Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari

Real nice drive … love the buffalo. Roads a little rough but it makes you drive slow which makes for a better experience… almost should be a tram even so cars dont get up your ass while you are trying to enjoy the scenery

The safari is okay. It’s not bad, but it’s not fantastic either. Mostly it’s just okay. Honestly, it can be a tad boring. It’s totally worth going if you’ve never been, but it’s not good enough to make me want to return for multiple visits (not that my vote counts for much in my house… lol). There just needs to be more animals to see. You’ll drive very large sections of the safari and not see a thing. Some of this is due to segregating the animals for their own safety and they give them a large area to wander and graze. Well, you have to drive that large area (at no more than 7MPH) and all of the Elks or Bison, for example, are over in a corner standing in the water hole. So, you spend a lot of time staring at trees and grass looking for the animals. It reminds me of funny scene in Jurassic Park where Jeff Goldblum’s character asks, «Ah, now eventually you do plan to have dinosaurs on your, on your dinosaur tour, right?»
Now, the whole safari isn’t like that. That’s mostly the first and last part that are like that, but it is a majority of the driving portion of the safari. Every once in a while the bison or elk are really close to the roadway and that can be pretty awesome.
There is a decent area in the middle where you can park and they have some exhibits you can walk to (Bald Eagles, Petting Zoo with Chickens and Pygmy Goats, Bears, and Wolves) as well as a picnic area and restrooms. However, if you want to park your car and get out and walk around in the hot sun to see animals, then why not just go to the actual zoo? This is supposed to be a drive-​thru safari, but half of the animals you have to park and walk to see. No one elderly or out of shape is going to have much fun walking around the wolf exhibit.
The Wildlife Safari seems to mostly feature animals native to Nebraska. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I think some visitors are expecting something more akin to an African Safari. So, if you’re expecting to drive through herds of elephants or see lions resting in the grass then you’re going to be disappointed.
They really should spend some money on the place. They should pave the roads, add some more pull-​over areas, and put up some guardrails in a few key places where the road is up against a sharp drop (as opposed to just laying some tree trunks there). If you go to staring at an animal and let your car veer off the road in the wrong place then you’re going to be upside down in a ravine.
Gift store at the entrance/​exit to the Safari is okay. There’s a snack bar where you can buy the typical overpriced refreshments. I think the souvenirs leave a lot to be desired. They seem to be mostly generic and very few actually say «Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari.» Most just generically say «Wildlife Safari» or nothing at all. If you buy something to remember your trip someplace you want it to name the place. When you get a magnet, for example, at the zoo you want it to say «Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo» or «San Diego Zoo» and not just «Zoo.» Same applies here. Whoever is responsible for ordering the gift shop’s merchandise needs to rethink what they’re ordering.
Next to the gift shop is another small viewing area for animals that features fox, bobcat, hawks, and porcupine. There’s also a small playground for kids and some bronze bison sculptures that people like to stand next to or sit on for photos.
Message for the Visitors: You all need to realize that the majority of the «safari» is a drive down a single lane road and when you stop to gawk at something for 20 minutes that every car behind you also has to stop. Some stopping and staring is to be expected, but at least have the courtesy to pull to the side of the road to do your lengthy staring. That way the people behind you can drive around you if they so choose. What interests you doesn’t necessarily interest other people. Move aside.

Having walked the zoo the previous day this was a pleasant surprise. The staff were friendly. The animals were out and about. A few things I wasn’t prepared for was the places to stop and get out. I was in flip-​flops and was able to walk up the hill to the bears and the wolves, but some elderly folks couldn’t make the trek. The kids loved the petting zoo, it was just enough to get their fix. The bears were just being let out as we got there, which was around 10:30am. If we had got there when they opened we would have been out of luck. There are a small (but you should stop and see) assortment of animals near the gift shop area. The gift shop is decent and has a set of restrooms — they were clean! We didn’t try the outdoor bathrooms so I can’t tell you how those are. Their snack area was the only thing — I wish they had more options. My hope was to stop there, get lunch and get on the road with the kids. Unfortunately the snack shack couldn’t provide a decent lunch option for the kids so we had to go elsewhere. Overall, it was a great stop!

Saw few animals through the park. We’ve been to other drive-​thru safari parks like this and even though this is a bigger park than the others, it was a bit of a disappointment.

We have driven by this numerous times and we finally decided to check it out. Overall it is a nice way to spend an hour to an hour and a half with the family. The drive through the park lasts about 45 minutes, with a couple spots to get out for viewing, or short hikes.
The elk are cool to see, and we were able to see quite a few up close. We were also able to see the pelicans, geese and herons all up close, and there were a lot to see. You can hike a short distance to see the bear enclosure (which appeared to have only one bear), as well as the wolf enclosure, which had a nice viewing deck, and we saw at least 5 – 6 wolves. The last part of the park is where you see the bison. That was the highlight to me, as it is pretty cool to see how big they are, up close and personal.

