The holidays aren’t over yet! ZooLights, the Oregon Zoo’s walk-through winter wonderland of more than 1.6 million colored lights, is on for a few more evenings this week following a bright and busy run through November and December.
Visitors can explore the forests of brightly lit trees and dazzling 3-D light sculptures through Saturday, Jan. 5.
“It’s a perfect way to round out the season and get the new year off to a good start,” said guest services manager Ivan Ratcliff, who has worked at the zoo since 1982 and been involved with the light display since its inception 31 years ago. “Now that some of the holiday hustle and bustle has died down, you can enjoy a more leisurely ZooLights experience.”
With four nights still to go, the zoo is having one of its best attendance years ever for ZooLights, with more than 200,000 visits since its Nov. 21 opening.
Parking lots have been filling up quickly, especially on weekends, and the zoo is encouraging visitors to take MAX rather than driving. The zoo is offering a $5 admission discount for visitors who take TriMet (proof of ridership required).
“We hate for people to show up and be disappointed when they can’t park, so we really want to encourage folks to ride MAX,” Ratcliff said. “It’s a great way to get here — the Washington Park stop lets you off just in front of the zoo entrance.”
For those who will be driving, Ratcliff recommends arriving by 4 p.m. or sooner.
For additional transportation options and real-time parking information, visit gettingtozoolights.com. For more info about ZooLights, visit at oregonzoo.org/zoolights.