News

On Friday, September 10, guests of the Omaha Zoo Foundation’s biennial Zoofari event had the opportunity to experience the state-of-the-art Harper Event Center—as well as other recent additions at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium—while celebrating the heroes that make it all possible.

On September 25, 2021, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium lost its greatest champion. There simply are no words that can do justice to our feelings about Walter Scott, Jr. Of all the leaders, donors and visionaries who have made our Zoo what it is today, Walter stands out even among that illustrious group.

Walter’s passing gives us the opportunity to celebrate his life, to reflect on his many and profound contributions to the Zoo and honor his unparalleled dedication to building a zoo of this quality. But his passing also confers upon us a great responsibility — to live up to his legacy and carry it on, which was one of Walter’s great hopes.

Have you ever arrived at a gala by open-air gondola? Or attended an after-party under the sea? On September 10, 2021, guests at the Omaha Zoo Foundation’s biennial Zoofari event, which has the theme “Looking for Our Heroes,” will have the opportunity to do these things and much more.

Whether you’re at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium for a visit with family or attending an evening event, the Zoo’s beautiful and diverse landscaping sets a vibrant backdrop for our exhibits that never fails to surprise and delight.

This summer, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium will be giving visitors a whole new way to think pink.

We’re gearing up for a spectacular summer at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, and our level of excitement is already at a ROAR.

Support Conservation & Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium with our #conservationNEVERcloses t-shirt.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s Halloween celebration has always been a magical time for the whole family, but this year, with help from our sponsors, the festivities got a major glow up at the first annual Ghouls and Glow.

Antarctica is as close as we can get to visiting another planet while still remaining on Earth – and that’s exactly why Dr. Lee G. Simmons (Doc), chairman of the board of the Omaha Zoo Foundation, and his wife, Marie, chose it for their January 2020 expedition.

“The views are simply out-of-this-world,” says Doc, who has visited the southernmost continent before. “No pictures can do justice to the sight of a monstrous glacier calving icebergs into the ocean. Or the surreal arches and spires and windows that the water has sculpted into floating icebergs. You just have to see it for yourself.”

This September, our biannual Zoofari event will be more like a Zoo-shore-i, as we celebrate the generosity of the people who make waves with their support of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and our global conservation efforts, and set a course for completion of our beautiful new Sea Lion Shores exhibit, which will open in 2020.

The Omaha Zoo Foundation is excited to have partnered with Share Omaha on a new and interactive way to support Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

Launched in 2019, Share Omaha is an innovative model of philanthropic giving that connects nonprofits directly with the community. Omaha is only the second city to pioneer such a program.

Late last year, the Omaha Zoo Foundation and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium lost a great friend and supporter whose contributions to our organizations were more than enormous…they were elephantine. 

In fact, Bill Grewcock’s relationship with the zoo began with the elephants in 1968, when the career Kiewit executive was asked by Peter Kiewit to devise a method to dig a moat for the new elephant facility the zoo was building at the time.