Zoos in the U.S.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, proclaimed by TripAdvisor as the "world's best zoo." The zoo is renowned for its work in animal research and conservation. Established in 1894, today the zoo provides home to over 17,000 animals from 962 species. The zoo has the biggest cat complex in North America.

Kingdom of the Night is the largest indoor swamp and nocturnal exhibit in the world, while the Lied Jungle is one of the largest world's indoor rainforests.

Desert Dome, located under a giant glazed geodesic dome, is one of the biggest indoor deserts in the world.

Henry Doorly Zoo, 3701 S 10th St, Omaha, NE 68108, Phone: 402-733-8401

Denver Zoo was established in 1896 with the donation of one American black bear. This 80-acre facility is located in Denver's City Park and today provides home to 4,125 animals from 613 species. Denver Zoo was the first American zoo to have naturalistic habitats for animals instead of cages and bars.

The first zoo bear triggered the construction of Bear Mountain, which was followed by Primate Panorama, consisting of enormous open tents made of mesh where animals can move freely.

The zoo supports over 600 research and conservation projects in around 60 countries.

One of the most popular activities is Close Animal Encounters – visitors get to go backstage and meet animals such as elephants, gorillas, birds, snakes, and many others and learn stories about their lives from their keepers.

Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St, Denver, CO 80205, Phone: 720-337-1400

Opened in 1875 in Cincinnati's Avondale neighborhood, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is one of the oldest zoos in the States. It started with 65.4 acres in the heart of the city and has since been extended to 75 acres. It offers a home to 1,896 animals from 500 species. Cincinnati Zoo has a successful breeding program and was the first to breed California sea lions, but it also breeds a number of other endangered animals such as South African cheetahs, Sumatran rhinoceros, western lowland gorillas, Malayan tigers, Masai giraffes, and pottos.

The last living passenger pigeon, named Martha, spent her last days in Cincinnati Zoo. The latest zoo attraction is a baby hippo named Fiona, born in January 2017, the first hippo born at Cincinnati Zoo in 75 years. What is the best zoo in the U.S.? Keep reading to see the full list.

Cincinnati Zoo, 3400 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45220, Phone: 513-281-4700

Pittsburgh Zoo is a 77-acre zoo and aquarium located in Pittsburgh's Highland Park. It is one of very few zoo/aquarium combinations in the country. The zoo is home to over 4,000 animals from 475 species, whereby 20 of them are listed as threatened. The Pittsburgh Zoo is separated into seven thematic sections.

Kid's Kingdom contains a number of interactive and participative exhibits, such as the meerkat exhibit – kids crawl through tunnels to get a feel of what it is like to be a meerkat or any other burrowing animal.

The Asian Forest contains species from Eastern and Southeast Asia, such as Amur leopards, snow leopards, Amur tigers, Komodo dragons, and red pandas. PPG Aquarium is a two-story 45,000-square-foot aquarium with several aquatic habitats. The Tropical Forest is an indoor rainforest mostly hosting primates, with 16 species of monkeys, lemurs, gibbons, gorillas, and orangutans.

Pittsburgh Zoo, 1 Wild Pl, Pittsburgh, PA 15206-1176, Phone: 412-665-3640

Dallas Zoo is a 106-acre zoo located about 3 miles from downtown Dallas in Marsalis Park. The zoo was established in 1888 with two deer and two mountain lions and is the largest and oldest zoo in Texas. It provides home to more than 2,000 animals from 406 species. The major exhibits are the Gorilla Research Center, Chimpanzee Forest, Koala Walkabout, Penguin Cove, Giants of the Savanna, and the Endangered Tiger Habitat, a 2-acre habitat that has been designed to look like a re-growing logged forest. Visitors can observe Malayan tigers and Sumatran tigers through a glass viewing area and there are numerous pathways through the sunny and shaded areas with shallow pools, deep channels, running streams, rocks, and climbing trees.

