Zoo Lighting Festivals - from Family Christmas Online^TM

The closest zoos to us are the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and the Columbus Zoo. Both offer daytime admission to the zoo and a lighting festival after dark.

Cincinnati has a lot of twisty-turny paths where you can get lost during the day, so they close off most of the outside parts of the zoo after 5:00. But you can still visit most indoor exhibits (such as the elephants). They also offer special attractions such as costumed characters and puppet shows to make the outdoor parts that stay open more interesting.

Columbus doesn't shut things down, so you can still wander if you want to for a time, but there's little to see after dark in most of the "far corners" of the zoo, anyway, so people migrate back towards the lights and crowds. The lighting is spectacular.

Every zoo that has a lighting festival offers additional attractions that may change from year to year. In 2007, Columbus also featured a very large, seasonal model railroad display, courtesy of the Central Ohio Model Railroad Club (with volunteers from the Columbus Garden Railway Society"). We think they'll be back next year, but we hope the zoo supplies signs or a map that make it easier to find.

And of course the gift shops of both zoos are open until the parks close.

Most zoos are closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some years a festival will go through New Years', but check ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

How to Get Started

Find out if there is a separate charge for coming during the day and staying after the lights come on (usually there isn't). In some cases, if you JUST come after dark, it's a little cheaper so check that out. And remember that around Christmas it gets dark VERY early so you can still make a fine night of it either way.

Find out which rides (if any) are open during the day, which rides are open at night, and whether there is a separate charge. The Columbus zoo has a vintage, sheltered, merry-go round that cost a dollar to ride during the festival in 2007, but their "around-the-park" train ride was closed. The last time we were at Cincinnati for the lighting festival, the "around-the-park" train ran, was free, and gave a nice view of the lights as you rode around and rested your tired feet and calves.

If you aren't close to a zoo, check out the closest Botanical gardens; many of them have seasonal lighting and attractions, such as temporary but remarkable outdoor model railroads.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions or suggestions.