Be dazzled by these holiday light displays near you

Searching for a "holiday light display near me?" Look no further. Colorado's zoos and gardens have just what you need to enjoy this holiday season in color and shine.
Nov. 16, 2023
Denver Botanic Gardens' Blossoms of Light continues through Jan. 2 and is a nearby place to see holiday light displays the whole family will enjoy. Photo courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens.
Denver Botanic Gardens’ Blossoms of Light continues through Jan. 7. The Gardens feature a holiday light display that the whole family will enjoy. Photo by Scott Dressel-Martin, courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens.

‘Tis the season to see dazzling holiday lights at gardens and zoos throughout Colorado.

From an “Electric Safari” at Colorado Springs’ Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to “Blossoms of Light” that bloom at Denver’s Botanic Gardens to a twinkling wonderland at the Garden on Spring Creek in Fort Collins, an array of festive holiday lights beckon visitors to Colorado’s cultural facilities to help you get into the holiday spirit.

Here’s a roundup of holiday light displays near you at Colorado zoos and gardens.

Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs

Looking for fun and adventurous holiday light displays near you? Look no further than the Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. Photo courtesy of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
Looking for fun and adventurous holiday light displays near you? Look no further than the Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. Photo courtesy of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Voted third-best in the nation in 2020 and 2021 by USA TODAY’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Zoo Lights, Electric Safari takes holiday lights to a new level. That’s not surprising for this hilly zoo perched at the foot of Pikes Peak, 6,714 feet above sea level. Known to locals as CMZoo, Cheyenne Mountain is the highest-elevation zoo in the U.S. and its holiday light display soars too.

An orangutan light sculpture at Electric Safari. Courtesy of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
An orangutan light sculpture at Electric Safari. Photo courtesy of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Electric Safari features more than 50 acres of twinkling light displays, some of which are synchronized to festive music. CMZoo also features unique artisan-made light sculptures like a giant upside-down sloth hanging from a tree.

Along with artistic creatures, visitors can see many of the real zoo animals, too. Most exhibits are open, and guests pay extra to feed a giraffe in a warm barn. Guests can also visit the Zoo’s new hippo calf, Omo, and see the elephant and rhino barn along with African elephants.

Electric Safari takes place on select nights in December and ends on Jan. 1, 2024. Check out CMZoo for details.  Advance-timed e-tickets are required for members and non-members.

Denver Botanic Gardens’ Blossoms of Light

At the Denver Botanic Garden' Blossoms of Light, more than half a million environmentally-friendly LED lights transform the Gardens in a twinkling winter wonderland. Photo courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens.
At Denver Botanic Gardens’ Blossoms of Light, more than half a million environmentally-friendly LED lights transform the Gardens into a twinkling winter wonderland. Photo by Scott Dressel-Martin, courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens.

Denver’s Botanic Gardens typically burst into color during the day in the spring and summer when tulips, lilacs and water lilies bloom.

Blossoms of Light. Photo courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens.
Blossoms of Light. Photo by Scott Dressel-Martin, courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens.

But at night during the holiday season, more than half a million environmentally-friendly LED lights transform the Gardens into a twinkling winter wonderland. Visitors can stroll through the light display and enjoy an array of experiences, including a 200-foot-long, 17-foot-high light tunnel that features animated, flashing lights.

Blossoms of Light continues on select nights through Jan. 7 at Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St. in Denver. Advance tickets are required. Learn more about information and ticket details.

Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms in Littleton

Located in Littleton, Colorado, the Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms celebrates Colorado's countryside. Photo courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens.
Located in Littleton, Colorado, the Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms celebrates Colorado’s countryside. Photo by Scott Dressel-Martin, courtesy of Denver Botanic Gardens.

Chatfield Farms, another location under the Denver Botanic Gardens umbrella, features paths of glistening lights that celebrate Colorado’s countryside. Christmas lights adorn many of the historic buildings at the site, including the old schoolhouse, ranch house and barn. Special features include synchronized music and light displays in the children’s play area, along with singing Christmas trees, two light tunnels and illuminated antique tractors.

Trail of Lights continues on select nights through Jan. 1. Advance-purchase tickets are required. Learn more about hours and tickets. Chatfield Farms is located at 8500 W Deer Creek Canyon Road in Littleton.

