ZooLights

Let me start off by saying I love the zoo, but our ZooLights experience was pretty awful. We went on a Sunday and it was PACKED. it took an hour just to park, it was crazy busy and all though «free» all the things our kids wanted to do were not. Stand in line to buy tickets, stand in line to ride carousel, slide, bouncy house, etc… Overall not worth it in my opinion.

Amazing place to go during the winter. The lights are beautifully set up and the event is totally free. The Woodley Park metro stop isn’t too far from the zoo which makes this super convenient for anyone who doesn’t have a car. I like that they still sell food/​warm drinks at night for us to purchase as we walk around the zoo. It’s not only family/​kid friendly but also romantic for couples!

ZooLights is a fun, seasonal event, and given that it is free, I recommend visiting to take a stroll through the zoo, especially if it is an unseasonably warm evening like it was on my visit this past Saturday. Zoolights runs from 5−9pm every day of the week, so, naturally, the weekend will be the most crowded time. We arrived just before 5pm and we were through with our visit by 7pm. While we did not go on any of the rides, like the carousel and the tubing (which looked like fun but was clearly for a younger age set ie: kids), we did walk through the ape house, the small mammal house, and the reptile house, all of which are open during the ZooLights event. They have beverages for sale, including wine, beer, coffee, hot chocolate, and cider. Food is also available– chili, hot dogs, and kettlekorn were the main items I noticed. In the Visitor Center, they had a model train display and gingerbread displays. There was a laser light show, projected every 20 minutes from the outside of the elephant house building. It was geared towards kids, who seemed to really enjoy it, but from an adult perspective, it was pretty unimpressive. The lights were beautiful to walk through and we were able to see lots of the animals in the ape house being more active that I have seen them in the past. I would highly advise taking the metro as parking is $ 20 and the walk to the zoo from the metro is not bad at all.

My family and I are Xmas season fanatics and try to do as much in the area to celebrate the season as we can year in and year out. Last year we did the zoo lights and it was cold, which made it a quick visit. This year it’s 62 outside and perfect for a night at the zoo lights… except that’s what everyone else thought too! LONG LINES EVERYWHERE AND FOR EVERYTHING! Way too many people to really enjoy it all. The kids loved it but without really knowing how much we skipped. Still a good experience. Especially with my Living Social deal.

It free to get in and walk around was hoping to see lot of light everywhere but my daughter really enjoy it me not so much. I went on 12÷12÷15 and it was a warm day so it was pack people everywhere parking is crazy save $ 20 minimum and $ 40 for snack, drinks, light up toys, and rides a lot of walking wear comfortable shoes

I went to go see the Zoo lights last night and I have to say it was a pleasant experience … The path was all lit up with all sorts of animal and plant lights and in top of that I thought it was great that some of the exhibits were still open … I would definitely recommend this show to anyone that wants to go for a walk and see some Christmas lights and also for any families that want something to do … I will say tho dress warmly

This is such a wonderful free and festive event to check out each holiday season. Despite Saturday night being extremely crowded, our time at ZooLights flew by and before we knew it we were being told that we had to leave because it was closing for the evening. The new laser light show that is projected onto the elephant enclosure is a great addition.
While the majority of ZooLights is outside, so you’ll want to bundle up, you can pop inside to see the wonderful train display and gingerbread house competition, as well as go inside the ape house, reptile exhibit, small mammals, and the think tank building, where Pepco hands out glow-​in-​the-​dark light sticks to warm up.

