Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    ZooLights

    3.5 (112 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Services - ZooLights

    Venue rental

    ZooLights Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - ZooLights

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Munsa M.

    Came here with friends and we loved it!! I love how there different themes for each if the park sections and my favorite was the Sakura cherry blossoms at the end!! It wasn't too crowded when we went and we loved getting all the snacks along the way!!

    Jen J.

    Wow, the zoo has upped their game this year! The light displays were amazing and totally worth the $6 entrance fee per person. Get your tix ahead of time--when we arrived, we were glad that we had reserved them as they were sold out. The paper lantern style scenes arranged according to the different habitats of the creatures (sea, grasslands, arctic, desert) was a cute idea. Everyone, including us adults, were super impressed. There was even "snow" in the arctic! My only complaint was the long lines for the food/drink vendors.

    Kwame S.

    Unfortunately, I left ZooLights underwhelmed. There was a decent attempt for this experience, but I think the execution could have been better. For two adults, I think it took us about 30 minutes to walk through the display of lights. I'm not too familiar with the zoo, but I think the lights display should have been organized in a loop. In its current format, it's more or less an in-and-out tour, so you see the same things going out as you go in. Yes, many trees were lit, but I didn't really have a festive experience during our visit. To be frank, I've seen better display of holiday lights in local neighborhoods. For instance, there really wasn't any music or things to remind you of the holidays (e.g. Santa, reindeer, snowmen, a menorah, etc.). Since the entry tickets were only $6, I was not too annoyed. However, I would have been very annoyed had I paid for parking, which was $30. Tip: If you have to drive to the zoo and do not have a lot of things to carry around (e.g., kids, strollers, bags, yourself, etc.), I highly recommend finding street parking nearby and walking to the zoo because the $30 parking definitely is not worth it.

    Crystal G.

    If you happen to be in DC during the Thanksgiving- Christmas holiday season you might want to check out Zoo Lights at the Smithsonian zoo. Like all museums in DC you need to plan ahead and book yourself some tickets. It is an easy stroll through the zoo with gorgeous displays of light up animals. Tickets for the event are well worth the few dollar per person. Pls note that you do not get admission to the zoo since this is in the evening. There are even beverage carts located throughout the walk so you can enjoy your festive walk with some holiday cheer.

    Maria L.

    The Zoolights are always a nice way to catch up with a friend while enjoying a good walk! Remember, you gotta come back up the hill too!! Along your path, you can buy refreshments-- hot chocolate was just what I needed! If you want booze, there is also an adult beverage truck! If you're going any time soon-- bring gloves and a hat!! It was chilly on Monday!!! :)

    Time stamp of my carasel photo.
    Tiffanie S.

    I have a very sad kiddo tonight. We attended zoo lights at the national zoo from 2014-2019. It was amazing! Lots of music, games, slides, a train and best of all (for animal lovers like my kiddo) the indoor animal houses were open for visiting at night when many nocturnal animals were more active. This year was our first year back since covid and there was nothing. No slides, no crafts or games. They closed the carousel down prior to 8:45 (time posted). The event was supposed to go til 9pm but everything was closed by 8:30 and by 8:45 there were cops driving through the zoo with a megaphone telling people to head toward the exits. And worst of all, every animal house, exhibit and trail was closed down. You literally saw zero real animals. I am not saying this to rant. I am hoping to avoid another mom having a super sad kiddo by making people aware that zoo lights has changed and is not worth the hike if you don't live in the city.

    Front
    Leah C.

    Was this THE best light display I've ever seen? No. There are certainly places where I wish there were more trees covered in lights, and flashier decor. You have to remember, though, that this is a FREE event in an otherwise very expensive city. I enjoyed the zoo-themed lights and would happily come again. I spent about 1-1.5 hours moseying about and think that's a reasonable amount of time to expect to spend. There are some boozy drinks available for purchase. I got the bourbon apple cider and it was lukewarm, $15, and not very strong. I wish I had held out for the boozy hot cocoa, which uses a salted caramel liquor and is located near the red panda lights display (before the ropes the monkeys climb during the day).