Garden of Lights at the Gardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins

Live in northern Colorado and looking for holiday light displays near you? Visit the Garden of Lights at the Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins, Colorado, for an amazing display close to home. Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Collins.
Live in northern Colorado and looking for holiday light displays near you? Visit the Garden of Lights at the Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins, Colorado, for an amazing display close to home. Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Collins.

December nights bring dazzling lights to northern Colorado’s favorite display of holiday lights.

Hundreds of thousands of environmentally friendly LED lights transform the gardens into a twinkling winter wonderland. Santa Claus is at the Everitt Paillion every night until 8 p.m., and on certain nights, special guests, like carolers and Mrs. Claus, visit the garden.

The Garden of Lights features a half-mile loop of perennial flower beds, huge sculptural flowers, grapevines, butterflies, a holiday village, and other favorite garden creatures — all constructed entirely from holiday lights.

Timed-entry tickets are required. Purchase early as some popular time slots sell out. Learn more about scheduled performances and how to buy tickets for the Garden of Lights. The Gardens at Spring Creek are located at 2145 Centre Ave. in Fort Collins. The light display runs 5-9 p.m. from Dec. 8 through Dec. 23. Gates close at 8 p.m.

Zoo Lights at the Denver Zoo

Zoo Lights. Photo courtesy of the Denver Zoo.
Zoo Lights. Photo courtesy of the Denver Zoo.

The Denver Zoo becomes positively iridescent during the holidays, with more than a million lights decorating the 80-acre, 125-year-old gem located in Denver’s City Park.

Along with spectacular light displays, visitors will see new animated light sculptures with past favorites that include live ice carving exhibitions with local ice artists and views of cold-weather animals (at their discretion, of course).

Zoo Lights run from Dec. 2 through Jan. 7, 2024. Members can visit starting Nov. 24. There is an adult-only night on Nov. 30 and a sensory-friendly night on Dec. 31.

Tickets are available only in advance. Make your plans early. Tickets to Zoo Lights sell out every year. For additional charges, special “warm-up” areas are available. Visitors can also purchase add-on packages with “holospex” glasses. Learn more about ticket packages. The Denver Zoo is located at 2300 Steele St. in Denver.

Family and friends roasting marshmallows at the Denver Zoo's Zoo Lights.
A visit to Zoo Lights is great family fun or even a unique date night. Photo courtesy of Denver Zoo.

Hudson Gardens’ Extravaganza of Lights in Littleton

Holiday lights in an array of colors, from sapphire blue to orange, fuchsia and neon green, create a spectacle for the eyes. Then, look down into the lake at Hudson Gardens, and you’ll see the lights erupting like colorful fireworks in the water.

Holiday lights reflect in a lake at Hudson Gardens in Littleton.
Holiday lights reflect in a lake at Hudson Gardens in Littleton. Photo courtesy of Hudson Gardens.

The Hudson Holidays runs Nov. 24 through Dec. 31 and includes visits from Santa and two new light shows.

You can also light up the New Year at Hutson Gardens from Jan. 2 through Jan. 28 with an entirely new light exhibit that includes a colorful nautilus forest, cubes and spheres.

Tickets are available online only. Make your plans in advance. Learn more about ticket prices and availability. Hudson Gardens is located at 6115 S. Santa Fe Drive in Littleton.

About the author

Katie Kerwin McCrimmon is a proud Colorado native. She attended Colorado College, thanks to a merit scholarship from the Boettcher Foundation, and worked as a park ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park during summer breaks from college. She is also a storyteller. She loves getting to know UCHealth patients and providers and sharing their inspiring stories.

Katie spent years working as a journalist at the Rocky Mountain News and was a finalist with a team of reporters for the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of a deadly wildfire in Glenwood Springs in 1994. Katie was the first reporter in the U.S. to track down and interview survivors of the tragic blaze, which left 14 firefighters dead.

She covered an array of beats over the years, including the environment, politics, education and criminal justice. She also loved covering stories in Congress and at the U.S. Supreme Court during a stint as the Rocky’s reporter in Washington, D.C.

Katie then worked as a reporter for an online health news site before joining the UCHealth team in 2017.

Katie and her husband Cyrus, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, have three children. The family loves traveling together anywhere from Glacier National Park to Cuba.