Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo returns for the 2025 Season
After a restful Thanksgiving holiday weekend, it is now officially the start of the holiday season. Chicago has been hit with its first significant snowfall of the year. And although it’s not enough for snow sculptures, I’m starting to get into the Christmas spirit. I visited Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo on the last “warm” November night last week. What sights do we get at the zoo after dark? Let the animals light your way…
Brookfield Zoo is just outside the city of Chicago in the suburb of Brookfield (surprise, surprise). Technically, this zoo may be second to Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago’s year-round zoo open to the public. But for me, Brookfield is Chicago’s main zoo just due to the number of animals and exhibits. Plus, Lincoln Park has its has more things to do than the zoo so sometimes it’s overlooked.
But all zoos have lower turnout once the cold season hit. Thankfully, zoos (as well as botanic gardens and arboretums) now bring illuminated holiday themed nights to Chicago.
First things first! You will not see everything in a single night. And if you do, you’re in better shape than I am. Despite many exhibits being retired for the cold season, some buildings are open and there is still a dolphin show. Strangely enough, holiday nights are all about the Christmas and animal neon lights.
Iconic Entrance Displays: King Nyani & Butterfly Trail
Upon walking in, you’re greeted with an illuminated welcome sign on two trees with a hanging monkey, parrot, and snake. It’s rightfully placed in front of Brookfield’s normal welcome guide, the giant sculpture of the gorilla, King Nyani. You’ll be lucky to get a picture alone for a pose since it constantly has children climbing all over it. A must-stop for families with young children.
If coming in from the main gate, which is the north entrance (with giant parking lot!), the next thing you’ll notice a trail of giant butterflies for the butterfly house. There’s no specific order or pathway to seeing everything, you’ll naturally gravitate towards the lights.
Tip for Brookfield Zoo Members
Quick tip: Anyone with an annual zoo membership can go to the members booth (which is by the all entrances) to get any tickets needed for that day (carousel, dolphin show, etc). So no need to take time in multiple lines or buy online (which still charges a convenience fee). The motor safari (the train ride) is closed for the holiday season, but you would be able to get tickets here too once spring hits.
Walk-Thru Light Displays: Candy canes & Stars
Some light displays are meant to walk through, you’ll see these sprinkled throughout the park. One of my favorites are the candy cane arches, with a video clip below seeing what it’s like to go through. Simple but a classic.
Now this star light really caught my attention. The best thing about the star lane is that it led to a half-crescent moon, which feels a bit magical. Especially to children. You can see it in the background of the image…see it?
It’s a great experience for families, including grandparents, which make up most of the visitors. This was painfully obvious when I saw the packed line at the carousel. Brookfield Zoo still has a wooden carousel with carved animals. And yes, this merry-go-round has two or three benches among the animals available for accessibility.
The Photo Op Challenge
There are so many displays that’ll steal the hearts of the masses, with a line to prove it. I’m talking about a giant snowman and a glittery gold gingerbread house, both having spaces underneath so families can pose within the display. My eyes also caught a glamourous, shiny Santa sled you can pose in. All of these are beautiful to look at, and take a treasured family picture but there will be a line! So dress accordingly.
Given some of these displays are popular enough to have people wait a few minutes in line for a picture, I’d wish Brookfield Zoo would have a staff member taking pictures for families since usually a family member takes the photo or another guest in line offers to do so. Even if they need to float two or three staff members between the most popular displays so there’s often someone ready to take the whole group picture, would be a dream.
It’s one of the reasons the iconic Marshall Field’s the Walnut Room (at Macy’s), another Chicago Christmas favorite, has such loyal patrons coming most years (or even annually!). The Walnut Room understands everyone wants their picture in front of the tree and keeps more people staffed around the entrance to make it happen. The staff is always happy to do it, and I even had a hostess get on the floor to get our group and the whole tree in the shot.
Community Sponsored Christmas Trees at Brookfield Zoo
One great thing I want to mention that Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo does is the enormous amount of Christmas trees stationed throughout. They aren’t decorated by the zoo staff but families, schools, and organizations that sponsor a tree. It’s a hefty fee, but these do go to zoo operations and animal enrichment.
