This Indoor Rainforest In Nebraska Makes For A Wild Adventure Year-Round
The Lied Jungle at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska, offers an immersive indoor rainforest experience with exotic animals and lush environments.
No matter what the weather is like outside, there's an incredible adventure waiting here in Nebraska. Head to our largest city for a rainforest experience that will take you around the world without ever leaving the state.
The Lied Jungle at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is the largest indoor rainforest in the country. The exhibit features animals and environments from Asia, South America, and Africa.
As you walk through the steamy rainforest, you'll see all kinds of beautiful trees and other plants. The sound of crashing waterfalls and the calls of monkeys and birds will immerse you in this unique experience.
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While the interior of the jungle is humid and feels much like being in an actual rainforest, it's a welcome reprieve from the often-extreme Nebraska weather no matter the season.
The rainforest is the ideal spot for some impressive photos. The whole family will love features like the swinging bridge, waterfalls, and cave-like passageways with exotic animal displays.
As you traverse the walkways that take you around the top level of the rainforest, you'll get to see some beautiful, exotic animals up close. The lower level takes you around the forest floor for a totally different perspective.
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Monkeys live here without cages, and they've been known to run around on barriers and handrails right next to human visitors.
You can see animals here that you may have never seen anywhere else. Tapirs, pygmy hippos, and colorful birds fill the space. You may also come across small mammals, birds, and even lizards on the lower level.
Watching the monkeys chatter and play is so fun that you might find yourself stopping to watch the show for a while.
The sights, sounds, and feelings of being in the rainforest are unlike anything else you'll experience outside of the real thing.
You'll find the Lied Jungle at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium at 3701 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68107. Visit the zoo's website for hours, admission prices, and more information about this world-class facility.
For more information about the attractions at the zoo, check out some of our other articles here and here.
Fall in Nebraska is the time for festive family fun and fulsome foliage! Seeing the leaves come alive in multiple colors while sipping hot apple cider and enjoying the bountiful harvest of the season at a Nebraska pumpkin patch is something we all look forward to. One of the best things about the autumn season is visiting pumpkin patches to try pumpkin treats, carve pumpkins, and enjoy all kinds of events. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best pumpkin patches in Nebraska.
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1. The Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch - Papillion
The Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch hosts an annual Pumpkin Roundup which starts this year on September 13 and goes until October 31. 2024. It includes a haunted house, haunted hayrides, 20 acres of pumpkins, antiques, livestock, an old-fashioned playground, and veggie picking. There’s a ghost town with mines and caves, and a play area with slides, bounce pillows, zip lines, swings, and more. There’s enough family fun to fill a whole day at this lovely pumpkin patch in Papillion!
2. Bloom Where You’re Planted Farm - Avoca
A ton of festive fun awaits at the Bloom Where You’re Planted Farm when the Pumpkin Patch season starts on September 21 and runs until October 27. 2024. This pumpkin patch in Avoca has hayrides, U-Pick Pumpkins, a Nature Scavenger Hunt, Farm Animals, a Corn Box, a 40-foot Tube Slide, and so much more to do. This year, an obstacle course and rock tables with a construction area have been added for extra fun! The farm is also surrounded by lush nature trails to walk off all those pumpkin-laden treats!
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3. Fanny’s Fruit Farm & Pumpkin Patch - Gurley
The picturesque and idyllic Fanny’s Fruit Farm & Pumpkin Patch is a pumpkin patch in Gurley that kicks off its pumpkin season in late September and it runs on weekends only until late October. It’s a quaint and lovely place that lets you paint your own pumpkin and take it home with you. There’s a coffee shop and restaurant on site and you’ll see goats, lambs, ducks, and chickens up close! Kids will love the tractor rides, corn maze, and massive inflatable slide.
4. Harvest Moon Pumpkin Patch - Oakland
You won’t be able to throw a pumpkin without being in the range of something fun to do at the Harvest Moon Pumpkin Patch. During the season which runs from mid-September to the end of October, you’ll enjoy zip lines, the Deadwood Forest, a giant corn pit, three race tracks, skeeball, barn slides, jumping pillows, a corn maze, and lots more. It’s also a great venue to hold a wedding! This pumpkin patch in Oakland has it all!