This past weekend I went to Zoo Lights and I have to say I am becoming more and more disappointed with the National Zoo (I have other stories to tell but will keep to Zoo lights for this review). We thought it would be a treat to take our twin three year olds and since we are members of the Fonz we decided to go during the «members only time period». Our due diligence was all for naught. We were first treated to a 45 min wait in traffic looking for parking that we were never able to find. I might add that the first lot we passed that was closed because it was «full» had multiple spaces open. There were no lot attendees and no apparent communication for parking updates as to open or closed lots. During one of the many stoppages we spoke to a «Zoo Official» who had absolutely no idea what was going on.
After finally making it to the other side of the Zoo (we came in on Connecticut Ave. and exited on to Rock Creek Parkway), we were almost at the point of giving up when we decided to loop back around to Connecticut Ave. (thank goodness my wife knows her way around DC… I would have been totally lost) only to find virtually no street parking. On a whim I went down a one way road and miraculously found a spot and finally after quite a bit of walking we arrived at the Zoo.
The lights were beautiful but the event was poorly run. Again we were there during the «members only time period» expecting less crowds, and easy access. We soon realized the reason so many people were there was that no one was checking for «Fonz Membership» so everyone and anyone had access. There was also supposed to be a complimentary tote bag for members which of course they were out of.
At the end of the day my boys did enjoy the lights and the animals but it’s just tough to stomach such bad service when you are a member of the Fonz and a taxpayer. I really hope the National Zoo gets there act together because it is a place that I would like to bring my family for many years to come.

For a free event, it’s pretty great. It’s a lovely change to get to see the animals that are typically nocturnal up and about. The lights are well organized, and there are a number of family-​friendly Christmas attractions like carousels and toy train exhibits.
I was there on a spectacularly rainy/​cold/​miserable evening, but still managed to have a lovely time with my date walking around looking at the lights. Two complaints: one, the elephant exhibit was only available to their higher-​paying FONZ donors. This is always one of my favorite stops and while the kiosk manager at the front did mention there was a FONZ-​only section, I wasn’t informed it was the elephant house until I tried to walk in. And two, ALL of the food markets, schnapps stations, purveyors of funnel cake, and other carts of tasties were closed. I understand that a wet, dreary night may not be the most popular time to visit ZooLights, but there were still a fair number of people there. They seemed to be shutting down the other exhibits (carousel, etc) early, too — around 8:15. So maybe they have a partial closure rain policy that just isn’t well-​advertised.
Still, final verdict: Go! It’s always a great time.

You can’t beat free. If you’re looking for a festive activity during the holiday season, and you already visited the National Christmas Tree, Zoolights is the place to go.
Tip for staying warm/​increasing festivity: the food pavilion at the bottom of the hill (across from the Big Cats) has spiked warm drinks. You can get peppermint schnapps, spiced rum, bourbon or a few other merrymakers in your hot chocolate or cider for $ 8.

ZooLights: It’s Wild; It’s Free! That’s their slogan. ZooLights is an annual holiday tradition at the National Zoo. They boast of more than 500,000 LED lights that transform the usually dark and closed zoo into a festive and bright light show that spans the length of the zoo street.
Some exhibit buildings, such as the Small Mammal House, Great Ape House, and Reptile Center are open during ZooLights. However, there’s a high likelihood that the animals will be asleep. I wandered through the Small Mammal and Great Ape House and found 90% of the animals to be asleep. In addition, ZooLights has a carousel ($ 3 per ride), zoo tubing near the Lion/​Tiger Hill ($ 3 per ride), and the National Zoo Choo Choo train ($ 3 per ride). They even have a performing arts stage, free photo ops with the official ZooLights ambassador, Panda Claws, and a Gin-​Grr-​Bread contest (grand prize is an exclusive tour of the Giant Panda Habitat).
And if you think you may go hungry, think again. There are vendors with hot chocolate, egg nog, mulled cider, kettle corn, cookies, etc. And all the Zoo restaurants are open and ready to serve their complete menus.
Parking is pretty outrageous, but then again parking at the zoo has always been outrageous. $ 20 for non-​FONZ members, $ 10 for FONZ members. Or you can find parking on the street. I went on a Sunday so parking on the street was free and ample at 7pm. If you’re taking the Metro, they have a shuttle that runs every 20 minutes from Woodley Park metro station to the zoo.
The night I went, the temperatures were in the mid-​50s so it was actually a warm night to walk in the Zoo and enjoy the lights. I can’t imagine feeling the same way when it’s in the 30s, so if the weather is a little nicer, I would recommend going then. There were some pretty cool lights, although I’ve always preferred neighborhoods decked out in Christmas lights. There were some colorful and themed lights and one light display featured lights timed to music.
This is definitely more of an event for kids, so if you have kids, this is a fun, free activity. It looks like from previous reviews that this event used to charge an admission fee, but it’s now free. All you have to pay is for food, drinks, and parking if you choose to do so. However, my advice is to park on the street and eat at Hot N Juicy or another restaurant in the area.

