December is a magical time. The semester winds down, friends and family are come home for the holidays and sparkling lights adorn the city. Many people may think of the Temple Square lights when they think of Salt Lake holiday lights, but one of the best places to enjoy an extensive light display, is at Utah’s Hogle Zoo Zoolights.
Every December, Utah’s Hogle Zoo opens up in the evenings to show off a light display worth a walk in the cold. The lights are far from one dimensional and many of the displays move or transform as you look at them. Not surprisingly, the lights boast a zoo theme that includes lots of animals, ranging from peacocks to polar bears.
Though many of the animals are sleeping, or attempting to, a few exhibits are lively at night. The Rocky Shores exhibit on the far end of the zoo should not be missed during a night at Zoolights. The seals and sea lions are quite active at night and can be seen barking, playing and swimming in their aquatic home. This is also a great place for a respite from the cold. There is a heated indoor viewing building where you can linger and enjoy the underwater views while also doing some much needed warming up. You can also check out the small animal house to see some nocturnal animals. Just make sure not to shine any flashlights or flash your cameras or screens at the animals. Also, try to be quiet and considerate to those animals that are sleeping.
Even if you don’t get a glimpse of any of the snoozing animals, the lights themselves are worth the trip. There seems to be no corner left unadorned and the result is magical, festive and novel. It is not often that one gets the opportunity to go to a zoo at night, not to mention one that has been decked out with intriguing light displays. Just outside of the Rocky Shores exhibit, there is a bridge that extends across the way to the Asian Highlands exhibit. The bridge is covered in blinking, moving red and green lights. The effect when one crosses the bridge is trippy and fun. The bridge can get pretty crowded so try to remember to look away from the lights so you don’t crash into and take out a family with their small children. The zoo also sells 3D glasses that make the lights pop out with holographic shapes, if you feel like dropping a few more dollars.
Zoolights is an annual holiday light display that will satisfy your craving for something all-around festive. Zoolights runs until Dec. 31 and is closed on Christmas Day. The gates are open from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday with the grounds closing at 9 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday to Saturday with the grounds closing at 10 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for kids. Check the Hogle Zoo website for more information about events and activities during Zoolights. Grab a friend and head up to the zoo to take a look at some bright lights.
@Unchained116