Nebraska's Top-Ranked Safari Park For 2026

Nebraska has a reputation for wide open rural prairieland, and there are ways to get close to the wildlife that inhabit this type of ecosystem. One of these ways is by visiting the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park, often known simply as Wildlife Safari Park. In USA Today's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, this wildlife experience took the top spot on the list of the best safari parks in the United States for the sixth year in a row. It also has mostly five-star reviews on TripAdvisor, with many finding it an enjoyable experience for all ages.

Visitors to Wildlife Safari Park drive along a four-mile route in their own vehicles. Along the way, they get the opportunity to see bison, cranes, grey wolves, black bears, pelicans, elk, and more. At Wolf Canyon, where the park's wolves and bears live, you can get out of your car to visit the Hands-On Corral. Spend time with pygmy goats and chickens in the Hands-On Corral or enjoy a picnic lunch. Don't forget the Eagle Aviary near Wolf Canyon either, a space offering amazing views of these symbolic birds. The eagles in the exhibit cannot be released into the wild, and are monitored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

At Wildlife Safari Park, you can see bison roam throughout 40 acres of grasslands. To spot some on this big stretch of prairie, get out of your car and head to the Bison Overlook platform. Also on the platform are bronze bison statues built to scale so that you can see just how massive these animals are up close.

Aside from national recognition, 2026 is bringing a new dinosaur exhibit to this immersive safari park. With Dinosaurs Unearthed: A Trek Through Time, you can get up close to life-size animatronic dinosaurs representing multiple prehistoric eras and a wide variety of species, including a T-Rex. Dinosaurs Unearthed will exhibit fossils discovered right in Nebraska as well as three hands-on fossil dig sites where you can feel like a paleontologist yourself.

Reach Wildlife Safari Park by driving 30 minutes southwest from Omaha. The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in this eclectic Midwestern city was crowned the best zoo in the United States for 2026. It also partners with Wildlife Safari Park to carry out breeding programs and further the mission of wildlife conservation. Check out both destinations for maximum wildlife fun in Nebraska.