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Winner of Best Zoo Lights in USA Today’s 2024 10Best poll 

CINCINNATI (December 6, 2024) –  USA TODAY’s 10Best editors announced this morning that Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s PNC Festival of Lights took the top spot in the Best Zoo Lights category in its 2024 Readers’ Choice poll! It is the seventh consecutive year that the readers have voted Cincinnati Zoo #1 in this category.   

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“We are thrilled that so many people voted for us and that visitors come back year after year,” said Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard. “This is the 42nd year that we’ve hosted one of Cincinnati’s favorite holiday traditions, and I think it gets better every year.  With the expanded footprint of the Zoo, that now includes Elephant Trek, we hung a record number of lights since August.  Five million LED lights!”  

In addition to having more room to roam and more lights to see, the Zoo has added dozens more lifelike animal lanterns, more photo ops, and a completely new light show on Swan Lake.  Download the Zoo’s new mobile app to plan your visit and navigate the park.  Turn on notifications to be alerted when the Madcap Puppets Show, sponsored by Cintas, and other activities are about to start. 

The lights are the main attraction during PNC Festival of Lights.  Zoo animals usually head indoors around 5pm, so visitors coming to see animals should arrive earlier in the day or visit indoor habitats such as World of the Insect, Night Hunters, Manatee Springs, Reptile House, Gorilla World, Dragons, Jungle Trails West, and Discovery Forest. 

Santa will be available for visits and photos in the spectacular Santa’s Village, starting at 4 p.m. daily. New this year – reservations for Santa visits (including a digital photo package) can be made in advance.  As part of the Zoo’s Access for All program, Sensory-Friendly Santa visits, sponsored by Macy’s, are being offered and social narratives are available. The popular, all electric, North Polar Express Train, sponsored by Huntington Bank, will start running at 2:30 p.m. daily.  It will chug through a longer-than-ever light tunnel to make your ride extra bright! 

Save time and money by purchasing tickets online before you visit.  Prices for traditionally lower traffic nights, such as Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, will be as much as half less than those purchased for the most popular nights.  Prices will go up based on demand for certain nights, so buy early to get the best rate. Memberships are on sale now and are a great value if you want to enjoy the Zoo year-round or visit PNC Festival of Lights more than once.   

Zoo Hours November 21, 2024 – January 5, 2025 

• Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 9pm 

• Friday – Saturday – 10am – 10pm 

• December 20-31: 10am-10pm 

Schedule at a Glance: 

• Zoo opens daily at 10am 

• Come early to see animals outside, weather permitting 

• North Polar Express train ride begins at 2:30pm 

• Activities, including visits with Santa, begin daily at 4pm (New this year – reserve your spot) 

• Dec. 23rd is the last night to visit with Santa 

• The Zoo is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas 

PNC Festival of Lights is included in Zoo admission. For more event information, visit CincinnatiZoo.org.