My family and I enjoyed ZooLights. We picked an evening when it wasn't raining, and it was so much fun seeing the beautiful lights. There were lights throughout the zoo like light covered tunnels, interactive displays, and plenty of picture perfect spots. There were different food and drink options for this limited time evening event like churros and s'mores. Don't expect to see many animals at night. I only saw one elephant. There may have been a few others, but we really wanted to see the lights. There were awesome lights versions of the animals as you walk by or take the train. The volunteers were very nice, and they were at different areas ready to help. They offered to take our photo so I didn't have to rely on selfie mode or interrupt another family to take our photo. It was a wonderful holiday event that may become an annual tradition for us. We're Oregon Zoo members so we got the 20% discount off the entrance and train ride. It was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. read more

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I would recommend for those with families, this activity geared those audience as there is train ride, interactive activities throughout the zoo. I do admit the tunnels of lights and synchronized music light shows in main grounds were cool, even seeing the elephants at night with bats and monkeys, though seeing. Parking here was crazy. My husband, and his sister took me to this since I never been and suppose the Portland transit system Trimet partnered with Oregon Zoo to provide free Max rail ride to zoo from the certain parking lots along the rail line. But due to the excessive amount of people attending Friday, they were not able to get the train line to move so we end up leaving and driving to parking lot of zoo. Overall, the activity is okay. read more

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This is an yearly display of Christmas lights and we went here on a weekend. It was an amazing experience overall. You'll can walk into the place and its magical at every single spot with a lot of photo opportunities with lots of glowing animal silhouettes, color tunnels, and these massive illuminated displays that make for fun photos. We could see some animals but since it was in the night time, couldn't enjoy the zoo aspect of it. There's a zoo train which we didn't end up doing, but it looked super cool. We tried some rides and carousals, and it was so much fun. Wear layers, good shoes, and something waterproof because you are in PNW and it started to drizzle for a while when we were there. Hot chocolate and snacks are there, and they honestly contribute to the vibe. This is a walk around slowly, talk, take pictures, sip something warm, and enjoy the ambiance type of outing. read more

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This was a great night time stroll thru the zoo. the light shows were great, with the outside concert area was set up with a full display that dances with the music. skip the train unless you have little ones. it is a tiny little course, out and back in 5 minutes. not worth the cash. there are many food options, so you can have dinner leisurely. But, it will cost you.... think a small hot chocolate for 5 dollars and go up from there. read more

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Had so much fun with my grandbaby starting at the lights. And I finally got to see the baby elephant before she turns 1. Cute light displays and great photo ops. There are places for the kiddos to play, but they are very full. Be patient with people, we are all trying to take in the sites and take pictures, and it's hard to pay attention to foot traffic. read more

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The service was quick, food was ok, and hot chocolates were great! We went at 4:30 (the earliest time slot) would recommend you get to beat most of the crowds but it dos fill in towards the end. The train is a must for zoo lights it shows so many more lights you usually wouldn't see. They changed things up from last year which was nice. There are some repairs that need to be done on some lights. The elephant ears aren't as fluffy S they used to be but still good. Overall we had an amazing time would do again great family activity. Make sure you get the train tickets ahead though makes life so much easier. Would give five stars but it gets super super crowded and can be hard to get the best pictures. read more

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BREWLIGHTS This was the most unorganized and disappointing events. I've attended in 30+ years. Spent North of $300 to get a suite in downtown Portland and attend with family. Lines were ridiculously long, way too many people admitted at the same time, and 3 ounce pours at each brewery or cidery. I would highly highly recommend skipping this event. The group of us ended up leaving within about 45 minutes to an hour. We gave away the majority of our drink tickets and decided to go back to our room and go out to dinner and enjoy downtown instead. At $65 per person plus any add-ons. This was not only ridiculously priced but poorly managed and WAY over sold. Unless they fix some things, I would Skip this altogether. Our thoughts were that it would be an event where adults would have an opportunity to sample brews ciders and enjoy a night where it was only adults Unfortunately, there were thousands of people crammed into many small areas and unorganized lines. Many of the vendors either quit serving, or had issues with their systems. If I had one piece of advice, they should've limited the number of tickets sold so that it wasn't insanely oversold All in all I give this a -3 out of 10 read more

