LearningCenters, Lincoln

Travel through the 28-acre African Grasslands exhibit with the likes of elephant, white rhino, cheetah, sable antelope, bongo, ostrich and impala rising into view upon your every move. See eye-to-eye with reticulated giraffe from the all-new Giraffe Encounter. Feed and brush the African pygmy goats at the kraal. View the African lions from the peak of the exhibit, while they gaze into the distance over the entire exhibit. Immerse yourself in a desert environment at the Desert Dome, the world's largest indoor desert located under the world's largest glazed geodesic dome. See plant and animal life from three of the world's deserts: the Namib Desert of southern Africa, the Red Center of Australia and the Sonoran Desert of the southwest United States. Navigate the ocean floor as sharks and other marine life circle overhead in the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium, the largest aquarium within a Zoo. Discover polar regions, temperate oceans, coral reefs and the Amazon, as well the wildlife that inhabit these areas, from Antarctic penguins, puffins, sea turtles, jellyfish, stingrays, Giant Pacific octopus, moray eels and colorful fish. And explore the natural rainforest environment as you walk through the Lied Jungle, North America's largest indoor rainforest. Cross a unique swing bridge, through wet caves and beyond swooping tree limbs to the sounds of crashing waterfalls, see gibbons and other primates swinging in the canopy and experience exotic plant life. http://www.omahazoo.com/

Lauritzen Gardens is a living museum of unique four-season plant displays, maintained to the highest standards consistent with environmental stewardship. It provides memorable educational and aesthetic experiences for all. https://lauritzengardens.org/About/

At the Science Museum of Minnesota, the science that shapes our daily lives comes to life through hands-on exhibits, larger-than-life Omnitheater films, and a world-class collection of fossils and artifacts. https://www.minneapolis.org/directory/science-museum-of-minnesota-arts-entertainers/

Minnesota's official museum of natural history since 1872. Coming in summer 2018 to the St. Paul campus, the new Bell Museum brings together science, art, and the environment with a unique Minnesota perspective. https://www.visitsaintpaul.com/directory/bell-museum/

One of the last free zoos in the United States, Como is home to a wide array of animals (from monkeys to polar bears) and exotic plants and welcomes visitors 365 days a year. Located next to Como Town Amusement Park, the historic Cafesjian's Carousel, and in Como Park, the zoo and conservatory are great fun for visitors of all ages. http://www.comozooconservatory.org/

The OKC Zoo, Oklahoma's largest and most popular cultural attraction, invites you to discover the wonders of wildlife and wild places. Enjoy world-class habitats including Great EscApe, Cat Forest/Lion Overlook, Oklahoma Trails and Sanctuary Asia where you'd find the amazing animals of the Asian continent. The Zoo's collection includes the critically endangered Grevy's zebra; a herd of majestic giraffes; ostriches; Addra gazelle; Asian deer species, including the Pere David, which is extinct in the wild; and the newly discovered okapi, located in only one forest in the world - the Ituri in the Congo. Also don't forget to see some African carnivore, such as the African painted dog and cheetah. https://www.okczoo.org/

The Myriad Botanical Gardens is one of Oklahoma City’s most beloved public spaces, offering its visitors a 15 acre natural escape in the very heart of the metro known as downtown Oklahoma City. A children’s garden, an off-leash dog park, “splash fountains,” as well as paths for walking and jogging provide guests young and old with a place in which to find solitude with nature or seek community and the company of others. The Myriad Gardens provides an elegant backdrop for events both large and small, ranging from concerts at the Bandshell to intimate weddings in the Crystal Bridge Conservatory. Additionally, the Myriad Gardens offers a variety of horticultural education programs for adults and children. Classes range from story reading, making chocolate, wreath-making workshops to the annual Oklahoma Gardening School and more. http://oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/plan-your-visit/crystal-bridge-tropical-conservatory/

Where Cardinals past and present combine to create an unforgettable experience. As the official home for St. Louis Cardinals legends, the Cardinals Hall of Fame & Museum is already considered a "must-see" attraction. Created to honor the players and personalities who have impacted the franchise, the museum features stadiums, players, championship moments and one of the world's largest team-specific collections of artifacts and memorabilia. https://explorestlouis.com/partner/cardinals-hall-of-fame-museum/?see_do_category=attractions

Botham Vineyards has been growing and producing regionally distinctive wines of international acclaim since 1989. Tastings daily during regular seasonal hours. Private and corporate events, weddings and private tours. https://www.visitmadison.com/listings/botham-vineyards-and-winery/177439/

Lose track of time year-round at our Depot Museum and 15 acre rail yard featuring over 100 engines, cabooses and coaches, our garden railway and our renowned library and roundhouse restoration facility with working turntable. Special events and train rides behind a vintage steam locomotive throughout the year. Train rides every Saturday. https://www.denver.org/listing/colorado-railroad-museum/3763/

