Holiday Magic marks 45 years of festive fun at Brookfield Zoo Chicago

Holiday Magic celebrates 45 years of making spirits bright at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, as the Chicago area’s longest-running holiday lights festival returns Nov. 21.

The expansive lights festival will run for an extended 32 nights, with three extra dates added this year that give guests opportunities to visit in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

Guests can see the zoo transform into an illuminated masterpiece, featuring bigger and brighter light displays and festive experiences. Holiday Magic will come to life in a new way this season through the holiday movie “Christmas at the Zoo,” available on streaming services Nov. 10. Plus, guests can vote in USA Today 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards for the Best Zoo Lights now through Nov. 30.

“For 45 years, Holiday Magic has been an iconic part of how Chicagoans experience the holiday season,” said Katie Back, associate vice president of marketing at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. “This year, we’re bringing even more holiday wonder to the zoo as guests explore more than 1,000 illuminated trees, get lost in an expanded light-up maze and enjoy whimsical-themed areas. We hope guests of all ages join us to frolic through the lights, sip some hot cocoa and feel like a kid again while making memories together and supporting the animals that make Brookfield Zoo Chicago so special.”

Holiday Magic is an invitation to step into a world of holiday wonder with over 3.5 million lights illuminating zoo grounds. Guests can’t help but stop and marvel at the festive displays, photos opportunities and new experiences around every corner.

Stroll through Candy Cane Lane and Sweet Street, challenge your family and friends to a festive game of tic-tac-toe and browse the Holiday Market! See The Living Coast transformed into the Sparkling Coast with dazzling under-the-sea-themed decorations and experience the magic of FlaminGLOW Forest.

Guests can capture holiday memories with festive photo-ops featuring the Gingerbread House, Giant Snowman and more. Plus, explore the returning illuminated maze, now twice as big and stretching 100 feet long.

Over in Hamill Family Nature Plaza, turn up the holiday cheer with a new throwback-inspired display complete with a boom box, cassette player, headphones and Santa who is ready to rock around the Christmas tree. It's the perfect spot for kids to show off their dance moves and groove to the holiday spirit!

Beloved Holiday Magic traditions return, too. An express North Pole mailbox is available for delivering letters to Santa and letters to animals outside of Hamill Family Play Zoo. Guests can also meet Santa in a new location this year, as the zoo’s historic Pachyderm building reopens as Santa’s Workshop (no animal viewing).

Plus, the following events return this holiday season for even more opportunities to create even more merry memories at the zoo:

• Tree Trim on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 7-8: Be part of decorating the zoo for the holiday season! Families, friends, businesses and community groups are invited to decorate trees throughout zoo grounds. Trees must be reserved in advance, while supplies last!

• Reindeer Run on Saturday, Nov. 14: Get in the holiday spirit with a two-mile fun run among the sparkling holiday lights across the zoo. Participants receive a commemorative winter hat and unlimited rides on the carousel!

• Holiday Sip & Stroll on Friday, Nov. 20: Eat, drink and be merry as one of the first guests to experience Holiday Magic before the public! Guests 21 or older can choose from a variety of cocktails and mocktails complete with delicious bites available for purchase.

• Holly Jolly Gingerbread Party on Saturday, Dec. 5: Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Women’s Board is hosting a festive fundraiser featuring a brunch, gingerbread house decorating and more.

• Dinner with Santa on Dec. 18-20: Enjoy a dinner buffet, visit with Santa and experience the hundreds of dazzling lights at Holiday Magic. Reservations required in advance, with seatings available at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.

• Senior Holiday Lights Tours: Available on select nights, the zoo is partnering with local senior community centers and nursing homes to offer guided tours through Holiday Magic — all from the comfort of their bus. Advance registration is required.

A sensory-friendly night returns on Thursday, Dec. 3. The special evening is designed to make Holiday Magic welcoming and enjoyable for guests of all ages and sensory needs.

The modified night features dimmed lights, softer music and reduced visual effects to offer a calmer, more comfortable environment. This experience offers resources from KultureCity as part of the Zoo for All initiative, which underscores the zoo’s commitment to build an inclusive conservation movement. A dedicated sensory-friendly space will be available on all Holiday Magic dates at Hamill Family Play Zoo.

Regardless of when guests visit, Holiday Magic will also offer a special holiday-inspired menu featuring crispy chicken taco waffles, potato latkes, reindeer funnel cake and more. Roast marshmallows with the whole crew at one of several s’mores stations. For an extra cozy experience, warm up in a heated Holiday Igloo with your family and friends, an elevated experience to spend quality time together. Each 90-minute reservation gets you and your group a private fire pit, hot cocoa, s’mores and lots of delicious amenities.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. on designated dates. An expanded list of animal buildings are scheduled to be open this year, including Australia, Clouded Leopard Forest, Gorilla Conservation Center (warming station only), Hamill Family Play Zoo, The Swamp, The Living Coast and Tropic World (open until 7 p.m.).

While animal visibility is not guaranteed and may vary in outdoor habitats depending on weather, guests can also explore Big Cat Walkway and visit the bison and camel habitats along with checking out paid attractions like the Carousel and Penguin Encounters.

Holiday Magic, presented by ComEd, returns Nov. 21 through Jan. 3, 2027, with select dates throughout the holiday season. In addition to its regular Thursday through Sunday schedule following its opening days, the beloved tradition will be open on additional dates leading up to major holidays, including Nov. 23-25, Dec. 21-23 and Dec. 28-30.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago members receive free admission and North Gate parking. Guests are reminded that the zoo will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Tickets and additional information about all holiday happenings are available at brookfieldzoo.org/events.

Since 1934, Brookfield Zoo Chicago has been a global leader in animal well-being and conservation, inspiring conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. The zoo is a private nonprofit organization that operates on 235 acres of land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County and is home to more than 3,500 animals representing over 500 species, including many of Earth’s most endangered.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago was the first zoo in the world to be Humane Certified by the American Humane Society for the care and welfare of its animals, and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, and ArbNet. For more information, visit brookfieldzoo.org or follow @BrookfieldZoo on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Threads.