BILLINGS — If you're looking for a festive way to usher in the holiday spirit, you might want to plan a visit to ZooMontana. USA Today named this year's light display at the zoo one of the top 10 zoo displays in the nation.
From castles to reindeer, more than 15 million glittering lights are part of the displays that crews have been constructing since September. Now in its second year, Holiday Nights is a private vendor that contracts with ZooMontana to put up the bright displays. Twenty of those displays are new from last year.
“There's the large Christmas tree, there's s'mores tents, there's just so many more trees that are lit up this year," said Janese Carstens, event director of Holiday Nights at ZooMontana. "It's averaging about 45 to 50 minutes for people to go around, have a beverage, go into the pavilion for some food and drink, do the hidden holiday hunt, which is geared towards grade school age.”
Holiday Nights is open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday to Sundays through Christmas Eve, then will be open nightly Dec. 26 through Jan. 1.
Back this year by popular demand is the Holiday Nights Drive Thru (known locally as Zoo Lights) which will be open Dec. 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. $10/car $20/per bus/camper/trailer.
Prices to get into Holiday Nights this year: Child 0-3 Free, Child 4-12 $10, Adult +13 $20. Both adult and child prices decreased from 2022.
New this year, they also have family and adult ticket packages, which have bundled savings.
Santa makes a nightly appearance and other activities include a scavenger hunt for kids, sugar cookie decorating, and more.
More information can be found here: https://www.holiday-nights.com/
