"[T]his year for the first time, with brilliant lights and a slew of holiday-themed activities, the zoo is coming alive at night," the Chicago Tribune wrote 30 years ago next month.

The article from which that sentence was sourced heralded the first-ever ZooLights Festival at the Lincoln Park Zoo. The newspaper reported that when it debuted in 1995, ZooLights featured 100,000 lights mounted on 10,500 pounds of steel — and twisted into the shapes of all different animals.

Thirty years later, ZooLights is as beloved as ever — and has grown by leaps and bounds. Today, according to a news release from the zoo, ZooLights features more than 3 million lights.

The festival also features a variety of nostalgic displays, a holiday tunnel, and a Ferris wheel. Visitors can enjoy hot chocolate, fresh churros, and s'mores roasted on an open fire.

On some nights, visitors can sing along with carolers, watch ice carvers make sculptures, and watch the "Zooltide" show on the South Lawn — with narration in English and Spanish.

Tickets for ZooLights for the 2025 season go on sale on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 10 a.m. Tickets start at $7 and are nonrefundable. 

The light show opens on Nov. 21 and runs through Jan. 4 with more than three million lights throughout the zoo.