Riverside Discovery Center

Small AZA Accredited Zoo (Hedge Accreditation) In Scottsbluff'S Riverside Park · Scottsbluff, Nebraska

Riverside Discovery Center is Scottsbluff's small zoo, set in Riverside Park beside the North Platte River on the south-west side of town, a few minutes from Scotts Bluff National Monument. It began as the city zoo, still called the Riverside Zoo by many locals, and is now run as a non-profit; it has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (hedge - check current status). The collection is modest: a mix of North American animals suited to the High Plains climate and a smaller number of exotic species, shown along a walking loop with play areas and picnic lawns under big cottonwoods. The nearest large zoos are in Denver and Omaha, many hours away, so for Panhandle families this is the zoo, and for travellers on the trail route it is a pleasant hour or two with children between the bluff, the museums and the long drive. It is not a big-city zoo and does not pretend to be: expect a short visit, some animals off show or sheltering in cold weather, shorter winter hours, and an honest local place rather than a destination.

1600 South Beltline Highway West, Scottsbluff, Nebraska, 69361, United States

NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the zoo opens daily or most days in summer, roughly 9 or 10 am to 4 or 5 pm, with shorter hours and some exhibits closed from late autumn to early spring, and closes on some major holidays and in severe weather (hedge - check). All times are Mountain time, an hour behind Omaha and Lincoln; last entry comes before closing. The traps that ruin a visit are arriving late on a winter afternoon to find the gate shut, visiting at 2 pm in July when most animals sleep, and keeping Central time on the car clock. Confirm current times before relying on them.

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