Wildlights at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

(November 17, 2023–January 7, 2024)

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Wildlights is a popular holiday season destination for families. Animated animal displays sparkle with thousands of twinkling lights throughout the park. There are also dozens of activities for kids of all ages: from live music and ice skating to Santa's Holiday Home. Kids will enjoy Holiday Star Light Star Bright Seek-n-Find. Disney on Ice presents Reach for the Stars, with new winners and magical prizes each week. Wildlights rides include the Polar Bear Express through the North American winter wonderland, camel rides, and the 1914 Mangels-Illions Carousel. And of course, you can also enjoy live animals in their heated, indoor shelters!

Clifton Mill Christmas Lights

 (November 24–December 30, 2023)Famous Clifton Mill Christmas Lights is a cherished Miami Valley tradition bringing joy to families for over thirty yea. Clifton Mill light display is one of the largest in the U.S., featuring over 3.5 million lights illuminating historical buildings, riverbanks, bridges, and gorges. The highlight of the show is a 30-m (100-ft) waterfall of twinkling lights. The fantastic winter wonderland hosts a Miniature Village, a Santa Claus Museum, and a musical light show at the old Covered Bridge. Santa's Workshop invites kids to see Santa at work and going up the chimney to load his sleigh.

Conservatory Aglow at Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus

(Nov. 18, 23–Jan.7, 24)

Conservatory Aglow at Franklin Park in Columbus is one of the biggest and brightest holiday shows in the city. The park, as well as the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden and the Grand Mallway, sparkle with lights and whimsy displays. The Conservatory, with its unique plant collection, is the main attraction in the park. Kids' favorite shows include the Rainbow Tunnel, the Whirly Tree, topiary flamingos, gingerbread houses, and the illuminated Sandstone Creek. The Grand Mallway is another festive area featuring The Pool, an interactive environment by artist Jen Lewin with giant rings of circular pads that change colors with movement and pressure.

PNC Festival of Lights at Cincinnati Zoo

 (November 17, 2023–January 7, 2024)

The annual Cincinnati Zoo Festival of Lights is a dazzling holiday display and a favorite among local holiday light displays. Running since the 1980s, it has over three million LED lights and several displays. The Cincinnati Zoo is transformed into a wild wonderland where visitors can watch a puppet show, ride the Toyland Express, look for fairies in Fairyland, wander in Candy Cane Forest, visit Frozen characters, and stop in the Gingerbread Village. Santa is available for visits every day, starting at 4 p.m. No additional ticket is required, as Festival of Lights is included in the Zoo Admission.

Butch Bando's Fantasy of Lights, Delaware

(Nov 17, 2023–Jan 1, 2024, Holiday Drive Thru Light Show)

More than one million LEDs light up the Fantasy of Lights at Alum Creek State Park in Delaware, Ohio, a real winter wonderland attracting thousands of people from all over the state. Over 130 light displays include Santa, reindeer, and other popular holiday characters. Enjoy the lights while you warm up with hot chocolate and cookies. You'll also get a chance to meet Santa himself. Admission to Butch Bando's Fantasy of Lights, formerly known as Alum Creek Fantasy of Lights, starts at $20 per vehicle on weekdays to $30 per car on weekends.