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November 18, 2022 — January 8, 2023
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Join us for a family holiday festival at the Bronx Zoo. During the evenings, the park comes to life with holiday cheer as immersive light displays, custom-designed animal lanterns and animated light shows sparkle across the zoo. The celebration includes festive entertainment, seasonal treats, the Holiday Train, and classic holiday music. The walk-through experience is a beloved tradition, enchanting and fun for all ages.
Changes to activity availability may occur due to unforeseen conditions. This program does not include animal exhibits. All animal exhibits close at 4:00pm. Holiday Lights is a rain or shine event.

A celebration in lights

We’re celebrating the wildlife we love with animal lantern trails, holiday decor, animated sculptures, tree lighting, and much more.

Explore our Lantern Trails

More than 360 lanterns representing almost 90 animal and plant species will connect you to the real wildlife and wild places that WCS staff works to protect through our field programs around the world and our zoos and aquarium in New York. 70 new lanterns representing 30 new animal species will make their debut at this year’s Holiday Lights!

A glowing pathway celebrating Africa’s animals in lights! Your favorites, including giraffes, lions, lemurs, and many others, are joined by NEW additions: ostriches, African forest elephants, hippos, Aldabra tortoises, Aldabra white-throated rails, and Aldabra sacred ibises.

Encounter the glittering snow leopard, Asian elephants, Indian rhinos, and many other favorites, plus NEW this year: Malayan tapirs, tree kangaroos, cassowary, and fruit bats.

Discover the illuminated jaguar, orinoco crocodile, scarlet macaws, and other favorites plus NEW this year: Andean cocks-of-the-rock, giant anteater, Andean bears, white-lipped peccaries, brown-throated sloth, and two-toed sloth.

Experience North American animal lanterns, including polar bears, caribou, gray wolves, bison, Pacific walrus, wolverine, grizzly bears, moose, trumpeter swans, golden eagles, and prairie dogs.

An undersea journey in lights including penguins, sea turtles, and many others including and a nurse shark with a body that you can walk through! Plus, NEW this year: larger-than-life black seadevil, anglerfish, vampire squid, Atolla jellies, and deep-sea nudibranch.

Forest of Color

The brightly colored larger-than-life animal and plant lanterns that fill the Forest of Color represent the beauty and diversity of nature, showing that our planet is home to tiny animals who display some of the brightest colors on earth, and sharing ideas on how we can help to protect them.

Light show experiences

This year’s Holiday Lights includes enhanced light shows that provide perfect photo ops for friends and family. On Astor Court, a new holiday tree show features synchronized musical light performances featuring more trees than ever before. And the walk-through Light Tunnel will dazzle you with animal-themed light shows.