Cultural, Civic & Arts

Lincoln Children’s Zoo

From BVH’s 20+ year history working with the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, BVH was commissioned to master plan and implement an ambitious 10-acre expansion to the original zoo campus in the heart of Lincoln. Adjacent parking lots, underutilized office space and the historic Ager Center were redesigned to create a new Zoo entry experience, an indoor activity/play center and new state of the art exhibit and housing space for giraffes, cheetahs, tigers, red pandas, anteaters and spider monkeys.

Adjacent to the new entry gate is a public outdoor/indoor event space and the facilities for the Lincoln Public Schools “Zoo School” Science Focus Program, a partnership wherein LPS high school students learn science first hand on the Zoo campus joint facilities.

The new spaces feature interactive engagement experiences and animal features. A repurposed Jeep allows Zoo patrons to “drive” into the tiger exhibit while a hood warmer draws the tigers in to close proximity. An amphitheater enables animal educational shows the Zoo previously could not have supported. Lettuce feedings bring patrons into intimate contact with giraffes while supporting the Zoo through donations.

The link to the existing Zoo campus was carefully crafted over a city biking/hiking trail (the train track and depot are above the trail). The existing entry facilities were repurposed for office and the gift shop was relocated to the new entrance, as well as a new display plaza.

Photography by AJ Brown Imaging

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