I use to really love this place! I am not sure if this time around was less enjoyable because I went to an outstanding safari in Georgia with Zebras and Giraffes or if this place has declined. It seemed like the animals were not out. We only saw one deer.
The bison were cool as usually. The different types of birds were nice but there were only a few that we spotted which was odd as we usually can’t even drive down the street because they are crowded in the street. The elk… cool. The park wasn’t as cool. I will not be back! But for people that have not comparison to go by… this might still tickle your fancy.

This was the coolest thing we did in Omaha! Our Daughter is almost 2 so she loved being able to see the animals up so close and then being able to get out and walk around with the baby goats she loved. You can’t see animals up so close at zoos. This was a lot of fun. And only $ 6 and some change per person. 2&under free! Well worth the money!

I have never heard my kids squeal so much when the Elk crossed the road in front of us.
The hands on kids area was a hit. Feeding the goats and trying to pet chickens kept the busy. The area was clean of goat pellets, the attendant was quick to clean up… thank you.
We also liked being able to take our pictures with giant antlers on,

Bankers hours for a wildlife safari park? 9am to 5pm? Just stopped by on a Friday at 5:20pm Plenty of daylight left. Closed. Disheartening to watch people driving out. Animals by nature are most active early morning and early evening. Not to mention the photography light is best. Also thought it was odd for schedules of any campers in the nearby State Park too. Oh well.
Been here twice. Ok. Timing is much of it. Would be nice to not see any evidence of chain-​link fences on the property. Owned, operated by the Omaha Zoo which is lauded internationally. Supported and beloved by the local community.

I was in town with my Friend and we were visiting her three nephews, ages 8 – 12, and was looking for something cheap, yet fun to do.
So, we headed out from Omaha, about a 30 minute drive, and $ 26.00 later were on our way.
This is different, very different, than the ones I have experienced in Ohio (they give you food to feed the animals and they bombard your car, in Ohio)… but not here.
Still, it was quite cool to see all the different animals. We liked that you would drive through some places, and then can park, pet some animals, take a trail that would lead you to the black bear and some wolves.
The kids loved it… they said they had fun. We spent about 2 hours there… and it was worth the drive, the money, and the time.
Fun stuff!!!

Great place to look at nature and wild animals.

If you are in the area, yes it is worth a detour. For $ 7 by person you will great pretty close to magnificent elks, bisons, pelicans, cranes. Get out of the car and walk a bit to see 5 wolves and 2 bears. Overall a nice experience. If your time is limited, stick to the main zoo in Omaha.

I’ve been to this place twice now and have to say what an amazing place it is. I wasn’t sure at first what I’d think of a safari where you drive yourself through and wondered if we’d even be able to see the animals.
The first area houses the elk. The second time we were there they were kinda hidden up on the hill and were being quiet. However, the first time they were everywhere, on both sides of the road, and calling back and forth non-​stop.
The second area has deer in. We didn’t see them when we first got in but at the end of the exhibit we had to wait for one to cross the road, and there were adults and fawn lined up on the hill and in the ditch on both sides of the road.
One of my favorite exhibits both times was the buffalo area. The first time, we came across a buffalo all alone on the side of the road right when we drove in. When we passed her, she had a newborn baby (umbilical cord still hanging off his belly) at her side. Wow… we couldn’t believe it. Got to watch her walk the baby back to the herd for the first time and everything. They also have one or two white buffalo, which you don’t see very often, either.
They also have an array of wild turkeys, stork/​cranes, pelicans, etc. The bald eagle exhibit is great if you can catch a glimpse. Here we were looking in the trees and the two eagles were actually hanging out on the ground.
I didn’t get to the wolf exhibit, but everything was amazing. I rated this as high as the zoo in Omaha. Two completely different settings and experiences, but both are equally great.
This place is very affordable, and you’ll more than get your money’s worth. Make sure to bring camera… trust me I forgot mine on the first trip and regretted it. There is also a place to get out and walk and eat, so comfy shoes would be a good idea, too.

Worth the drive out of Omaha, if you haven’t been before. But bring your hiking shoes because while this is a ‘drive through’ safari, you’ll definitely want to get out an wander around. In my infinite wisdom, last time I wore sandals and would say I probably didn’t get the full benefit as I wasn’t inclined to go for any long hikes.
My favorite parts were the sandhill crane exhibit (since others passing overhead kept landing and joining in), the bison, tiny painted turtles and frogs (keep a lookout under foot), a wild turkey who may or may not have wandered in on his own but gobbled nonestop, and the bald eagles. The only disappointing part was that the wolves we did see were somewhat ‘pacey’, but what do you expect when they don’t have full range? Overall it’s a very nice attraction.

This place was just something my wife and I decided to do as some time filler after we got done at the SAC Museum down the road. I didn’t expect much… hey, it’s a drive-​through safari park! I’m seriously glad we went, now.
First, for the budget minded, its terribly cheap to get in, which is a plus. You get to see some of the closest views of elk you can ever get without having one of them trample you and your loved ones.
A wide variety of animals, and you can usually go as fast or slow as you wish.
A couple points off for the gift shop, which just had… crap. Seriously. Unless you want an actual elk antler. Then it’s great!

This was a really cool thing to do in the Lincoln, NE area.
We had never been on a drive thru safari before, and you really get up close and personal with the animals at this wildlife park.