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5. Helgoth’s Pumpkin Patch - St. Libory
Helgoth’s Pumpkin Patch ruins this year’s pumpkin season from September 14 to October 27, 2024, and it is a heck of a great time! Activities like jumping pillows, train rides, 150-foot mega slides, and a big pumpkin cannon bring a full day of family fun. Pumpkin donuts, kettle corn, hot dogs, hamburgers, fresh-baked pies, and other yummy treats await you too! It’s just 5 miles north of charming Grand Island and it’s the perfect place for fall fun.
6. Homestead Pumpkin Patch - North Platte
Just outside of North Platte, you’ll find the Homestead Pumpkin Patch. From late September to late October, you’ll be able to enjoy treats like Apple Cider Slushes, Kettle Corn, Strawberry Lemonade, and much more. Activities include a Trike Track, Zip Lines, Jumping Pillows, a Corn Maze, Foosball, Hay Rides, Corn Boxes, and several other fun things to do. Your whole family will greatly enjoy this wonderful pumpkin patch in North Platte.
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7. Poppy’s Pumpkin Patch - Norfolk
Poppy’s Pumpkin Patch in Norfolk is a lovely farm that provides a festive time for everyone. The season begins in early September and lasts until late October. Have fun with a Super Slide, Hamster Wheels, a petting zoo, a zip line, skeeball, an Enchanted Forest, a corn pit, and so many more activities. Sink your teeth into fresh, scrumptious pies, caramel apples, and other delectable treats! It also has one of the largest slides in the state!
8. Roca Berry Farm - Roca
Since 1980, Roca Berry Farm has been delighting families with its annual Fall Festival which runs this year from mid-September to the end of October. This pumpkin patch in Roca is one of the largest fall events in the state and has several activities that most pumpkin patches lack like mini golf, a locomotive, a giant rocking horse, a House of Illusions, Duck Races, a Life-Sized Candyland Game, and so much more. There are several live shows like the Swamp Frog Show and the Monster Mash Show. You can spend an entire weekend and not do it all.
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9. Skinny Bones Pumpkin Patch - Blair
Skinny Bones Pumpkin Patch in Blair, Nebraska is rustic and unique. You’ll find a Tornado Alley, the Frankenslide, the Daisy Train, pedal carts, a corn pool, the Mad Cow Ride, a House of Mystery, and several other whimsical attractions for all ages. Running from September 6 to November 2, 2024, this fantastic pumpkin patch has more than enough entertainment and activities to make you want to return a few times over the season.
Have you ever been to any of these wonderful pumpkin patches in Nebraska? Let us know all about your experiences in the comments. If you want to see the beautiful fall colors up close, take this road trip to some of the best fall foliage in Nebraska:
If there’s anything we have in abundance in Nebraska, it’s farmland. Farms are even better when you can visit them and pick your own produce and one of the most fun and delicious things to pick is berries. Whether you like raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries, a visit to Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch in Papillion, NE means picking berries to your heart’s content. Let’s explore this wonderful berry farm in Nebraska.
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Located on the outskirts of Omaha in Papillion is a lovely farm where something fun is always going on. If you want to pick fresh berries in season, make sure to get yourself here.
When you feast your eyes on the fields of berries and other crops, you’ll know you’re in for a fun and delicious day of berry picking and are likely thinking about all the things you can make with them.
Whether you’ll be making preserves, pies, baked goods, or just eating them raw, the berries here are plump and delicious and the ripe ones are just waiting to be picked. Raspberries are in season mid-to-late summer.
Imagine the satisfaction you’ll feel after you’ve filled a bucket or two with fresh berries. Just be sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. You may want to bring some latex gloves so your fingers don’t get stained.
Strawberry season usually happens in June and you won’t want to miss it. These succulent strawberries are perfect for dipping in chocolate, baking into tarts, preserving as jam, and eating raw and fresh.
Events are held at the farm throughout the year like the Taco Ride, Pirate Festival, Zombie Mud Run, Ranch of Terror, Christmas in the Country, and several others.
Whenever you decide to come to this sweet farm, it’ll be so nice to get a hands-on experience picking your own berries on a beautiful farm like this one.
Have you ever picked berries at Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch in Papillion, Nebraska? Do you have any other favorite berry farms in Nebraska? Let us know in the comments. To find out the most current updates for berry seasons and farm events, follow Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch on Facebook. While you’re out and about, take a drive to some of these fantastic day trips in Nebraska: