LIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
November 17 – December 31, 2017
Proudly Presented by:
2017 HOURS:
November 17 – December 31, 2017
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
Sunday – Thursday: 3 – 8 p.m. (Zoo closes at 9 p.m.)
Friday and Saturday: 3 – 9 p.m. (Zoo closes at 10 p.m.)
ADMISSION RATES:
*Rates apply all day, each day during Lights. Lucas County discounts do not apply.
Adults (age 12-59): $17
Children (age 2-11): $14
Seniors (age 60+): $14
Children under age 2: free
Save money on your Lights admission
Look for specially marked Mist TWST cans with an offer to receive a $2 discount on the purchase of up to two adult Lights tickets.
Active or retired military members receive free admission.
– $1 discount also applies for military dependents with proof of dependency.
– Military discounts must be purchased at the gate and cannot be combined with other discounts.
Make it an outing with advance group admission rates
(Group rates apply only for groups of 20 or more that have advanced reservations through the Group Sales department at 419-385-5721, ext. 6001.)
Adults (age 12-59): $15
Children (age 2-11): $12
Seniors (age 60+): $12
Children under age 2: free
Toledo Zoo members receive:
– Unlimited Monday through Thursday Lights Before Christmas visits AND
– One free weekend visit (Friday through Sunday) with a valid Toledo Zoo membership card.
For more information on purchasing or renewing a membership, click here.
For Members:
Free admission is valid only for those persons covered under your membership category.
Both named members are required to show a second form of identification.
Cardholder substitutions are not permitted.
One of the named cardholders must be present whenever guest privileges are used.
Family Plus level or above membership guest privileges are documented.
Members who have added the Plus One or Plus Two option receive unlimited free admission for their guests Monday through Thursday, and one free visit for guests Friday through Sunday. One of the cardholders must be present for a guest to attend.
Family members are encouraged to attend together when taking advantage of the one free weekend visit.
Reciprocal memberships are not valid for Lights Before Christmas admission.
Don’t miss the Winter Village sponsored by Kroger!
New this year is Bumper Cars on Ice! Be the driving force this winter and enjoy the dizzying thrill of 16 zero turn electric bumper cars on a 2,000 square foot ice rink located at the base of the Zoo’s historic Amphitheatre!
The fan-favorite Ice Slide has also been upgraded to include inner tubes built for two!
To make the evening event even more enticing we invite everyone to bump, slide & ride on the WILD side! Purchase a WILD PASS for a night of unlimited rides on the Ice Slide and *NEW* Bumper Cars on Ice and your own check-in lane! Supplies are limited. One pass per person. Non-transferable.
Winter Village Ride Prices:
Individual tickets- $3
Bundle of 4 tickets- $10
Bundle of 7 tickets- $15
Wild Pass- $20
The Ice Slide requires 1 ticket per rider
The Ice Bumper Cars requires 2 tickets per rider
Riders for both the Ice Slide and the Ice Bumper Cars must be at least 42″ tall and 5 years or older.
Both attraction operations are weather dependent.
Douglas the Talking Fir Tree!
Sponsored by St. Luke’s Hospital
This animated robotic tree will light up and come to life to recite the beloved holiday story, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and lead visitors in a short sing-along of favorite holiday tunes!
Be sure to warm-up your toes and your voice in the Museum of Science with Douglas, the Talking Fir Tree!
Performances occur every half hour beginning at 5 p.m.
Fun Facts about Lights Before Christmas:
• Lights Before Christmas began in 1986 with 50,000 lights and an attendance of 71,000 visitors; the record attendance for a Lights season was 2014, with 206,937visitors.
• Toledo Zoo began using energy-efficient LED lights in 2002. Today, over half our lights are LED.
• Dancing Lights and the 85-foot Norway Spruce are decorated with all wide-angle LED lights.
• A core crew of 12-15 employees from the Zoo’s horticulture department begins decorating in early August.
• Nearly 70 miles of lights are utilized throughout the display.
• Nearly 50,000 feet or almost 10 miles of extension cords are used!
• During Lights, the Zoo makes more than 2,700 pounds of fudge, 6,800 gallons of hot chocolate, more than 7,400 cinnamon pretzels and decorates over 8,900 cookies.
• After Lights Before Christmas, it takes about two months to take down all the lights, then sort and store them for the following year.