Such a good time even in the rain! Visiting from Los Angeles we always go to the LA zoo lights and getting to check out Oregon zoo lights was a must! So many beautiful lights, fun train ride, good photo ops, got to see the bat enclosure, and yummy hot chocolate. Parking was a bit rough especially for bigger cars but luckily we found some spots after a few rounds. A must see for Christmas time! read more

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I believe this is the page specifically for reviewing Oregon ZooLights. It is a yearly display of Christmas lights that is up from November to January at the zoo. It truly is an incredible display of lights: there are so many, and they are displayed with thought to motion and colors and other features. They have many animal-related displays, fitting for the setting. Prices and times vary throughout the season. Adult tickets are ~$13-35. Zoo members receive 20% off. There are many options to buy snacks or beverages but they're fairly pricey. A huge thing to note is that most animals are NOT available for viewing during ZooLights. You can see the bats, the elephants indoors, and the underwater animals. All other animals will be sleeping or shut away for the evening. Overall I recommend this for families or dates. Just be sure to set expectations about not seeing a lot of the animals and bundle up big time as it's very cold! read more

My family and I went to the ZooLights event last night and it was incredible! The lights were gorgeous, there was a ton to see, and the kiddos had an amazing time. Ticket prices were reasonable as well. I highly recommend it for the family read more

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I've been to zoolights twice so far. The lights are fantastic and are dazzling to view. They tried making a few kid activities which is just color changing trees or mushrooms. They switch up the lights each year so it's there is some variety. Be wary of the train ride. My parents traveled here to go to the zoo lights with me and my fiance. We waited in line for a while for the train. There were only 4 of us and the train couldn't accommodate us sitting together. The staff seemed rude and didn't communicate very well with the situation. We had to sit separately and the whole drama ended our experience on a sour note. read more

Over sold cash grab. Even though you have an assigned time, there still is no parking. Go to overflow, back onto 26 and find the many office-building parking lots. Then tromp over unlit curbs/gardens between the farthest parking lot and the line of comfy, cheap school buses to shuttle you to your 'reserved' time slot at the zoo. Be ready to stand in a line going from the 3 lousy buses alllll the way to the end of the lot. We left. Sad. Greedy. Disappointing. read more

You'll get some solid photos! Went a few weeks back and although we had fun, it was just good hence 3/5 stars. With a little more effort it could be great. Apparently it's been better with "Brew lights?" It was great to go during the adult time frame but I imagine kids would really enjoy it. read more

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I took my girlfriend here so a date and was so much fun. What was nice is that they made a path were to go so you didn't have to back track your steps. They have so many lights to look at and you can definitely tell that they took time to set this up. read more

Oregon ZooLights - Zoos Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I was really excited to finally get to go after hearing about this for years & seeing lots of people posting about it. Made it into a fun date night with some friends & went for dinner before heading there. We were a little worried as we were a tad late for our reserved time, but we got in with no problem. There were only a few more days of it being open, so we expected it to be slow, but there were still quite a bit of people. There is a clear path with good flow, so you don't end up going in circles or miss something. There were so many vendors & we were suckered into the kettlecorn. The perfect snack for munching & walking with enough to save some for later. There is so much to look at with many picture opportunities. They even provide a brighter light in front the zoo lights sign to get a good photo. We got some good photos, with one being my new favorite photo of my bf & I. It does get cold out there, so they keep the elephant warming area open so you can take a seat, warm up, & enjoy the elephants. it was such a fun night with friends & I can now check this off my list. read more

So this past Saturday, I had the honor of escorting my daughter to the Zoo for a Girl Scout excursion to Zoo Lights. Mind you I wasn't a chaperone...she didn't want me to embarrass her. Anyway I was kind of stuck there since I was her ride home so I strolled around as well. I have been multiple times so it isn't nearly as breathtaking as it was the first time lol. Actually this time it seemed like it was excessive crowded. I didn't have to struggle for a parking spot albeit I was in the farthest parking lot. Walking isn't a problem though...need the exercise. Towards 7:00 it started getting crazy busy I don't think these were timed tickets because it didn't seem like there was much visitor turnover, but I could be wrong. It was a little drizzly but hey it could have been worse. read more