Sponsoring a tree allows for families and groups to decorate their own Christmas tree and many people take on themes. I’ve seen Betelgeuse and Moana themed trees, Mexican and Italian cultures, foods, and more than once saw soda cans used as an environment-friendly ornament. These trees are lined up all over the place. There are tons. Usually, I take a few minutes here and there to check out some themes.
One thing that can improve the tree displays at Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo is stronger lighting. Or perhaps more lighting beyond the trees themselves. I don’t think the crowds can tell the trees are themed, as many people walk by. You have to get pretty close just to see the ornaments.
I highly recommend taking a few minutes and check out families’ and communities’ themed trees. FYI, I’ll be doing a post on 2024’s Holiday Magic since the displays change (favorites return).
The lights and trees aren’t the only sights. Animal exhibits are still open but limited. Some buildings remain open on these days but confirm directly on the zoo website. Last year I went in a building that was open, but for warmth. So if you happen to see additional buildings open that weren’t listed, it might be for that.
Nocturnal Encounters: Hedgehogs & Bats
On this visit, I went in to see hedgehogs and bats in the Australia building. This is an interesting exhibit, though short. Given these animals are nocturnal, the building (even in day during the normal season) is dark with red lighting. The first part you see a pit in sand and wait for the animals to appear. I caught the most adorable waddle from a hedgehog who was avoiding the crowds.
It’s important to keep your voice low to avoid frightening the animals. The pit is also open and so is the second half of this exhibit, which are the bats.
Yep, the bat room is not netted so the bats can fly around technically. I’ve mostly seen quick 3 seconds of flight from bats so they’re not eager to show off. But they mostly spread their wings and hang. Some bats will shuffle around. I’ve never seen more than four at a time, but it is pretty dark. You won’t always spot them all. Sometimes I’ll realize another one is there because someone else saw it after several minutes. But they’re very calm.
At different buildings, I spotted snakes and an exotic bird.
Let the Animals Light Your Way
Even though there were slim-pickens in terms of animals, illuminated animals still made Holiday magic at Brookfield Zoo a fun experience. Lit up arches led to gift and food counters. There was a fun Under the Sea theme with lit up marine animals, which was stationed by one of the restaurants and gift shop. It was so sweet seeing children getting excited by even the small displays and posing for their pictures.
Live flamingos weren’t around but a patch of trees were lit up in flamingo pink. This was a great idea to add multiples of the same display close to each other but also strategically. This allows different groups to find their little display to take a picture with and move on. It was also great to see this pink flamingo area from a distance. I noticed this also with the giraffe lights. A great idea to minimize photobombs.
You wouldn’t know it from my selection of photos, but the Christmas displays easily outnumbered the animal lights. And they had lines of families waiting for a photo. Any large Christmas display in which people could stand within it was very popular.
Holiday Food & Dining Options at Brookfield Zoo
As far as food, restaurants were still open and food counters were available. Personally, I went for a hot chocolate and cinnamon sugar pretzel at a snack stand.
Of the restaurants, BZ Red Hots (with a hot dog sign) was where I dined last year during Holiday Magic. One thing I loved about the restaurant, it has two additional rooms off to each side because the main section will be crowded (and tight!). In case you’re worried about finding seating, I think BZ is a great option. But the additional rooms weren’t obvious to me. So I’d take a lap around and see which side has better space. These rooms also had lots of windows so you can still see a bit of the lit up zoo as you dine.
Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo is a Great Start to the Christmas Season
Brookfield Zoo’s Holiday Magic is wonderful to get into the holiday spirit. I would love it if Christmas music was incorporated to some of the displays. That was the only thing that felt was missing. Holiday Magic at Brookfield is meant for loved ones to get together for a photo op with lots and lots of different options.
Other holiday themed light displays, like the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Lightscape, are more of an art display (performative) that aren’t meant for any interaction. So family photos are a bit harder, but the botanic garden has a few spots for that.
Best thing for locals, if you have a zoo membership, there are no restrictions on Holiday Magic nights so you can go as much as you like. For those new to Holiday Magic…will you be visiting?