Buffalo Bill Cody remains the ultimate Old West icon. One of his final wishes was to be buried on Lookout Mountain above Denver, and his grave site at Lookout Mountain Park is free to visit. As part of the Denver Mountain Parks system, the park offers an engaging museum dedicated to the life and times of Buffalo Bill and his internationally known Wild West show, a curio shop and café located in the historic log Pahaska Tepee building, short walking and hiking trails, a picnic area featuring one of the oldest mountain rustic picnic shelters in the Denver Mountain Parks system, and sweeping vistas from mountain to plain. While you’re there, look for Sitting Bull’s eagle feather headdress in the museum, have a buffalo burger at the café, and enjoy a rustic mountain experience only 12 miles from Denver. http://www.buffalobill.org/

Extending out into Lake Michigan from its Museum Campus home, this is America's first planetarium and it has become a recognized leader in science education. The Adler is home to one of the largest and most significant collections of historic scientific instruments in the world. The Adler’s collections also include rare books, manuscripts, archival materials, models, and photographs. Immersive theater programs, special exhibitions and events such as lectures and viewing parties allow you to journey through the vast universe – from the depths of powerful black holes to the heights of Voyager 1, the farthest human-made object from Earth. https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/#5Q8Zfmcg1t8I4heb.97

Anderson Ranch is home to one of the most respected visual arts programs in the country. Located on a 5-acre historic mountain ranch in Snowmass Village, the Ranch offers over 140 Summer Workshops for artists of all ages and levels in Photography & New Media, Ceramics, Painting & Drawing, Furniture Design & Woodworking, Sculpture, Woodturning, and Printmaking. Summertime Children's and Teen Workshops are also available. The Ranch has art galleries with a full exhibition schedule and Art Works gift shop. The Ranch cafe is open in the summer for lunch. Winter and Spring Artist-in-Residence Programs are available for emerging and established artists to further their artistic practice. Field Expeditions and Studio Concentrations available. Public events are free and offered year-round. https://www.colorado.com/art-galleries/anderson-ranch-arts-center

Texas Discovery Gardens is a 7.5 acre organic botanic garden featuring native and adapted plants. Inside, our two-story Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium transports you to a tropical rainforest, complete with hundreds of free-flying butterflies. https://txdg.org/

Smithsonian Magazine has named this Lubbock landmark one of the top five destinations to see evidence of first Americans. In fact, evidence of human life from 12,000 years ago has been uncovered at the Lubbock Lake National Historic Landmark. http://www.visitlubbock.org/visit/attractions/#attractions

At the core of the Museum is the permanent exhibit, which allows visitors to experience highlights from President and Mrs. Ford's lives. The exhibit teaches democratic citizenship and allows for quiet reflection. In addition to the permanent exhibits, changing temporary exhibits draw artifacts from Museums all over the country. Not all museum programming revolves around the exhibits; we also offer a wide variety of family-friendly events and lectures on a regular basis; the Museum Store sells items relating to the Ford presidency, other Presidents and First Ladies, and other souvenirs. The Ford Museum opened to the public in September 1981 and is part of the Presidential libraries system of the National Archives and Records Administration, a Federal agency. https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/visit-museum.aspx#museum-exhibits

Experience masterpieces of art and nature that will delight your senses at one of the nation's premier horticultural display gardens and sculpture parks in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ranked in the top 100 most-visited art museums worldwide by Art Newspaper, the leading publication in global art news, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park has grown to become an international destination. The sculpture program features more than 200 works in the permanent collection sited both indoors and outdoors on the 158-acre main campus. The permanent collection focuses on works by established and emerging sculptors from the Modern tradition to the present. Earliest works date to the second half of the 19th century with masters such as Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belluese, Edgar Degas, and Auguste Rodin. Starting with these masters, the comprehensive presentation includes sculptors from the late 19th century to the present. http://www.meijergardens.org/discover/

Spark your imagination at Science Central! Explore 200 permanent hands-on exhibits and national touring exhibitions. Get fun, educational items in our Gift Shop. https://www.visitfortwayne.com/listing/science-central/223/

Six hundred-forty acres of pristine prairie beauty are waiting to welcome you to this natural oasis, which is located right inside the city. In the summer feel the wind in your hair canoeing or sailing on one of FortWhyte’s several lakes; in the fall sip a locally brewed beer on their restaurant patio while witnessing North America’s largest animal (the bison) roam in its natural habitat as migrating birds fill the sky; in winter go cross country skiing on their many trails or take the kids out for a ridiculously fun day of sliding on the Richardson Rrrun Toboggan slide. No matter what the season, there is always an adventure to be had at FortWhyte Alive. https://www.fortwhyte.org/

