USA TODAY 10Best
Cincinnati Zoo voted Best Zoo Lights
Best Zoo Lights (2021)
Each winter, zoos across the country get into the holiday spirit with their own festive seasonal displays. Once the sun sets and the animals go to bed, these 10 U.S. zoos celebrate the season with some of the best lights displays around.
- WildLights at Living Desert Zoo and Gardens - Palm Desert, California
- Holiday Lights at California Living Museum - Bakersfield, California
- Dallas Zoo Lights - Dallas
- Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden - Columbia, South Carolina
- U.S. Bank Wild Lights at the Saint Louis Zoo - St. Louis
- Philadelphia Zoo LumiNature - Philadelphia
- Christmas at the Zoo at the Indianapolis Zoo - Indianapolis
- Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo - Colorado Springs
- Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo - Toledo, Ohio
- PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo - Cincinnati
Photo courtesy of Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
No. 10:
The Living Desert is celebrating its 29th year of WildLights with more than a million lights decorating its pathways and life-size animal lanterns. Visitors can walk through a tunnel of lights, visit with St. Nick, get up close to Santa's reindeer, ride a carousel and participate in holiday arts and crafts.
Photo courtesy of JC Pro Visuals
No. 9:
Holiday Lights at the California Living Museum (CALM Zoo) is entering its 19th year in 2021 with three million lights and 250 animated displays, a 200-foot tunnel of light and a 30-foot-tall drive-thru Christmas tree tunnel.
No. 8:
The Dallas Zoo Lights Presented by Reliant will take the form of a drive-thru holiday safari featuring more than a million lights, animal lanterns and an ice palace.
Photo courtesy of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
No. 7:
Nearly a million dazzling lights illuminate Riverbanks Zoo during Lights Before Christmas, one of Columbia's longest running holiday events. Festivities include a Holly Jolly Christmas Parade, nightly visits with Santa, an animated story tree, a Jingle Bell Bonfire and plenty of holiday treats, like s'mores and hot cocoa.
Photo courtesy of Micah Usher/Saint Louis Zoo
No. 6:
While enjoying over a million holiday lights, guests of the Saint Louis Zoo during its annual Wild Lights event enjoy campfire s'mores around warming fire pits, holiday carolers and plenty of holiday cheer.
Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Zoo
No. 5:
LumiNature presented by JP Morgan Chase & Company features 14 illuminated experiences, like a 21-foot tall snake, hundreds of illuminated penguins, and a 25-foot tree made of flamingo lawn ornaments. Plenty of lights, music and special effects round out the offering.
Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Zoo
No. 4:
The Indianapolis Zoo is celebrating its 53rd year of Christmas at the Zoo in 2021. This year’s event will feature more nights and more lights. Visit Santa’s Village to see St. Nick’s sleigh and reindeer or snap a selfie in front of a Christmas tree. The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir will provide a cheerful soundtrack.
Photo courtesy of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
No. 3:
Some 50 acres at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo are illuminated with 85 light sculptures during the park's annual Electric Safari. Select animal exhibits remain open during the festivities, and warming fires spread throughout the grounds offer a place to thaw those cold fingers.
No. 2:
Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo will feature more than a million-holiday lights and some 200 illuminated animal images, as well as an ice slide, photo ops with Santa and an 85-foot Norway spruce tree decorated with 35,000 LED bulbs.
Photo courtesy of Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
No. 1:
During the annual PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo, some four million LED lights illuminate the night. Visitors can meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus, watch a Wild Lights show on Swan Lake, drool over a gingerbread village, munch on s'mores or ride the North Polar Express train.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning zoos!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
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Allison Taylor
The owner and content creator of Family Vacations U.S is somewhat of a compulsive researcher when it comes to family vacations. Allison has 2 boys ages 10 and 12 whose antics keep her very busy, and being married to a firefighter adds a whole other element to the chaos! You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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NikkyJ is a theme park super fan, Author of The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide, the founder and owner of ThemeParkHipster.com, a wishful Food Critic, coffee enthusiast, and a lover of life! She currently resides in Orlando, Florida where she enjoys spending time with her husband and two little girls while discovering the beautiful attractions of Florida. You can watch her on YouTube or listen to her podcast.
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Catherine Smith
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