    Food court croc
    Paola A.

    Super cute experience! Came here with my 3 year old and parents (whom are senior citizens) and they had a blast! We entered through the back to which they had a workshop for kids with a mad scientists and a 360 Photo Booth?! Amazing. We spend a solid hour in there making Christmas cards and staying warm. We then headed to the Mary-go-round which never disappoints! It was $4 a person...an amazing price. The cocktail drinks they had were delicious. I got the spiked hot chocolate and my son got the regular. It was pretty tasty, however we also tried the hot chocolate from the non vendors and I do not recommend those. I recommend going to the vendors in front of the elephant exhibit. Food court food was the same, they didn't have any different food choices only drinks. But overall, you can never go wrong with pizza and a hotdog at the zoo!

    Song Y.

    Very nice FREE event for kids and adults alike. You can spend a nice hour or two strolling through the park and enjoy the many light displays, sip on some hot beverages, and listen to some live music too! As of December 2022 they are doing timed entry tickets so reserve them in advance. If you don't want to pay for on-site parking then look for free street parking in the neighborhoods nearby. We found one within about 5 minutes and just a few minutes walk away. There are a few spots in the zoo with bright overhead lights you can use for selfie photos where you can see yourselves and the background lights.

    Donyiel C.

    Finally made it to Zoolights! I've been wanting to check this place out every holiday season. I haven't been to the zoo in many many years! This event is free and is suitable for adults and children! The closest metro station is the Woodley Park station, but it's still a good 10 minute walk or so. Prior to coming to the event, I met up with a friend to do happy hour. I'd recommend getting a drink before or after the event - just to make it a bit more fun and also explore the Woodley Park area. I came on a Tuesday evening so it wasn't too crowded, but I'm sure on weekends it's packed. I really enjoyed the environmentally friendly LED light displays, the live music and holiday treats! After about 30 mintues, I felt I saw all I needed to see. I was able to snap some cool pictures and I enjoyed myself. I'll be back next year.

    Melissa N.

    Oh, it's a shame that so many people are criticizing this event. Yes, it is a small event, but it is pretty and it is free! And free is great, considering how expensive DC is. It might not be over the top, but it is pleasant and festive. Children seem to love it. So if you have kids, definitely bring them here. I personally love all the animal themed colorful lights. The animal exhibits are closed. You know, animals need their peace and quiet too. I recommend visting on a weekday. I went on an extremely cold Wednesday night; it was deserted. I heard it gets crowded during the weekends. Try to use public transportation or Uber because parking is not easy around this area. The only thing I did not like was the Gingerbread house. I was expecting a gingerbread house, instead there were just a few props around. There are multiple vendors. I wasn't interested in buying anything, but I am sure they sell at festival prices. There were some rides like a merry go round and a cute trolley. Rides are not free. 4 stars. It's a cute event where you just walk along the main path looking at the sparkly lights.

    Sally W.

    Zoo lights used to be so much better! What happened to it this year? Not nearly as many lights set up throughout the park and it looks like they've taken out the big slide. In general, it's still great to be able to enjoy the zoo after hours. There's still enough lights and music to get into the holiday spirit, but in years past, it was always a much bigger setup. Pro-tip: Bring your own hot chocolate or grab a hot drink from Starbucks across the street before strolling through the zoo. Have fun!!

    Aarti B.