ZooLights is amazing! For absolutely no cost at all, you get a magical show of Christmas lights at the National Zoo. It’s open from 5−9pm daily during the holiday season (excluding Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve) and it’s just a short walk away from both the Cleveland and Woodley Park metros.
My bf and I loved the colorful arrangement of lights. Braving the fierce cold of December was completely worth it. I had previously visited ZooLights at the Portland zoo (last holiday season), and I daresay that the DC ZooLights beats even that. We had a wonderful time and even got to see a few animals. What was really cool was that the nocturnal animals (like the small mammals) were out in full force! It was really exciting :)
Definitely check out ZooLights during this (or the next) holiday season! And make sure you go on a night when it’s not raining. We were lucky and the weather was amazing the night we visited. As others have described it, it really was like walking through a fairy tale with my prince charming.

We enjoyed this activity with our meetup group, fun times walking around, nothing too crazy. It’s simply decorated and open at night, some of the exhibits were open and some were not, I was surprised that it was so small, I was expecting a much larger zoo, but it’s great to see kids and adults enjoying the season. I enjoyed the visitor center exhibits with the gingerbread exhibits and paper animal cut outs. For free, well minus the metro ride in, it was a fun night, we had a good time, just don’t expect a Walt Disney World orchestrated holiday extravaganza.

Make a deal with the weather God and go to Zoolights when it’s 50+ degrees out!
Previous reviews talked about admission fees. Well that’s definitely no more. But there are ways to make the trip more expensive: water bottles are $ 3, food options are mostly fried/​unhealthy, and all the activities (carousal, train, tubing) cost a few bucks here and there.
However you can control what you want to spend. Eat dinner at home if you don’t want to pay $ 8 for subpar chicken tenders and fries. Use the 25 cent single horse carousal outside grocery stores (do they still have those? or am I too old school?), and find water fountains throughout the zoo to save $.
The lights were average — some had music and most sections were themed. There was a 3-​man band playing some of our favorite xmas hits, and a few places (ape, reptile) were open for you to warm up and get cozy up with your favorite python.
Overall it’s a nice walk if it’s not too cold outside, but it’s not worth going simply for the lights. If you’re looking for something shiny and distracting for the kids, yet you don’t mind spending a few bucks to feed/​entertain them, ZooLights is a great option. For adults, they do sell beer/​wine and shots of whiskey in the visitor center.
I’m going to make another deal and find another 50+ degrees day in December to take more pictures.

Cute lights in the shape of animals! How can you not like that? Parking is $ 16 but you can metro here.

Good stuff! Who doesn’t enjoy walking around a holiday decorated zoo for free?
I was blown away by the lights and activities and exhibits. From the moment you walk in on Connecticut Ave., you know the zoo takes their zoolights seriously. It is a beautiful place and a nice respite from the city.
There’s a gingerbread exhibit, model trains, and a lego built rendition of the Smithsonian. In terms of activities, there’s the carousel, train ride, and zoo tubing, all for $ 3 each, and there are arcade games.
My boyfriend and I were surprised and confused about the arcade games. I think he said it was $ 2 for 1 token, $ 5 for 3, but somehow we got 4 tokens. We played a few of the games, and it seems like everyone is a winner, but the fantastic thing is the prize. The prize selection was no wimpy, kitschy item. No sir, it was shot glasses (retail value $ 5), stuffed pandas ($ 15), and other items such as mugs, bags, other stuffed animals. These were surprisingly very nice items.
We also were able to see some of the animals, and there are plenty of photo opportunities. Go and enjoy!
Tip: the crowd seems to get a little more mature after 7 pm, but that’s not to say that we didn’t see many children and families running around past 8:15 pm.

