All the Bright Lights

If You Go

PNC Festival of Lights
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Zoo Hours, through Jan. 8, 2023
Sunday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.

North Polar Express train ride begins at 2:30 p.m. Activities, including visits with Santa, begin daily at 4 p.m.

PNC Festival of Lights is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas

Share your #PNCFestivalOfLights pictures on your social channels using #cincyzoopic for a chance to be featured in future Zoo marketing materials!

Did you ever think you’d fall in love with a baby hippo? Did you ever think you’d fall in love with a baby hippo TWICE?

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, home to our beloved Fiona and Fritz, is celebrating the holidays in a big way with the 40th annual PNC Festival of Lights.

“I was here for the first PNC Festival of Lights and look forward to enjoying the 40th anniversary of one of my favorite Zoo events,” said Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard. “We add something new every year and keep the favorite things that bring back great memories for repeat guests.”

Photos by Shae Combs

Festival of Lights is the region’s longest-running holiday tradition, with four million LED lights, hung with care by Zoo employees and volunteer elves. Visitors coming to see animals should come earlier in the day or visit indoor habitats such as World of the Insect, Night Hunters, and Manatee Springs, where they can see the three manatees that arrived earlier this month.

The Zoo is bringing back its popular Under the Sea area, where guests are surrounded by lights and giant, colorful jellyfish. Pose for Instagram-worthy photos here and at Elfie Selfie Stations throughout the Zoo. 

“The events team has done a spectacular job reimagining Santa’s Village and moving it to our new picnic shelter area.  The space is new, but our wonderful Santa hasn’t changed!”

Santa will be available for visits and photos in the all-new Santa’s Village, sponsored by Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Honda Dealers, starting at 4 p.m. To give more people a chance to ride the popular North Polar Express Train, sponsored by Superior Credit Union, it will start running at 2:30 p.m. daily.  It will chug through a longer-than-ever light tunnel to make your ride extra bright!