Clever drive through Zoolights is delightful, interesting and brings normalcy to 2020. Thank you, designers, for an engaging, beautiful show with new displays, wonderful reworking of previous displays and old favorites. This is a must see in any year and it's an opportunity to support our fabulous zoo while safely enjoying a holiday favorite. read more

The drive through version this year is so fun! I really did not like zoo lights in the past because it was cold, expensive and uncomfortable with no animals. This year, we bought tickets for the drive through, and it is a completely different experience! They are extremely organized and it is run very smoothly. We all stayed warm and comfortable. Peoole with disabilities can enjoy it! So great. read more

We enjoyed the ZooLight Drive Through tonight - Arrived a little before 5pm. Printed out our pass at home and headed to the fun - it is required for the driver to wear a mask while interacting with any zoo employees ( entrance, while they scan your pass) and/or the booth after if you have any add on's (such as; cotton candy, snacks, souvenirs - strobe light candy cane/ sword/ necklace) You wont be able to purchase these on - site, its only available when you buy the ticket online. You follow the cones and will end up in a formed line, soon enough you'll start the journey. Due to the current state guidelines each car is limited to your household and/or 6 people. No bikes or motorcycles allowed. It wasn't much of a wait - it does state prior to entering the ZooLight area, Please NO Honking, Loud music or Yelling. (Sadly, this has to be stated) Also, per their website - to enhance your experience, turn off your headlights and turn on some holiday music either 103.3 FM or 97.1 CHARLIE are some options. (Be sure to turn them back on, when you get to the end) We had stopped by Starbucks on Canyon prior to getting off at the Zoo exit for some Hot chocolate. We all had a lot of fun! Get in your comfy, cozy clothes and enjoy the beautiful lights. We did see an Elephant walking but aside from that it was all lights. It may not be our usual ZooLight experience but this is a NEW experience and its worth a visit. It was about 30 minutes or so from start to finish. read more

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Wow. Pretty lame. We spent the outrageous price of $65 for a DRIVE ticket, specifically so we could bring our dog. I was totally shocked when I received an email a day or two before we were scheduled to go with a list of prohibited items, one being pets. Of course, I assumed that was just for those who bought walking tickets. Nope. They for real tell you you can't bring your pets in your car, with the doors and windows shut. Fail #1. This very much looks like an amateur light display. But it is fun to drive thru and try to guess what the animals are, lol. No real animals to be seen for this event, but you may be able to tell what about 1/4 of the light-up animals are. It's worth mentioning that I was smoking a joint in the car when someone who worked there yelled at me, "no smoking! Put it out!" So make sure you are not smoking in your own vehicle. Also lame. It takes about 25 minutes to drive thru the entire thing. I guess I'm glad I went...? But it was not even close to being worth it. Now I know. read more

Very pretty! Wasn't over crowded although it was sold out. Romantic. Don't count on seeing animals.

Love zoo lights. It's a yearly tradition. This year was a very bad experience. We went Sunday 12/17 The parking lot was full and we were instructed to go to the overflow lot. We waited for the bus for over 30 minutes. The zoo completely oversold way too many tickets as the crowd was too large. Could barely walk through the zoo The worst part is the line for alcoholic beverages were so long it was not feasible to wait. down below in the zoo i finally got to the front of the line asked for a beer they didn't have the one i wanted they told me they had dead guy which is fine then i was told they didn't have beer cups. i bought cotton candy, popcorn, was told they didn't have kettle corn and i got a pepperoni pizza i didn't order but apparently paid for. Like i said zoo lights has always been a very fun experience but this year they sold way too many tickets and were not prepared for the food and drinks that were needed read more

