Holiday Lights Spectacular Illuminates Roger Williams Park Zoo Once Again

Holiday Lights Spectacular. Courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo.

The holiday season is in full swing in Lil’ Rhody — the big blue bug is all aglow, the Newport Mansions are adorned with holiday decorations, and the newer annual tradition, the Holiday Lights Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo, is about to open and welcome visitors nightly! If you want a healthy dose of holiday cheer, head to the zoo between Friday, November 28, and Sunday, January 4, to witness a winter wonderland with more than 3.5 million twinkling lights, spread out across the entire property. Unlike the Halloween-inspired Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular that’s only featured in one part of the zoo, the Holiday Lights Spectacular fills up the entire zoo property, with creatively inspired section titles like “Zoo-Ville” (an homage to “Whoville” from Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!). 

Holiday Lights Spectacular. Courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo.

Spend the night gazing up at the dazzling display of lights and themed winter decorations, from ritzy reindeer and silly snowmen to playful penguins and shimmering snowflakes, and more. And to sweeten the experience, make sure to grab a hot cup of cocoa and a sugar cookie for your journey, or visit the s’mores station and warm up by the fire. If you have a hankering for something more, there will also be hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders and fries to munch on, and adult beverages to sip on, throughout the night. The zoo has also introduced a few new fun happenings this year, including meet and greets and festive photo ops with the Grinch and characters from Frozen on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30–7:30 p.m., and visits with Santa at the zoo gift shop on Thursdays from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Or, no matter which nigtht you plan to visit, the kiddos can also join Roger the Red Panda mascot for a playful retelling of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. The story times kick off at 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. 

Holiday Lights Spectacular. Courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo.

The Holiday Lights Spectacular opens the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28), and will be on full display nightly from 5–9:30 p.m. until Jan. 4. Tickets must be reserved online in advance. Adults are $15 each while children ages two to twelve are $13 each. Children younger than two get in for free. Pro tip: if you visit on a Tuesday night, the zoo offers a $5 discount per ticket. 

Head to the Roger Williams Park Zoo website to learn more or to plan your visit.