One of Winnipeg’s most beautiful buildings, its reflective glassy exterior is a sight to behold at sundown, glowing under an orange prairie sky. On the inside you’ll find guided tours that will have you holding a gold bar worth more than $750,000 (it’s really quite heavy), ogling over the Olympic gold medals that were made for Vancouver 2010 and witnessing coins beingproduced for 75 different countries. A trip to the Mint is surely worth every penny. https://www.mint.ca/store/template/home.jsp

Designed by architect extraordinaire Antoine Predock, Canada’s newest, most eye-catching attraction dominates the Winnipeg skyline, shining like a beacon. Inside an immersive experience that you can’t possibly shake awaits as 11 powerful, interactive and awe-inspiring exhibits gradually climb to the CMHR’s pinnacle, the Tower of Hope (which provides a stunning view of the city). An ambitious museum meant to foster dialogue and promote change for a better world; the CMHR provides a stirring account of the human experience unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed. https://humanrights.ca/

How many places do you know that can take you from the towering dinosaurs of the Cretaceous Period, to across the cosmos through space and time, to the buffalo laden prairie plains all under one roof? If your answer is none, then you haven’t been to the Manitoba Museum. The nine permanent galleries in this award-winning heritage and edu-tainment centre will enthral kids and adults alike; whether you are catching a Planetarium show featuring one of the world’s most advanced projection systems, to viewing some of Canada’s most important historical artifacts in the Hudson’s Bay Company Museum Collection, the Manitoba Museum is sure to please. https://manitobamuseum.ca/main/

This one-of-a-kind museum brings the pages of the Bible to life casting its characters and animals in dynamic form and placing them in familiar settings. http://cincinnatiusa.com/things-to-do/attractions/creation-museum

Opened in 1875, the Cincinnati Zoo is the second-oldest zoo in the nation and a National Historic Landmark that is consistently ranked as one of the top zoos in the country. http://cincinnatiusa.com/things-to-do/attractions/cincinnati-zoo-botanical-garden

Make this your first stop to discover Pueblo Indian culture. Enjoy our interactive permanent and rotating exhibits, meet artists selling their handcrafted works, conduct research in our Library & Archives, and experience our cultural dance program—a truly unique educational opportunity (see website for days and times). Travelling with a group? Take an in-depth guided tour, or schedule a frybread-making class. Browse books, original works of pottery, turquoise jewellery, textiles, and art at Shumakolowa Native Arts. Owned and operated by the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, Shumakolowa has been a trusted source of authentic Native American art for more than 40 years. Pueblo Harvest, our on-site full-service restaurant, features an acclaimed menu that includes regional favourites, our award-winning Tewa Taco, and freshly baked Pueblo oven bread. Pueblo Harvest is known for extraordinary regional and Native-sourced, Pueblo-inspired cuisine that blends honouring legacy and history with exhibiting artistry and modernity. We source as many ingredients as possible from the pueblos of New Mexico and other tribal communities throughout the U.S. https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/listing/indian-pueblo-cultural-center/1086/

A world-class center for Hispanic arts and culture featuring an art museum, a state-of-the-art performing arts complex, a library and genealogy center, a restaurant and gift shop. Enjoy art exhibitions throughout the year and celebrate Hispanic traditions through various festivals and celebrations including Cinco de Mayo and Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). The Center’s facilities are also available throughout the year for private and corporate events. The NHCC is part of the Department of Cultural Affairs. https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/listing/national-hispanic-cultural-center/1094/

The Toledo Museum of Art's architecturally significant campus is the gem of the Glass City. Our Neoclassic, marble-clad main building is joined by a Frank Gehry-designed Center for the Visual Arts and the newest addition, the Toledo Museum of Art Glass PavilionTM. The Glass Pavilion, designed by Tokyo-based SANAA, is an architectural wonder whose interior and exterior walls are made of curved glass panels. Surrounded by green spaces, an expanding outdoor sculpture garden and the celebrated Victorian homes of Toledo's historic Old West End neighbourhood, our campus offers a visual delight for all tastes. The Toledo Museum of Art is world-renowned for its collection of Old Master paintings, decorative arts and glass. In addition, the Museum has growing collections of contemporary, Asian and African art as well as art from antiquity. The Museum is admired for both the quality and comprehensiveness of its collection, which continues to grow through the acquisition process. There is always something new to see at TMA. Free daily glass blowing demonstrations in the Glass Pavilion bring TMA's extensive glass collection to life. Learn how glass is made and how the studio glass movement, born in Toledo, changed the face of glassmaking. https://www.toledo.com/area-directory/microsite/microsite-toledo-museum-of-art/