At the intersection of Zoos and Christmas lives zoo lights! After reading about these events for many years, we finally ended up in a big city while one was going on. We mobbed down with the whole family, a couple vans deep and ultimately had a wonderful time. Well I don't have anything to compare this zoo lights Exhibit to, I can't imagine ones that are significantly more elaborate. There were lights absolutely everywhere! Interestingly, we could actually come here during the day and commented on how many lights there appeared to be. Coming back at night, it was confirmed that there were indeed a crap ton of them! It was a pathway to follow throughout the entire zoo that took you on journeys through just about every major animal area. For those of us with kiddos, we stayed on the path until some of them ran off of it and from thence forth, we made our own way! Not quite the Oregon trail, but trending that way sans the dysentery. The train ride was worth the $5 or whatever it cost. While it only took about 10 minutes, what kid doesn't love animal shaped lighted displays? Maybe the older brother from Home Alone - he was a jerk to Kevin! That said, even he had a soft spot for the young one after arriving home that Christmas morn - as such, I'd wager that even he probably has a soft spot for penguins going down an ice slide! I digress - with a sample size of 1, we were totally impressed! This was a great exhibit and something that is worth going out of your way to check out! read more

So many lights! So many animals made of lights. So many decorations made of lights. Some are older tech where each display is a permanent shape (like it will always be a penguin). Others are newer programable LEDs that offer amazing animation. You can tell they put a LOT of work into this. read more

Zoo Lights, oh how I love Zoo Lights, not sure if the intoxication for the event helps the lights shine that much brighter, or if the fact the kids get to be out in the cold darkness just having a blast and being wild. Or the fact that the trees look like they are going to a rave and just let the fun flow. They go over the top each year, the core of the zoo is so decked out it is a sight to see! I love the trees all done up, the light tunnels, and that sweet sweet train ride on the old steam engine! I don't make it to the zoo often, but each year we try to nab a dry day at the zoo for zoo lights, and last night we lucked out again! It wasn't crowded, we didn't have to wait for photos, and the place was just perfect as always. If you are on the fence and haven't gone... GO! If you haven't gone in a while... GO! Just get out there, and have a blast. If it isn't your thing, remember Zoo's and intoxicants ALWAYS mix! read more

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Our 1st Zoo Lights was fantastic. I got 1 more day of Christmas Lights even though ours are all down for the season. My Niece and Sister invited my Wife and I to see the Zoo Lights. We of course said yes. It was a bit spendy but my Sister is very gracious and paid for 3 Adults and a Child. She even got us on the Train. I can't thank my Sister enough for her generosity. We enjoyed everything. From the Animation to Tree's to the Projection Lights. It was all very awesome. I really couldn't say what my favorite part of the lights even was, because of how many awesome displays we enjoyed. It was definitely a winter's night and had been raining most of the day. But we prayed for better weather and God Is Good. It was still cold just not raining. We stopped before the Train Ride for some coffee and to warm up a bit indoors. It was a crowded coffee shop but a table opened up before our order was done. So we got off our feet for a few minutes and got warm. It was very nice. We have some ideas for DIY Projects with light's thanks to the Zoo Lights. read more

Given the recent advancements in lighting technology, this display is is 30 years out of date. The crowds are large and the concessions are overpriced. Most of the zoo is under construction so you don't get to see many animals. The train ride is short and uneventful considering the long line and crowds. The kids enjoy this and the price is relatively low. Otherwise I say no way! read more

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The Portland zoo is a beautifully landscaped chunk of land best enjoyed during the day. Attended with a couple friends and the height of the trip was the elephant enclosure. Night time, the rest of the animals are not seen. Many sections of the zoo are closed off probably to keep patrons closed to the lights. We received a $2.00 veteran discount - woohooo. The $4.00 train ride is not for adults. The train at the LA zoo takes visitors around the whole park. The Portland zoo lights train is for children under 6. It idles through a small area and it's not designed for adults. The zoo has a great opportunity to create an real adult train that should travel through the whole park. The lights are cute but it's just not enough. Better to stay home or do something else. Visiting the zoo at night in the rain was not fun. read more

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I should know better than go opening night, but I did and of course you are herded around as there isn't much room but that said zoo lights are amazing and worth the crowd. Try the naughty hot cocoa and stop to really take in the beauty of our zoo all lit up with amazing displays read more

