Lincoln Children's Zoo
The Lincoln Children's Zoo is a children's zoo located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Designed specifically for children to experience interactive, up-close encounters with all of the zoo's animals, Lincoln Children's Zoo has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). With nearly 200,000 visitors each year, Lincoln Children's Zoo is the third most attended arts and science attraction in Nebraska. The Lincoln Children's Zoo is a privately funded, 10-acre zoo and is the largest attended zoo per acre in the United States. The zoo is open year  round as of March 2019. Currently, the zoo is home to over 400 animals and over 40 endangered animals, including the Sumatran tiger and Matschie's tree-kangaroo. History. Arnott Folsom began planning for a children's zoo that would allow children to engage and interact with animals with his personal funds in 1959. In 1963, construction on the zoo's original property of three acres was still taking place but the railroad tracks for the zoo's train were completed. Folsom had the idea to sell train tickets for a ride on the zoo's train, then called the  “Iron Horse,” to help fundraise to finish construction of the zoo. In 1964, Folsom hired a full-time train crew and the train drove approximately 2,800 miles, selling over 150,000 tickets from 1963–1964. Lincoln Children's Zoo opened on three acres of city land in 1965. The zoo began with about 120 animals, all of which were sold at the end of the season each year. Zoofari. In March 2013, Lincoln Children's Zoo partnered with Larry the Cable Guy's Git-R-Done Foundation to create Zoofari with Larry the Cable Guy. This partnership gave hundreds of children's  hospitals and rehabilitation centers across the country the opportunity to bring the zoo to their patients. Filmed on location at Lincoln Children's Zoo, Zoofari features Larry the Cable Guy interacting with the zoo's animals and zookeepers in a fun and educational manner. The Git-R-Done Foundation sends the Zoofari DVDs, free of charge, to children's hospitals and hospitals with children's wards across the United States. Larry the Cable Guy has also been featured on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno to discuss Zoofari and the goals of the project. Exhibits. The zoo has a number  of different exhibits. Children have the opportunity to interact with different animals at the Wild Safari Theater, educating visitors about the animals at the zoo. Shows are held daily at varying times throughout the day. Zoo Camps are held in one week sessions throughout the summer for children ages 3–12. Children ages 14–18 have the opportunity to travel with the zoo to experience learning about animals in different areas in the world. Children and adults can volunteer as a Zoo Crew member to assist with varying tasks throughout the zoo, such as helping with presentations, running Critter Outpost, leading pony  rides, train driver, and many other activities. Each Wild Wednesday has a different theme and includes animal demonstrations and other activities for visitors.