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Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo
The Perfect Year-round Family Destination
By Ginny Hermann
On the upper walkways, you're greeted by a happy family of Gibbons defying gravity in a nearby tree; glance over the glass handrails and you'll find a black and white Malayan Tapir lounging lazily near a cool stream; overhead, birds fly freely from tree to tree; turn a corner and you're up close and personal with a Clouded Leopard. On the lower level, you'll come face to face with everything from a Pygmy Hippo to a Red-tailed Catfish. Nooks and crannies with rustic wooden benches offer the perfect backdrop for a family photo. The jungle is so intriguing you could spend hours exploring the many areas inside. There is literally something new around every corner, but be careful – there is much more to see and do.
Just a few steps from the jungle is the Kingdom of the Seas Aquarium, the largest saltwater aquarium between Chicago and San Francisco. As you enter, you're greeted by projected video images of whales and other marine life set to the music of Omaha's own Grammy Award-winning musical group, Mannheim Steamroller. The playful antics of dolphins and the crash of a whale's tail are perfectly synchronized to "Come Home to the Sea," one of the group's most majestic compositions.
If you think the video is exciting, you haven't seen anything yet. Around the corner, a large Arctic Ocean cliff environment is home to the aquarium's cute Puffin population. Next up is an Antarctic penguin exhibit featuring a 60-foot-long by 25-foot-wide glass enclosure where you'll see penguins of every shape and size toddling across 
icy cliffs before diving sleekly into the frigid water for a graceful swim. Be sure to poke your head inside the acrylic underwater bubble at the end of the tank – you'll feel as if you're gliding alongside our little tuxedo-clad friends.