Oregon ZooLights - Lights - Zoos Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'm so glad we did this! The drive thru experience was actually better than the usual walking zoolights! We go every year and this year the zoo added a lot of displays. Usually, we bundle up and still freeze. Our little one gets tired and we have to carry him out (zoo isn't very wagon friendly). Drive thru, we stayed nice and warm and our little one was able to excitedly take in all the lights! We pre-bought an elephant ear, popped our own corn and made hot chocolate at home. This drive-thru experience offered all the pluses of previous years zoolights with NONE of the negatives. I hope this continues on in years to come! Thank you Oregon Zoo!!! We had a magical experience. read more

This is a cute event for the holidays. I'm normally not a fan of going to the zoo, and I was worried that the large crowds (and tons of kids) would be too much for me to handle. However, I'm glad that I was able to experience ZooLights. I probably won't go to this again, but it's definitely worth checking out as a quintessential Portland experience. I recommend taking public transit. The max from downtown takes you right to the zoo and was much easier than trying to find parking at the zoo itself. The lights were really impressive. It felt special and warmed my heart. I was able to spend quality time with my boyfriend and his parent for the holidays. I especially loved the tunnel of lights and the mural at the end. The crowd also wasn't that bad - it was only stressful at the ticket counter, but there's a lot of room to roam around once you're in the zoo. I recommend getting there early (around 6 pm), as the line wasn't that bad on the Saturday before Christmas (23rd). Finally, dress really, really warm. I was wearing tights with long johns and high socks, a long sleeved shirt, a down coat, and gloves...and I was still freezing. read more

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**This is for BrewLights, I guess Yelp decided that didn't deserve it's own listing!** Well, that was a shit show. I knew it'd be busy since it sold out but apparently the Zoo, despite knowing how many tickets they sold, DID NOT. As OMSI learned long ago, adults love to do the no-kid, drink where you normally can't thing. The most flawless part of the whole thing was getting in. We showed up around 6:30 to lines. And lines upon lines. Of the 7 areas that had drinks, the lines snaked around for ages. It was like Disneyland, but less fun. Trying to find the end of the lines itself was a hassle, and figuring out what line you were in? A gamble. We didn't even bother with food but those lines were cray cray too. The pamphlet of what beers were where was 90% wrong. Most beer stations ran out of beer before 8:30, for an event that ran until 10pm. We did zero tasting, just got full beers because it wasn't worth it with the lines. The band they had was pretty rockin' by the Insect house. Before you say "It was their first year!", listen to this. The Zoo does a TON of events. They used to host Zoo Brew, which was fantastic. THIS IS THE SAME THING. If they chose to do it again, it needs massive improvement. More beer options and more spread out. Cramming people into little spaces is asking for disaster. Clear areas for lines. Better organization and management overall. Get your act together, Zoo. read more

Reserved tickets but there is no parking. Why did they sell the tickets? One way and not accessible. Pretty much one of the least attractive zoos in the nation. read more

So went to the Oregon zoo lights tonight they were completely overpriced didn't see a single animal and they've absolutely destroyed what used to be a good memory of mine growing up as a child it was nothing more than a giant placed for parents with kids to get drunk booze at every stand and overprice food this was a complete waste of money and I'll never do it again not even sure if I would go to the zoo during the day because from what I could tell they've ruined everything I felt more like I was at the Tillamook cheese factory doing a tour giant buildings with the inner workings of the water pump system station not really a zoo to me it really sucked and I'd like a refund but I doubt that will happen read more

Since it has been an unseasonably dry winter in Oregon we decided to venture to ZooLights with our almost 3 year old. We are members and this seasonal perk is included with membership. We came early at 4pm although ZooLights does not technically start until 5. The lot was about 1/2 full on a weekday. This was our 2nd trip to ZooLights, 3 years prior we went with friends on a weekend and the crowds and lines were horrible- which I do not recommend so a weekday is preferable. I have a few gripes though. Most of the food booths were closed, and so was the beer cart until well after 5- when I know I've had beer there on a weekday morning. So it's not like I come to the Zoo for beer, but let's be honest Koi Fusion and beer is a perk. So I was bummed that I was not able to partake in either. The lights are pretty but the loop without tons of pedestrians for us was pretty quick. Will I shlep my kid there next year? Probably not. Should you if you have never gone and have a child who is old enough to enjoy it? Probably. read more

