The famous St. Louis Zoo celebrates the holiday season in style with Wild Lights. USA Today has named Wild Lights one of the top three Christmas zoo light displays in the nation. This spectacular annual event is a family way to celebrate the beauty and spirit of the season and is one of the best displays in the St. Louis region.
When to go
WildLights opens each year after Thanksgiving and closes at the end of December. In 2017, it will be open from 5:30 to 8:30 pm on select nights from November 24 to December 30. Last tickets sell out at 8pm, and you can buy tickets online or at the door.
What you will see
During Wild Lights, the zoo is decorated with more than half a million twinkling lights creating a winter wonderland. You can see decorated penguins on the Starry Safari and Jungle Bell Rock. The Favorite Animal Exhibits the Polar Bear Point, the Penguin and Puffin Coast, the Sea Lion Sound Tunnel and the Monsanto Insectarium will also be open.
More than lights
When visiting Wild Lights, be sure to save some time to see more than just the lights. There are activities for children, such as crafts and stories by the fire. You’ll see carols and costumed characters on weekend nights, and the Conservation Carousel will also be open (weather permitting) offering rides for $ 3. And for perhaps the most fun of all, you can grill s’mores over the zoo fires for an out of this world winter treat. (You can buy the s’mores right there at the zoo.)
The Lakeside Cafe will be open during Wild Lights, and you can get a hot hot chocolate, snacks, and light meals. And if you want to do a little Christmas shopping, the zoo’s gift shops will be open for business.
How to get there
The St. Louis Zoo is in Forest Park just north of Interstate 64 / US Highway 40. To get to the south lot, take the Hampton Avenue exit and head north to the first roundabout. Go left at the roundabout onto Wells Drive. The entrance to the south lot is along Wells Drive on the left.
