Christmas at the Zoo

The lights are very pretty throughout the park. However, if you are expecting to have a «zoo experience» during Christmas at the zoo, then you really are going to be left unsatisfied.
The Dolphin show was like the normal dolphin shows, which is fine, but it was so terribly crowded that many had to sit in the splash zones. Since it’s December, of course everyone was wearing winter clothes at the dolphin show. I witnessed some poor woman holding her child get hit by two bucketfulls of water. While it appeared that the dolphins did less of the «splash» moves, the fact that they did any next to the window during Christmas at the zoo just seemed like really poor planning. I don’t think anyone at the show was hoping to get wet.
The Desert was dark and vacant minus a few lizards and huge crowds of people, the orangutans were nowhere to be found and the plains were closed.
Overall I was pretty disappointed in my visit. The only time that I would recommend going to Christmas at the zoo is if you can find a time to go when the volume of people is not as crazy as it was when I went (~6 pm, Monday, December 21).

«City sidewalks, busy sidewalks…»
You can’t help but feel in the Christmas spirit after strolling through the zoo amongst the plethora of Christmas lights. I mean, the lights are EVERYWHERE. This would be a great place for a romantic date night, with a mug of hot cocoa and a light snowfall *sigh*. Also there are carolers by fire pits which makes for a grand ol’ (and warm) time.
Included in your admission is White River Gardens, which is where SANTA is. There was no wait to grab a picture with Santa when I went. Side note, I love the entryway for that building — extremely high ceiling with Sistine Chapel-​esque paintings that you crane your neck to look at. Not to mention the beautiful Xmas tree!
I went on a Thursday night and there were not as many people there as I anticipated (though there were a handful of screaming children…).
I flipped out when I saw there was a special reindeer showing right inside the gates. You can’t pet her & her little baby but you can get within a couple feet. A nice zoo employee answered all my random questions about reindeer (fun facts: they don’t handle anesthesia well and the only live to be about 15 years old).
On my visit, I went to the Oceans, Desert, Orangutan center, Forests, and dolphin pavilion. The Plains are not open for Christmas at the Zoo, which is a bummer since that’s a large part of the zoo. It’s also hard to see inside some of the outdoor exhibits because, well, it’s dark out. And not every animal is out, or they’re not doing something very exciting. Like, the orangutans were sleeping and were curled up in a corner so you couldn’t really see them.
The highlight for me was the dolphin pavilion because for once it wasn’t crowded at all and it was just me and my friends. We sat in the underwater bubble while a dolphin show went on, which was a fun perspective and we got neat pictures.
*I wish I had gone on the train ride through the Plains, because I think there are more Xmas lights to be seen. However, the ticket booth was closed so I couldn’t figure out how we could go on it…
I would advise going on a lower traffic day so there aren’t very many people and the prices are lower. You don’t get as much out of the experience since there aren’t a lot of animals out and the plains are closed. But, I enjoyed strolling through the park after dark and admiring the Christmas lights!

This is one of my favorite double date spots in the winter. It is so hard to find things outside that are not miserable. Just as you start to get really cold here, you can hit the desert or the oceans exhibits and warm up. Funny enough, I do not think of this as a kid friendly event. Unless you can go on a really mild night, it is just too cold. But it is fun to go with adults, grab a hot chocolate, and wander around looking at the lights. Yes, it is pricey, but the zoo is self sustaining, so I am ok with paying a bit more. Plus, it includes admission to White River Gardens next door, so there is plenty of entertainment for your buck.

I’ve grown up going to the Zoo but I was not impressed by the Christmas at the Zoo. It was fun to come at dark but it seems like they try to hard to sell things and it’s very overpriced. I was disappointed the Plains area was closed so that left deserts, forest, and oceans… plus the few other outdoor such as the orangutans. We went through the zoo in about an hour and I’m glad we got free tickets to go. Maybe it’s because we don’t have children.Idk. I just wasn’t impressed and felt like it could’ve been better…

I’ve lived in Indianapolis for 4 years now, and I can’t believe I never made it over to the Indianapolis Zoo. This is a holiday must for both locals and visitors — do yourself a favor and check out Christmas at the Zoo!
This event really has something for everyone. Go when it’s darker outside so you can see all the pretty lights! The entire place is decked out for the holiday season. Reindeer greet you upon walking through the entrance, and festive décor lights up the entire premises. My classmates and I loved strolling from one exhibit to the next, and we especially loved being able to take a class photo with Santa!
The zoo staff was extremely informative and friendly — we were there pretty late at night, but were still able to see a lot of the animals.
I definitely recommend paying the zoo a visit this Christmas season, you’ll be glad you did!