The zoo lights is outdated in terms of the lights for the price. I highly recommend trying to go on a value night and taking the max because parking is absolutely terrible. The concession stands are also very expensive and the lines are extremely long. I read another review where they stated the people were very rude and I agree with that. Lots of families with kids weren't mindful of others at all and I found it a bit frustrating. All in all, the real reason I gave zoo lights a 2/5 is because the price is so high and they don't seem to try and improve the event. I've been going for years and it's been the same thing for far too long. read more

The price you pay youd think you would get to see everything but you don't even at the regular zoo you don't get to see much let alone zoolights. It is pretty and we did enjoy it a bit just really not worth the money to get so little read more

So based on the other reviews here, I'd say if you don't like crowds, definitely go on a value night when crowds are thinner. We did just that, got there very early, found plenty of parking, a tiny line to buy tickets, and no big crowds for the first 2 hours. Guests were really nice/polite, and it's probably the event with the prettiest lights and seasonal photo ops in the area. What the event lacks is more seasonal holiday entertainment, but there was a small stage with kids singing carols, which was sweet (as long as you're not a total Grinch and hate kids or something). Most of the animals were surprisingly awake (albeit sleepy), and we originally didn't expect to see any, so that was cool. The bats were super active -- definitely a highligdeht. The event also is not Christmas specific. The carols were more like "frosty the snowman', etc., and no traditional Christmas-decked trees or displays that I noticed. This was a nice change and felt more inclusive of various beliefs, which i appreciated. If you want the other stuff, the grotto is probably your jam. I think cynical folks won't like this event at all since it's straight-up mainstream. And usually those people also hate crowds, which I get. You're trying to see, and you can't cuz other humans exist and they also want to see. Not an issue for us though as it was relatively empty for at least half our time there, then only moderately busy in some spots. Going once every few years is probably enough for me. Again, if you even small crowds, avoid this altogether, or go early, like really early, and (based on other reviews) just avoid weekends. The website said it gets less crowded at 7:30, but it wasn't the case for us -- that's when we actually saw the most people, but nothing unbearable. We also saw a lot of crowd diversity, which was nice to see. A lot of folks go to this event with their families because it's cute, not some hellish nightmare, like other reviews made it sound. My other recommendations are to bring a decent night camera, and dress much warmer than you think you need. With many layers, we felt the cold at 35 degrees with little wind, and needed to defrost indoors a few times. I saw 20 year old guys wishing they'd "not been too cool" to wear their thick coat, having to wear a fuzzy blanket instead (yes, like mortified grandmas). My husband and I stayed almost 3 hours and I was shocked that he actually enjoyed it! Folks who probably won't like this event: High maintenance/sky-high expectations, embittered or hates everything, hates guano, agoraphobic, claustrophobic, fear of or disdain for cute children, teens who compulsively roll their eyes, those not easily amused (it's just lights and a few animals people), those who hate the song from Frozen (heard it 3 times, ugh!), and those without sufficiently warm clothes, and those lacking any patience with zero chill. Everyone else, enjoy! read more

Oregon ZooLights - Zoos Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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One of my favorite Portland experiences. Completely safe and secure in our car, driving through a mesmerizing path of really beautiful light setups. My 12-month-old niece definitely was dazzled by all the animals and animated lights. read more

Overall we had an OK experience. We parked at Sunset station Max and rode one stop to the zoo- easy peasy. We were able to skip any lines by buying tix ahead of time (including zoo train). TBH after we took our train ride we didn't stay that much longer- it was VERY cold. Pro tip: if you need to defrost the insect display is open and warm inside. There is ONE cafe open and a line that stretches forever- I would recommend bringing your own hot chocolate in a thermos or snacks. As an adult it was not as spectacular but my 1 year old loved it! read more