COST: $31.5 million (includes Kingdoms of the Night and Desert Dome)
OPENED: April 2003
Eugene T. Mahoney Kingdoms of the Night is the world's largest nocturnal exhibit. It is located beneath the Desert Dome. Kingdoms of the Night unearths the mysteries and animals of the darkness. The day-night cycles are reversed, so visitors can see nocturnal creatures in their natural habitats. Most nocturnal animals have adaptations like larger eyes that help them live in their dark environments. There are over 75 animal species in Kingdoms of the Night, including eight species of bats.
Kingdoms of the Night was four-years in the planning; the structure was built as part of the Desert Dome construction. Exhibit work took approximately one year to create after the opening of the Desert Dome. The Kingdoms of the Night spans 3/4 acre and has over 42,000 total square feet.
Fascinating Exhibits
The Kingdoms of the Night is divided into several different exhibits, each representing a different environment. Visitors first venture through a canyon area where they can find naked mole rats, fossa and fishing cats. This leads to an African diorama where children of all ages can stand inside a Baobab tree to see the transition from dusk to evening. The African diorama is one of the many multi-species exhibits in Kingdoms of the Night which shows how animals such as aardvarks, meerkats and greater bush babies interact.
As visitors venture through a wet cave, they will see stalagmites and stalactites dripping into a "seemingly bottomless" pit. The pit is actually 16 feet deep and home to blind cave fish, axolotl and crayfish. There are 2,400 stalactites in the wet cave. Hundreds of bats can be seen flying around a large bat cave. Omaha's Zoo is home to the rare Japanese giant salamander and axolotl which are also found in the wet cave.
Traveling through the Eucalyptus Forest, visitors get a sense of Australian night life as they wander past Parma wallabies and tawny frogmouths and stroll alongside an Australian stream, full of fresh-water crocodiles, turtles and fish. The eucalyptus trees are preserved to keep their aroma fresh.
The Dry Bat Cave exhibit is illuminated by a 70-foot high shaft of light and is home to many different species of bats. This dry cave is the hollowed out inside of Central Mountain in the Desert Dome.
The world's largest indoor swamp is located under the Namibian sand dune of the Desert Dome. Experience the 160,000 gallon, 1/4 acre mysterious swamp with a floating boardwalk. It features a Trapper's Cabin, a beaver lodge, cypress trees and 30 swamp animal species in barrier free habitats.
Five beautiful murals decorate the Kingdoms of the Night. Educational kiosks and displays are lighted throughout the journey.