I was so excited to find out that my new company was having our Christmas party at the zoo. We had our reception in the dolphin pavilion and also had our dolphin show tickets paid for.
The lights all around the zoo were beautifully set and the food (I think the zoo has a contracted catering service) was surprisingly fantastic. However the dolphin was not so great. But all the children certainly enjoyed it and that’s all the counts.
I look forward to our next Christmas party here!

I Love the Indianapolis Zoo and Christmas at the Zoo is just a bonus!!!
There are beautiful light all over the zoo. My favorite are the trees that look like there are a million lights on them.
All of the zoo is open but the plains. So you will not be able to see any of the animals back there.
Hope we have more warmer weekends so we can go back more.

Great experience. we loved to go check out the lights with our little one. But, WOW, was it packed! More people than I ever would have expected. There were a lot of exhibits closed/​under construction.
We did get to see the polar bear though, so that was a plus

I think I’m fortunate to live in a city with a pretty amazing zoo. Unlike other cities I’ve been to, the zoo here is always growing and expanding, and the animals seem to be well taken care of. The Indianapolis Zoo has been selected over and over again to provide a home for animals from around the world, and I think that says a lot about how the animals are cared for.
The Zoo has many special events throughout the year, but my favorite is Christmas at the Zoo. I’m here every year gazing up at the colored LED Christmas lights like a little kid, memorized by the displays set to music and warming my hands around a fire while drinking hot cocoa.
Some items of note:
–The concession stands sell a $ 7 «cup of cheer». I felt I was cheerful enough and opted for the $ 3 hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows. This made my wallet cheerful too.
–If you want to see the dolphin show, get a ticket when you pay your admission (it’s free and lasts about 20 minutes, but seating is limited) and get to the dolphin pavilion about 25 minutes early to get a seat. Carting kids with you? Pay attention to the stroller parking section just before you go into the pavilion. Don’t be one of those people trying to bring it in… It’ll just be annoying.
–Desert pavilion is closed. This means no Meer cats. I know. I was sad too.
–Dress warmly. It’s December in Indianapolis, and it gets quite nippy outside once the sun goes down. Scarves and gloves are suggested.
–Admission to the zoo also includes Santa’s workshop at White River State Park. Make sure you check it out before you head out.

Nothing makes me more holly and jolly than rolling into the nearly vacant zoo at 4:30 in the afternoon and being able to to view all the exhibits and pet the sharks without being rolled over by strollers full of children! Of course, it was pretty chilly the Saturday following Thanksgiving so I can’t imagine it’s always nearly empty!
The real highlight of Christmas at the Zoo are the amazing light displays. Want to see your favorite animal as a light display (and possibly wearing a Santa hat)? Well, by golly, they are bound to have it! Aside from the awesome lights, there are seasonal treats that can be purchased like hot chocolate and cookies. You can visit with Santa and have a family photo op in Santa’s sleigh at several locations within the zoo. A little chilly? Step up to the cozy fires and warm up your hands before you make your way to the Christmas dolphin show. The gift shop has a variety of seasonal gifts, such as ornaments and candy/​chocolate. White River Gardens has been transformed into Santa’s Workshop with cookie decorating, visiting with Santa, and a scavenger hunt! They also have an awesomely huge tree as soon as you walk in that is perfect for photo ops of all kinds! Overall, a great way to get into the holiday spirit and you don’t even have to be a kiddo! After all, my sister and I are well into adulthood and found the light displays pretty amazing and managed to make a freezing cold evening a lot of fun!

A premier event at the Zoo. Everything is decorated in lights and is very elegantly done. Many animals are already in for the night, but some who like the cold are out.
The main attractions, besides the pretty lights, are the bonfire by the treat station and «Santa’s Workshop» in the pavilion. The bonfire is not a huge affair, but more like a campfire. It’s proximity to the shop with hot chocolate and treats makes for nice halfway point in the cold zoo. Santa’s Workshop has more refreshments, but it is indoors. There are complimentary cookie decorating stations with red, green, and white icing and sprinkles available with the purchase of a sugar cookie. There is a small gift shop kiosk, tables to relax, and last, but certainly not least, Santa there to ask the kids if they’ve been naughty or nice.
There is also a special Christmas show at the Dolphin Pavilion and the outdoor carousel still operates and plays Christmas music. If you go during the day, there are animal shows that go on at specified times, but the Zoo doesn’t open until noon during almost all of December. On those days, it is open until 9pm. If you have never been to the Indianapolis Zoo, before it is definitely worth your while to check out Christmas at the Zoo one evening!