    I love ZooLights - it's free and a winter wonderland of dazzling lights! Hard not to give 5 stars. I spent an hour walking down the hill mesmerized by the rainbow sea of colors. The light and music synchronized display at the end (near the train) is my favorite and impresses me every time with different beats and lights. I was a bit disappointed with the Gingerbread Village, it's a cheap display and not worth the walk in the cold. Although I didn't go on the train ride, I haven't heard good things about it. The deliciously pungent smell of fried oreos and grilled cheese from the food vendors is alluring. I was tempted to spend $9 on a s'mores kit and roast marshmallows at the firepits. Next year - I'll bring my own kit :) Parking is a bit pricey at $25, so I recommend taking the metro or Uber. Although it can be a bit crowded with some elbow bumping, the lights are spectacular and worth checking out! Recommend going on the last day when the crowds die out on Jan 1st or the weekdays.

    During the day

    See all

    4 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kwame S.
    453
    1717
    2340

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Melissa N.
    2741
    1165
    6752

    8 years ago

    Helpful 17
    Thanks 0
    Love this 12
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of John C.
    1656
    2648
    16229

    7 years ago

    Helpful 22
    Thanks 0
    Love this 30
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alex N.
    330
    549
    3445

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Marc M.
    318
    941
    4161

    16 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Becky N.
    82
    14
    34

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 0
    Love this 28
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 14
    Thanks 0
    Love this 12
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hu K.
    333
    1260
    2837

    16 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pegah Y.
    1557
    2610
    8342

    13 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - ZooLights

    Is this event free and do I need to rspv or can I just go directly?

    Free and no reservation needed! Just head on over! If you arrive via metro, there's shuttles from woodley park metro station to the zoo

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - ZooLights

    Despite Living Socials ridiculous fine print, I and my group finally made it ZooLights this past Sunday.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Zoos 776 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - She's looking right at me... it's a she, I peeked

    Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

    (1.4k reviews)

    Had a wonderful time here. This was the top museum we wanted to visit on our trip to DC. I could…read morehave stayed and wandered for hours, but I let my kids lead the way. Some of the things I thought for sure they would love, were not a hit as I had expected: namely dinosaur bones and the animal displays- but it was also very crowded and a lot to take in. Every where we turned there was more info, more interesting things to see- beautiful, fascinating, interesting- but I think it can be overwhelming- it is almost too much, if that is possible! We had to pace ourselves. A museum is designed for all ages in mind, so it is difficult to know what exhibits will appeal to whom. The part my kids loved the most was the live bug displays. So many species, and so fun to try to find each creature. We stayed here a long time. The exhbits are built with children in mind, many at eye level for little ones. The exhibits with glow in the dark species were so fun! I had to block the way at the end of the exhibit so they didn't move into the mummy section, as just seeing the hint of this display really scared them. I had a blast in the gems section, but my kids were not as excited about this section as I had hoped. We had to take breaks by going to the eatery on site, perusing the gift shop (I let them fill a bag of gems, which was incredibly exciting for them!), and chill out watching a documentary in a screening area.

    What a great museum! How can you not love going here? I didn't have time to read a lot or explore…read moretoo many things in detail, but walking through, I could tell I wanted to come back. It has a decent layout and the maps guide you to the various areas nicely. Obviously dinosaurs are cool and prevalent in any Natural History museum. But they had lots of other cool things too. Probably the biggest draw is the Hope Diamond... It's big and beautiful diamond (BBD) and just something you should check out if you're here. This is one of the more popular of the museums straddling the National Mall, so plan accordingly if you want to get in and spend more time exploring. The crowds can get a little crazy. I got there at 3p and there was a line to get in.

    National Cherry Blossom Festival

    National Cherry Blossom Festival

    (196 reviews)