Dallas Zoo, 650 S R.L. Thornton Fwy, Dallas, TX 75203, Phone: 469-554-7500

Brookfield Zoo , Chicago's largest zoo, opened its doors in 1934 and today offers a home to 2,300 animals from 450 species that enjoy naturalistic habitats spread over 216 acres. The zoo is famous for using ditches and moats instead of cages to protect both animals and visitors. It is the first American zoo to have giant pandas and the first to offer an indoor dolphin exhibit. In 1980, Brookfield Zoo opened the first indoor rainforest habitat as well as the world's largest indoor exhibit. The most famous exhibits are Australia House, Feathers and Scales, Big Cats, Fragile Desert, Clouded Leopard Rainforest, among many others. The zoo offers many activities, such as zoo camps and backstage adventures.

Brookfield Zoo, 8400 W 31st St, Brookfield, IL 60513, Phone: 708-688-8000

Located in Bronx Zoo in New York City, with the Bronx River flowing through it, Bronx Zoo is the biggest metropolitan zoo in the world. Densely forested with savannas, the river, and parks in addition to the sounds of wild animals, it is easy to forget that you are in the heart of New York City.

The zoo occupies 265 acres of land in which over 4,000 animals from more than 600 species live in spacious and naturalistic habitats. The zoo opened its doors in 1899 with 843 animals spread over 22 exhibits and is today managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Some of the most important exhibits today are the Congo Gorilla Forest, Wild Asia Monorail, JungleWorld, Madagascar!, African Plains, and Tiger Mountain. Kids will love the daily sea lion and penguin feedings.

Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10460, Phone: 718-220-5100

The Houston Zoo is a 55-acre zoo located in Hermann Park in Houston, and is home to more than 6,000 animals representing more than 900 species. The zoo is famous for supporting a number of conservation projects that work towards the survival of endangered wildlife and threatened habitats, in Texas and all over the world. Some of the endangered species the zoo works with are the Texas sea turtle, gorilla, Attwater's prairie chicken, Galapagos tortoise, elephant, African lion, Bornean orangutan, clouded leopard, and many others. Stroll through the incredibly realistic African Forest and see chimpanzees, rhinos, Masai giraffes, ostriches, and zebras, separated only by a glass wall. Visit the massive Kip Aquarium with more than 200 marine species, including rescued sea turtles. The Carnivores exhibit is home to African lions, African painted dogs, Malayan tigers, jaguar, and the rare maned wolf.

Houston Zoo, 6200 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030, Phone: 713-533-6500

Founded in 1909, Kansas City is a 202-acre zoo located in Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City Zoo provides a home to over 1,300 animals and is considered one of the best zoos in America, due in particular to its 95-acre African animals exhibits, Australian animals exhibits, the exhibit titled Pachyderms: Elephants, Rhinos, Hippos as well as the kangaroo and chimpanzee exhibits. The zoo is divided into five zones: Australia, Africa, Tiger Trail, The Valley, and the KidZone. Stroll through the incredibly realistic Orangutan Canopy and learn from the keepers about the lives of orangutans and how they keep them busy and healthy, or visit fascinating Helzberg Penguin Plaza and watch these playful penguins above and under water.

Kansas City Zoo, 6800 Zoo Dr, Kansas City, MO 64132, Phone: 816-595-1234

Founded in 1868, Lincoln Park Zoo is one the oldest North American zoos. This 35-acre zoo in Chicago's Lincoln Park is one of very few American zoos with free admission. The zoo is home to over 1,100 animals representing almost 200 species. Lincoln Park Zoo's realistic exhibits include polar bears, big cats, gorillas, penguins, reptiles, monkeys, and many other wild animals. In the heart of the zoo is a burr oak tree that is older than Chicago itself. Some of the most popular exhibits are Farm-in-the-Zoo, Kovler Lion House, Helen Brach Primate House, Nature Boardwalk, Kovler Sea Lion Pool, Pritzker Family Children's Zoo, McCormick Bird House, Regenstein Center for African Apes, Regenstein African Journey, and Regenstein Small Mammal–Reptile House. Some of the babies born recently at the zoo are a Grévy's zebra, three baby snow monkeys, and a baby Bactrian camel.

Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614-4757, Phone: 312-742-2000