Me: Where do I pay for tickets for Zoolights?
My friend who works for the Zoo: No tickets anymore. It’s free!
Me: Didn’t they used to charge like $ 8? What kind of scheme is this?
Well, I can confirm that there’s no scheme — Zoolights is free!
In case you haven’t been to the National Zoo, it’s a cutesy holiday special event where the zoo is open at night and lit up with LED lights in animal form. You can visit some of the animal enclosures (Small Mammals, Reptiles, Apes) and see a few of the animals that are outside (big cats), but mainly you’re here to stroll through the zoo to admire the lights and feel a little like a kid again. I’ve only gone with friends, but I imagine it’s a cute date place despite the kiddie chaos. Seriously, they have a snow globe that has a guy in a panda costume named Panda Claws dancing around in it.
They’ve beefed it up on the lights since the last time I went (2009?), and are now have pay to play options like the carousel ($ 3) and tubing open for the kids. There were also a ton of lights for sale, and the concessions stands were out in full force (ah! this is why they don’t charge admission anymore). Not to mention that parking has skyrocketed ($ 16 for non FONZ folks). Also, did the Zoo always offer alcoholic options at concessions? I was jealous of my friend who wisely upgraded his cider for $ 2 and add a shot of whiskey.
For more details about Zoolights,

This is a decent Christmas event, and one that people living in DC really should try at least once. For tourists, though, they’re not missing much if they skip it. I could always go for something free, but there isn’t much magic to this. I was hoping to be blown away by the spectacle of it, but there’s not much too it. The live music was a nice touch, and I liked the few LED «animated» displays, which I’m sure the kids will enjoy as well. Overall though, it was a brief pleasant walk. After about 15 – 20 mins, there just wasn’t enough to keep us interested, and we left. They do have some of the houses open, which is nice, but they do get crowded.
Also, the layout of the place isn’t conducive to the leisurely stroll in and out I was hoping to have. It’s not all one big circle, so you’ll have to go in, then walk all the way back out. I’m glad I went, but who knows if I’ll ever be back.

We really enjoyed this unique opportunity to drop by the zoo for a fun quirky activity put on by the zoo. At the welcome center they were selling warm beverages, and had an amusing display of handmade Lion themed shoebox sized gingerbread montages. Most were made by adults, and were actually pretty awesome. You’d be surprised how creative people are:-)
The lights themselves were cool with the zoo main path being illuminated by a procession of lighted animal silhouettes. On our way out at closing, they started playing music and one of the larger light displays was synced with the music and the lights where dancing along with the beat. A little cheesy, but hey, it’s the zoo!
We even got to enter into some of the exhibit houses which were open to the public. The fun one was the monkey house which had some fun volunteers working who were enthusiastic to tell us about what was going on at the zoo, and to encourage us to check out the new lion cubs that were born this year, and should be shown to the public soon.
This was a cool event, I’ll be looking forword to it next year.
BTW, it’s FREE!!!

Do you wonder what to do in cold night of winter? Alone? Have a date? Need to plan something fun for kids? Just want to go out?
Why not go to Zoolight and feel the festivity?
This year, it’s free. You might think it’s not special and just lights around the trees but it’s more than just lights.
You will feel happiness and festivity as soon as you walk in. When you walk, see the lights and decorations. On the way back, Don’t forget to look down as you walk along. You will see many different shapes of lights on the pavement.
It’s a decent walk, so don’t worry about feeling too cold. You will feel warm inside and out. If needed, there is always hot cocoa!
PS: If you can, try to go there on the day of ‘Giant’. Groups of workers from different giant grocery stores are giving out something festive (e.g. Santa hat, ornaments) and singing Xmas songs on the walkway inside of the zoo. Very festive!