The Great Lakes are not only the most important natural resource in the world, they represent thousands of years of history. The lakes have dramatically impacted the social, economic and political history of the North American continent. The National Museum of the Great Lakes tells the awe-inspiring stories of our Great Lakes through breathtaking photography, over 300 incredible artefacts, a number of powerful audiovisual displays and 40 hands-on interactive exhibits including the 617-foot iron ore freighter Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the historic Museum Tug Ohio. The tales told here span hundreds of years, from the fur traders in the 1600s to the Underground Railroad operators in the 1800s, the rum runners in the 1900s, to the sailors on the thousand-footers sailing today. The theme of the Great Lakes as a Powerful Force runs through all of these stories and will create a lifelong interest in all who visit. http://www.inlandseas.org/

An animal lover's paradise, the Detroit Zoo is situated on 125 acres with many naturalistic habitats. Major exhibits include the Arctic Ring of Life, Australian Outback Adventure, Great Apes of Harambee, National Amphibian Conservation Center, Holden Reptile Conservation Center, Penguinarium and Butterfly Garden. The Detroit Zoo is home to animals from A to Z, including anteaters and zebras and hundreds of other species in between. More than 2,000 animals representing 230 species of amphibians, mammals, birds and reptiles live in the Zoo’s 125-acres of true-to-life habitats that bring visitors face-to-face with these exotic creatures. https://detroitzoo.org/

The Austin Aquarium welcomes you to experience everything the deep blue sea has to offer with our unique interactive experiences. Guests are encouraged to hand-feed sharks, rays, birds, and fish.Get up close and personal with our kangaroos and Lemurs, or pet one of our caiman lizards. Above all, the Austin Aquarium promotes education through an engaging experience in a safe and comfortable environment. Kids and adults alike are sure to be amazed at the soft skin of our sharks and rays among other experiences. Austin Aquarium provides children and families access to the excitement and learning opportunities of the ocean without the long trip to the coast. Guests can watch jellyfish float and glow, admire the bright and colorful corals, feel the soft ray on their fingertips, interact with tropical birds and reptiles, … all within easy reach of home. Austin Aquarium offers multiple educational programs and events for kids. Popular activities include feeding the animals, Birthday Parties, Private Events, Sleep with the Sharks, and Morning Rounds. https://www.austinaquarium.com/

The Wexner Center for the Arts is one of the nation’s premiere cultural gems--an internationally known contemporary arts center at The Ohio State University. The Center offers exhibitions, performances, films, artistic residencies and educational programs. The building, a landmark of postmodern architecture, houses galleries, performance spaces, a film video theater, a store and a cafe. From the intimate, cabaret-style concerts in our black box theater to large-scale events in or 2,500 seat Mershon Auditorium, the Wexner Center offers a wide variety of performances – dance, theater, jazz, world music, electronica and more. In the Wexner Center Film/Video Theater, you can watch rarely screened movies from near and far, the latest independent features and classics from Hollywood and abroad. https://www.experiencecolumbus.com/listing/wexner-center-for-the-arts-the/5555/

COSI, Columbus’ dynamic Center of Science and Industry, has combined science learning and fun since 1964 with 300-plus hands-on exhibits, Ohio’s largest Planetarium, Giant Screen Theater, live shows and more. And now, through a unique and unprecedented partnership with the renowned American Museum of Natural History, COSI’s offerings are only growing! Located on Columbus’ Scioto Peninsula, COSI is near the downtown core and the Ohio Statehouse. A brand new 6.5-acre park sits directly west of the museum featuring a splash pad, playground, picnic tables, swings and much more. COSI introduced the new Dinosaur Gallery – a permanent exhibit that allows guests to get up close to a full-sized cast of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, 100 million-year-old fossilized amber, an 8 foot titanosaur femur cast and much more. https://www.experiencecolumbus.com/listing/cosi/5658/

The mission of Austin Zoo is to assist animals in need through rescue, rehabilitation and education. Located on the southwest edge of Austin off of Highway 290 West and Circle Drive, Austin Zoo is a pleasant Hill Country zoo where visitors from around the world can come to learn about animals close-up, spend some time outdoors getting exercise and have fun. Zoo currently have over 300 animals, representing more than 100 different species. Austin Zoo animal collection includes animals from other facilities that are being retired due to age, health or other issues; animals that were seized in animal cruelty cases; retired laboratory research animals; and individuals’ exotic pets they needed to rehome due to changes in the owner’s lifestyle or the inability to provide appropriate care for these pets. Over 237,000 individuals visit Austin Zoo annually, including tens of thousands of students and teachers visiting on field trips. Austin Zoo currently occupies approximately 15 acres of land, and owns another 40 acres which will provide ample room for expansion as the Zoo continues to grow. https://austinzoo.org/