Dazzling Holiday Nights at ZooMontana Returns November 29

2024 has been a whirlwind for most of us and I'm ready for some end-of-year downtime. Burning up remaining vacation days, eating great food, and sleeping in for more than two days in a row is high on my list of November/December priorities.

I'm also looking forward to what has become one of my family's new favorite Christmas traditions in Billings: Holiday Nights at ZooMontana. The Zoo had lights for many decades, but the experience received a complete overhaul a few years ago with a dramatically improved event.

Holiday Nights 2023 at ZooMontana, Billings. Credit Michael Foth, TSM

More than just a light show.

Oh yes, Holiday Nights has lights. More than 10 million LEDs are set into dramatic 3D displays, scattered around the zoo grounds, and organizers continue to add new displays each year. But the event is more than just a dramatic Instagram backdrop.

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Holiday Nights 2023 at ZooMontana, Billings. Credit Michael Foth, TSM

A Holiday experience straight out of a Hallmark movie.

Our family loves walking the paths of ZooMontana to the various sections of Holiday Nights, stopping for pictures and enjoying the ambiance. The hub of the event is centered around the pavilion, with food and drink vendors (and heaters!) inside.

Scattered across the pavilion lawn are a bunch of super-cute "smores tents" that guests can reserve (an additional fee applies). The tents include a cozy spot to relax, along with a personal firepit, wood, and smores-making necessities.

Holiday Nights 2023 at ZooMontana, Billings. Credit Michael Foth, TSM

One of the best Zoo lights displays in the nation is in Montana.

Santa will be at Holiday Nights, and kids have opportunities to make crafts with Mrs Clause. Guests have been known to encounter other Christmas characters wandering the grounds, including the Grinch.

Holiday Nights at ZooMontana was nominated by USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards as one of the Best Zoo Lights in the country in 2022 and 2023. Last year, it proudly secured the 4th spot, following the Cincinnati, Toledo, and Cheyenne Mountain Zoos.

Want to check out Holiday Nights for FREE? Enter below.

Admission prices for Holiday Nights 2024 at ZooMontana.

General Admission: Child (0-3) FREE, Child (4-12) - $11, Adult (13+) - $21. Discounts for Senior & Military

Ticket Packages: Family Package – $65 (2 adults, 3 kids), Adult Package – $70
(4 adult tickets)

Rides & Parking: Wagon Rides - $5 per person per ride. Parking - $5 per vehicle during non-surge times. $10 per vehicle during surge times.

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Gallery Credit: Nick Northern