Oregon Zoo ZooLights Show Is Back And Open For The Season

PORTLAND, OR – There is a one definite advantage to the fact that it's getting dark earlier and earlier. You don't have to wait until late at night to go see the ZooLights exhibit at the Oregon Zoo.

The holiday season mainstay opened for its 31st season on Wednesday, Nov. 21.

The zoo says that this year's exhibit features more than 1.6 million colored lights forming scenes of lighted trees and life-size animal silhouettes.

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As the light show has become more extravagant, so have the crowds.

More than 1 million people have come headed to the zoo for the show over the past five years.

"Attendance has been off the charts the past several years," the zoo's guest services manager, Ivan Ratcliff, says.

Ratcliff says that the busiest hours are between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. so you might want to plan appropriately.

He adds that if you can, consider taking MAX or even Lyft or Uber.He says that the parking lot fills up early.

"MAX is a great way to get to the zoo," he says.

Other tips that he offers is buying your tickets online at oregonzoo.com/zoolights and remembering that while the ZooLights train is a favorite, it's not all about the train with about 90 percent of the lights set up along the walking paths.

The lights remain up through January 5. The only days that the lights are not on are Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.

The zoo also offers several value nights where tickets are discounted. You can find more information here.

Photo via Oregon Zoo.