and others do not. Learn about the Species Survival Plans for the animals at our Zoo, explore why species are going extinct at an alarming rate, and learn what is being done to save animals at the Zoo and around the world. Finally, explore what students can do to help save endangered species.
Rainforests (Pre K-5th Grade)
Connect with us live from inside the largest indoor rainforest in the Americas for an experience like no other. Home to more than half of all life on earth, the rainforest contains more species of plants and animals than any other biome. In this program we see a diversity of life including monkeys, apes, fish, snakes, lizards, frogs, birds, and more. We explore the 4 layers of the rainforest and the many aspects of this diverse habitat. Students learn how plants and animals survive and how the rainforest benefits us from thousands of miles away.
Ocean Life (Pre K-5th)
Animals in the Ocean look very different than animals on land. Join us on a live, virtual visit to the world’s largest aquarium within a zoo. From a tank with nearly a million gallons of salt water you will see some of the amazing creatures that live in the ocean. Play a game to determine what is an animal, and what is not. Learn about sharks, sea turtles, and other fish. See living coral and jellyfish. Most importantly, learn what you can do the help the oceans from your home, school, and community.
Elephants (Pre K-7th Grade)
Join us live from North America’s largest indoor herd room, where we will observe a herd of African Bush Elephants. After an enormous rescue operation brought these hugely important animals from Swaziland, this hefty elephant herd found refuge in Omaha, Nebraska. Discover what makes these giant animals massively unique and why it is colossally important that we work to protect them in the wild. This program is only available in Winter Months when Elephants will be indoors during the day.
Ocean Life and Conservation (6th-12th Grade)
Sharks, sea turtles, and stingrays, OH MY! With the backdrop of our massive salt water shark tank, everyone’s favorite ocean creatures are up close and personal. With everything from 7-foot sandbar sharks to 250 pound sea turtles, you never know what will swim by when you visit the largest aquarium within a zoo. Oceans once seemed like a limitless resource, but they are facing many threats. During this program students discover what is happening to our oceans and what can be done to help them. This program can be customized to fit with your educational goals and focus on various topics, including husbandry, classification, food chains, invertebrates, sharks, and other topics.
Aquarium Tour (General Audience)
Visit the world’s largest aquarium located within a zoo and experience fish swimming overhead, the grandeur of coral reefs, and the excitement of sharks and sting rays. Among the highlights of this tour are mature coral reefs, multiple species of jellyfish, and a 900,000 gallon saltwater tank system containing sharks, sea turtles, and other large fish. Ample time is spent answering questions, and the program can be adjusted to fit the audience.
Rainforest Tour (General Audience)
Visit the Lied Jungle, the largest indoor rainforest in the Americas. With 1.5 acres of exhibit space, this tour gives a chance to see monkeys, bats, frogs, giant air breathing fish, and so much more! The Lied Jungle is like no other zoo exhibit and must been seen to be believed. This lush tropical backdrop will help build an appreciation for this incredible ecosystem as participants discover why it is so important that we work to save the rainforests.
Animal Husbandry (5th-12th Grade)
Have you ever wondered how Zookeepers take care of all of the animals? This program shows what it takes to care for the animals here at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium. We will speak with zookeepers, see training, housing, enrichment, feeding, and more. Ideal for 4H groups and high school classes. Please contact us directly to discuss availability.