Denver Zoo Lights

Denver Zoo Lights is an event where the zoo is lit up by lots and lots of little shimmering lights in all different colors throughout the park. Some are just strands of lights providing festive ambiance, while many others are animal figures illuminated in colorful lights, very appropriate for the location of course.

The event is centered around the holiday season and this year ran through most of December and into the beginning of the new year. We actually made it out on the very last evening.

Once inside you follow a defined path through the zoo from beginning to end, with so many things to see along the way. There are light animals on the ground and high in the trees. Some are still, and some create the illusion of movement due to how the lights shift.

Most of the real zoo animals were inside burrows or buildings, most of which were closed for the evening, but several were open including the elephant house, the giraffe house, and reptile house. This was not only neat but a good way to warm up for a bit since it was really cold outside! The elephant put on quite the show, moving a rubber ball underneath a bucket with food, suspended in the air and then standing on the ball to reach the food.

They even had some ice sculptures:

We both really enjoyed this and were surprised by how well put together the event was. It was a fun way to extend the holiday season!