    The DC Cherry Blossom Bus Tour with Tidal Basin Guided Walk…read more I've been a resident of the DMV for 15 years and welcome the opportunity to show the highlights of D.C. when members of my family come for a visit. My sister Mary lives in Delaware and had long wanted to experience the color and drama of the Cherry Blossom Festival. These visits can be frustrating - we never really know when the blossoms will be in full bloom, and how long they'll be pretty and photogenic. This year (2026) was no different. The DC Cherry Blossom Tour, hosted by USA Guided Tours, was our go-to provider for this outing. After I ordered our tickets for a mid-week 10 a.m. four-hour tour, I received a prompt acknowledgement from TripAdvisor that the reservations were ready. I made the reservation just a few days earlier, so it was great to see the email that acknowledged our tickets and told us where to go to join the tour. The logistics involved in getting to the correct bus were easy: my sister and I showed up at the Navy Memorial, across the street from the National Archives (which is on the Yellow line Metro). A tour representative was already there and did a great job of getting us into the proper queue for our tour (USA Tours had four different tours departing that morning). The tickets were scanned and we were on our way, right on time. Highlights of the tour included walking through the cherry trees with abundant blossoms, photographers everywhere, and really pretty expressions of an early summer day in the District. We could see across the tidal basin to the impressive carved statue of Martin Luther King, Jr., which we headed to after spending the first walking excursion in the tidal basin and then the FDR Memorial. Our guide did an outstanding job of providing backstories and context to the places we visited, including the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memoria. We had ample opportunities to stretch our legs, take free bottles of water, and use restroom facilities (as the bus did not have one on board). Both driver and guide handled their responsibilities very well, and we all had an excellent opportunity to see the blossoms. And, just as our guide had predicted, a severe thunderstorm rolled through the tidal basin later that day and wiped out 100 percent of the blossoms we enjoyed earlier that day. Luck of the draw!

    It was pretty nice, fun and delightful. The costumes, foods,…read moremusics, colors, products, people, parade... all was really enjoyable! I can't wait for the next year! There is a band consist of Japanese Embassy stuff. They were good! I tried, kimono, hat,... There is a chopstick, origami, fan, anime characters, bowls,...all was from traditional Japan culture... Next year I will get ready with traditional Japan costume and make up!

    Smithsonian - The Wright Brothers..the origin story for this museum

    Smithsonian

    (1.3k reviews)

    I've lived in the area for years but never made it out to this museum. I finally decided to come…read morehere a little early before the Formula 1 movie. There are street parking spaces on one side of the museum, but it'll be tricky to get a spot. They let people in at the top of the hour. You'll scan a barcode at the entrance to get to a website to sign up for free tickets. Then, you get ticket barcodes for them to scan at the entrance. Having been to the Chantilly A&S multiple times, I thought this museum wouldn't be anything new. I'm a little off here. The two A&S museums offer different things. The Chantilly one has a lot of space to house so many more planes. If you want to see the actual planes, Chantilly is the place. It's more complete in my opinion. The DC A&S is more educational. It offers a more complete history of human flight, but not a lot of space to show you that many planes. You'll find all the way from the Wright brothers' beginning, and space explorations to Star Wars X-Wings here. I like seeing the astronaut food section.

    I was raised in the greater DC metropolitan area and began visiting the museum at age eight…read more There have been many changes and updates to the Air and Space Museum, and the hardware is magnificent. I noticed that not one spacecraft -- particularly the robotic -- have a single description of the hardware. Why not? What visitor has looked up at the Mariner or Voyager spacecraft and wondered what the components are. Same for the Martian landers and surface robots. I think the Museum staff is missing the point: it's great to have the machine there, but explain something about its structure and components -- and explain the hardware's purpose. I noticed a lot of young children in the museum. I don't mind them, but the experience is lost on them, too young to understand what they're seeing, or to understand most explanations. I noticed several of them falling down stairs yesterday, unsupervised by the adults with them. Perhaps there should be a lower age limit? (There were no apparent injuries to any of the kids.) Last of all: there is an exhibit about SPEED. Know what populates the exhibit? Cars. Really? How does this apply to an Air and Space museum? Just filling up the space? Don Garlitz and Mario Andretti are no doubt legends in their time, but what does this have to do with aviation or spaceflight? There are dozens -- if not hundreds -- of speed records set in manned aviation and spaceflight: why not have these records posted? This exhibit was exceptionally disappointing. All in all: I think the leaders of the museum have lost their vision.

    ZooLights - zoos - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...