In my house, we have a lot of Christmas traditions; secret santa, gambling, and opening presents together under the tree, you know, the usual. But my favorite tradition is going to ZooLights. Every year, the Oregon Zoo decorates its grounds with Christmas lights of every color. From a lit up rainbow tunnel, to the lights set to music, the Oregon Zoo goes all out for this annual event. The dazzling display of lights make up for the fact that you don’t really see many animals at night. I guess even polar bears have bedtimes. 

My family has had a zoo membership for as long as I can remember. We started going to ZooLights when I was one, all the way back in 2012. We’ve gone almost every year since (stupid Covid!) It’s really cool to go to the zoo when it’s dark outside, plus at ZooLights, you get to walk through places you don’t normally see during the day. 

Another thing the ZooLights has that the regular daytime zoo normally doesn’t is hot cocoa! My family usually brings our own cocoa, because the zoo’s hot cocoa is too hot and overprized (I burnt my tongue once). Something we can always get at the zoo is Elephant Ears. They taste like churros, but in the shape of a giant, flat pancake.

Some other awesome attractions that my family loves are the carousel, the Magical Meadow, and my personal favorite, the Washington Park and Zoo Railway. You see, the Oregon Zoo used to be called Washington Park Zoo because it’s located near Washington Park. But too many people got confused and thought that it was in Washington state, so they changed the name to the Oregon Zoo. Then, in 1958, they built a little train and railroad that went from Washington Park to the zoo. Sadly, in 2013, the historical railway was closed and a shorter railway through the zoo was added. “The original Zooliner went to the Washington Park Rose Garden,” says Annie Lund, my mom. “I loved getting off and having a picnic there before returning to the zoo. The new one is way too short for the price.” It’s still super fun though! The “Zooliner” starts near the tiger habitat, goes through multiple areas of the zoo, and finishes at the end of a long tunnel. 

I have so many wonderful memories at the Oregon Zoo and ZooLights. I started out just going with my parents, but now my aunt, my little cousin, Opal, and my grandma come, too. “The part I like most about ZooLights is having focused time with my family,” says Lund. Going to ZooLights has become a longstanding holiday tradition in my family, and I can’t wait to go this year. 

Sources: 

• ZooLights. (n.d.). Oregon Zoo. https://www.oregonzoo.org/lights 

• Goeddel, K. (2024, May 30). Save the Washington Park and Zoo Railway Rose Garden  Loop. https://www.change.org/p/save-the-washington-park-and-zoo-railway 

Picture Credit:

• News Staff. (2023, November 20). Oregon Zoo opens sales for Zoo Lights winter extravaganza.KTVL.https://ktvl.com/news/local/oregon-zoo-opens-sales-for-zoo-lights-winter-extravaganza 

• Annielaurie Lund

• Luan Nguyen