Lengthy after the animals fall asleep, issues get wild on the Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard. Wild Lights is the annual Christmas vacation gentle show with over 60 larger-than-life 3D shows. Meander by means of the zoo as you sip scorching chocolate, roast s’mores on a bonfire, and take a photograph with Santa.
“Wild Lights is a recent tackle the vacation lights expertise that may create a extra significant connection to our mission of conservation,” says Tommy Stringfellow, President & CEO of Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard. “This brand-new occasion will set us aside from the rising variety of lights occasions across the Midlands whereas shining a lightweight on the fantastic thing about nature and the significance of caring for our pure world.”
Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard is certainly one of Columbia’s greatest Christmas vacation occasions. It’s a family-friendly, fun-filled technique to spend a night within the reasonably cool South Carolina local weather.
Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard
Riverbanks Zoo opened in 1974 on the north facet of the Saluda River in Columbia. In 1995, the botanical backyard opened throughout the river in West Columbia. The Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard is dwelling to over 3,000 animals and 4,300 native and unique vegetation.
The zoo is an accredited member of the Affiliation of Zoos & Aquariums. The non-profit group was based in 1971 to create a set of requirements for animal husbandry and care in zoological parks and aquariums in the US.
Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard helps worldwide conservation efforts, promotes native conservation, and treats raptors and endangered species in its hospital.
Daytime Go to
Visiting the Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard through the day after which once more for Wild Lights could be a tremendous expertise, however it may well’t be a steady expertise. The zoo closes at 4 p.m. and reopens at 5 p.m., permitting the workers to arrange for the night. That might be a good time to move into downtown Columbia and get an early dinner.
Wild Lights Schedule in 2023
Wild Lights is open on choose nights from November 17 till January 14 from 5 p.m. till 9 p.m. It takes about 1-2 hours to walk casually by means of the zoo, see all the sunshine shows, and revel in some actions.
Right here’s the entire schedule for Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard in 2023:
- Friday, November 17 – Sunday, November 19
- Friday, November 24 – Sunday, November 26
- Wednesday, November 29 – Sunday, December 3
- Wednesday, December 6 – Sunday, December 10
- Wednesday, December 13 – Saturday, December 23
- Tuesday, December 26 – Sunday, December 31
- Wednesday, January 3 – Sunday, January 7
- Wednesday, January 10 – Sunday, January 14
Wild Lights Tickets
Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard is certainly one of Columbia’s hottest Christmas vacation occasions. I like to recommend shopping for tickets upfront and saving your date.
Tickets range in value between Worth and Commonplace. Worth Charges are $20 for adults and $15 for youngsters. Commonplace Charges are $25 for adults and $20 for youngsters.
Worth Charges are utilized on weeknights and Sunday nights, whereas Commonplace Charges are utilized on Friday and Saturday Nights. From December 18 till December 30, solely Commonplace Charges are used. After the New 12 months, solely Worth Charges are utilized.
Weeknights early in December are cheaper and much much less crowded. I like to recommend seeing the lights for the primary time throughout this time window. However then, return to see them once more after the New 12 months!
Purchase Basic Tickets on the Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard web site.
Bigger-Than-Life Handcrafted Lanterns
The primary attraction of the brand-new Wild Lights vacation show is 60 larger-than-life lanterns. Designed and constructed by China-based Tianyu Arts & Tradition, every three-dimensional lantern is hand made with a inflexible skeleton and semi-transparent outer layer. The outer layer is painted just like the animal’s pores and skin after which lit from inside.
The lanterns are a shocking murals which might be simply as fantastic to admire throughout daylight as after darkish. They’re tremendously higher than conventional two-dimensional wireframe shows.
“We needed to go together with rather less Santa Claus and a bit of extra ‘Animal Claus’ this 12 months,” explains Matt Perron, Public Relations Supervisor for Riverbanks Zoo & Backyard.
The lanterns are scattered all through the zoo alongside the meandering concrete paths. A towering American Bison glares throughout the zoo close to a sloth clinging to a tree. Twinkling butterflies, a pack of hyenas roaming the panorama, and a herd of zebras grazing within the grass await nightly guests.
And a few of the lanterns come alive! The peacock’s tailfeathers carry for an excellent show and the salamander’s tail swings left and proper.
The lanterns are solely on show for Christmas. It’s definitely worth the simple drive to Columbia to see them within the late afternoon after which come again an hour later to see them once more after darkish.
Images with Santa
The objective of Wild Lights is to go together with rather less Santa Claus, however that doesn’t imply Ole Saint Nick isn’t there. Santa seems nightly on the Safari Camp lined shelter from November 17 till December 23.
Seize photographs with Santa utilizing your smartphone. It’s fast, simple, and freed from cost.
Bonfires and S’mores
Is there something higher within the winter than a toasty bonfire and s’mores? On the large firepit close to the aquarium and sea lion tank, you possibly can roast marshmallows and assuredly construct your s’mores.
Tables and chairs are scattered across the concrete paths, providing a spot to take a break from the spectacle and revel in your customized constructed dessert.
Getting There & Parking
Attending to the Riverbanks Zoo & Botanical Backyard is simple, with a devoted interchange on I-126. Take the Greystone Boulevard exit and switch left onto Rivermont Drive.
Ample parking on the zoo is unfold throughout each side of an energetic railroad. Though it’s tempting to park as near the doorway as attainable, one of the best parking is alongside Rivermont Drive in a parking space labeled “Blue Lot” on Google Maps.
A pedestrian footbridge crosses over the railroad with an elevator at both finish for accessibility.