At night, when the animals at the Bronx Zoo go to sleep, the zoo is usually a quiet place. Not anymore! Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo is back and is better than ever. I visited the Bronx Zoo last weekend to experience Holiday Lights and I really enjoyed it. The Bronx Zoo has not had this attraction since 2007 and I am glad they have brought it back.
As you walk up the path from the main entrance toward the center of the zoo, you see a wide variety of light displays in the shape of animals. Holiday music is piped through speakers throughout the zoo which creates a very festive atmosphere. The main attractions for this event are in Astor Court, the Dancing Crane Plaza and a "Lantern Safari Zone" set up near the Bug Carousel. In Astor Court (normally where you watch the sea lions), they had a Dancing Lights show plus costumed characters and carolers roaming around. You can also catch a special Holiday Train that takes you around the zoo (extra fee of $3 per person). When you head over to the Dancing Crane Plaza - you can see an ice carving demonstration as well as more light displays plus you can check out the Bronx Zoo store or eat in the Dancing Crane Café. The highlight of the event for me was the Lantern Safari Zone -- an area filled with beautiful, hand-crafted illuminated lantern sculptures in the shapes of animals. We saw elephants, giraffes, penguins, sea creatures and many more animal lanterns all in beautiful colors. Another highlight for me in this area was the chance to make s'mores (extra fee of $5.99 per s'more). It was fun to toast the marshmallows and the s'mores were delicious!
An additional attraction called Ice Jubilee will be open on December 20-23 and December 26-31 only. This part of the event will include a 20-foot ice slide and the chance to take a holiday photo on an ice throne. There will also be an ice carving competition on 12/28 which includes five professionals creating 20 sculptures over three hours.
Note: you will not see any of the zoo animals as all animal exhibits close at 4 p.m. prior to the start of Holiday Lights. The zoo is open during the day for regular animal viewing. Also of note, the lights used in this attraction utilize LED technology and are more energy efficient.
Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo runs through January 5th (closed on 12/24, 12/25, 1/1 and 1/2). Hours are 5-9 p.m. during the week and 5-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Prices are $29.95 for adults; $29.95 for Seniors; $22.95 for Children ages 3-12. Children 2 and under are free. Parking is $17. For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, visit the Bronx Zoo website.
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I was provided with complimentary tickets to this event. All opinions expressed in this article are my own.
