Electric Moonlight

EVENT INFORMATION

Activities & Animal Talks
Food & Drinks
Bands
Animal Exhibits
FAQs & Details
Volunteers
Vendors & Sponsors

Buy Electric Moonlight Tickets

- Advance tickets are required. Day-of tickets only available if not sold out.
- This event is popular, and is likely to sell out.

- Tickets are on sale now.

Please Read and Agree

I understand that by purchasing a CMZoo membership, advance ticket reservations are required to visit the Zoo for Individual, Family, Grandparent and Family Plus members, and my preferred ticket date or time may not always be available. I also understand that memberships are non-refundable after purchase.

If free member tickets for my chosen day/time are not available, and I choose to purchase non-member tickets, they will not be refundable/reimbursable and cannot be applied to my membership renewal.

I also understand that the Zoo cannot accommodate an earlier entry time than my ticket start time. (For example, a 10:30-11 a.m. ticket cannot be scanned in earlier than 10:30 a.m.)

Please be courteous to your fellow members by not over-reserving tickets and returning tickets you can’t use. To release your tickets, email [email protected] prior to your ticketed date.

MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT

We believe we can create a feeling of family by treating each employee, guest, member and donor with the respect they deserve. Treating each other like we would want to be treated is just the right thing to do. There is no room at the Zoo for profanity, harassment or threatening behavior.

Our animals are family and we love and respect them not only for their beauty, but for all the joy they bring so many guests every year. We believe our animals deserve the best homes and care we can provide. Please join us in treating our animals like you would treat your own family members. Crossing barriers is dangerous, as they are in place to keep both you and our animals safe. Like your friends and family, our animals do not like to be harassed in any way.

We believe we should never take our site’s beauty for granted. Our mountain is something we hope you will enjoy and actively admire. Join us in preserving our amazing site by feeling at home while you are here and leaving our grounds “without a trace.”

Our staff strives to make the world a better place every day. We will always work hard to make your experience the best it can be as well as assist you when things might not go as planned. When having difficult discussions, mutual respect is always expected and appreciated.

“If you are unable to comply with this Code of Conduct, we reserve the right to revoke your membership and/or ask you to leave the Zoo. Thank you for understanding.

I agree to the information above.

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Vote for CMZOO for BEST ZOO LIGHTS

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Electric Safari has once again been nominated in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Zoo Lights in North America. For the last six years, you voted Electric Safari in the top three Best Zoo Lights in this friendly competition among zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. We’d love your support to stay high in the rankings again this year!

You can vote for CMZoo daily through Monday, Dec. 1 at 9:59 a.m. MT. Thank you for your support!
Vote Now

Want a daily reminder to keep us high in the national rankings?
Sign up for a daily email reminder here.

Come enjoy our wild winter wonderland at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Electric Moonlight! This 21-and-up evening event offers all-inclusive samplings of food, beer, wine and spirits; live local musicians; a chance to visit Santa Claus and over 85 staff-made light sculptures throughout the Zoo. And, discover larger-than-life illuminated animal inflatables and a holiday-safari themed drone show at 7:30 p.m. (No one under age 21 will be permitted, including no children or infants.)

Sample last year’s Electric Moonlight 2024 Program PDF
(Shows detailed map, animal happenings, food, beverages and tunes)

Admission Includes:

– All-inclusive food sampling from regional restaurants beginning at 5:30 p.m., while supplies last.
– Over 85 outdoor light displays and many animal exhibits.
– Complimentary souvenir sampling cup and spork.
– All-inclusive beverage sampling from regional breweries, wineries and distilleries.
– Soft drinks and coffee will be available.
– Live music throughout the Zoo.
(Advance tickets are required; day-of tickets available only if not sold out.)

Orangutan-Friendly Holiday Shopping Guide 2025

Passionate about animal conservation? Use this Orangutan-Friendly 2025 Holiday Guide for your holiday shopping! These products are produced by companies that are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and are committed to making a difference for wild orangutans and other endangered species by using certified sustainable palm oil.

Want to find even more products? Use PalmOil Scan, an app developed under the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA) and regionally managed by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. To download, search “palm oil” in your app store and look for the green orangutan logo or visit FREE PalmOil Scan Mobile App

Highlights of Electric Moonlight

Animal Talks

Animal demonstration schedule will be posted here, closer to the event.

Activities

Interactive activities in The Loft. Come face-to-face with smaller animals!

Santa will be at Safari Lodge in African Rift Valley, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Snap a photo with Santa while you tell him what’s on your holiday wish list!
Giraffe and Budgie Feeding Experiences (available for purchase).
Sky Ride – Tickets available at Admissions and at the Sky Ride entrance for $3 each. Be in line by 7:30 p.m.; last Sky Ride leaves at 8 p.m. (weather permitting).
Holiday-Safari Themed Drone Show – 7:30 p.m. (weather permitting). Watch our drone light show from nearly anywhere in the Zoo! The show will last around 15 minutes. Prime viewing spots are Elephant Boardwalk, Lodge at Moose Lake and Giraffe Plaza.

Select animal exhibits are open during the event, including:
– African Rift Valley (giraffe barn)
– Asian Highlands
– Australia Walkabout (Budgie building)
– Encounter Africa
– Rocky Mountain Wild (except grizzlies)
– Scutes Family Gallery
– Water’s Edge: Africa (hippo building)
– Primate World is closed (Our primates are sensitive to evening events.)
*Note: Some animal areas are closed due to the species’ sensitivities to nighttime events.

Beverages

Sample beer, wine, liquor and coffee from regional companies.
(Cash bar & soft drinks at Grizzly Grill.)

• 3 Hundred Days Distilling
• Atomic Cowboy
• Evergood Wines
• Kangaroo Coffee (Non-alcoholic)
• Lebowski’s Taproom
• LOCOWORKS
• Pub Dog Colorado
• Raising Cane’s (Non-alcoholic)
• The Melting Pot
• Vintners in the Spa
(more to come)

Food

Savor food from some of your local favorites.

• Buttercups Bakery
• Taste Catering – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Catering
• The Melting Pot
(more to come)

Bands

Encounter local musicians for your listening pleasure!

• Mistletoe Carolers
• Ryan Flores
(more to come)

Interested in playing music at Electric Moonlight?

Contact [email protected], or call 719-424-7847.

FAQs & Details

– Electric Moonlight will take place, rain, snow or shine.
– All food/drink/music stations are indoors or in heated tents, but guests will want to bundle up to walk from area to area and enjoy the holiday lights.
– No refunds available after two weeks before the event for any reason. Refund deadline is Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.
– Dress for a fun night of food, drinks and dancing, but remember you will be walking up and down hills at the Zoo!
– Please remember to print or screenshot your e-ticket for admission to Electric Moonlight.
– ID showing age 21+ is required for admission. (No one under age 21 will be permitted, including no children or infants.)
– Please drink responsibly and plan for a designated driver.
– Please carpool – it’s good for the environment.

*75¢ of each ticket is allocated to Quarters for Conservation (Q4C), an exciting initiative to greatly enhance our wildlife conservation work. Through the collection of quarters, we provide funding for new and existing wildlife conservation projects, opportunities to engage our staff and community in the effort, and significantly expand our contribution to wildlife conservation in our region and around the globe.

Volunteers Needed!

Looking to volunteer at this year’s Electric Moonlight? Look no further! Cheyenne Mountain Zoo needs adult volunteers (age 21 and up) to help out at this year’s holiday event.

Electric Moonlight volunteer duties include, but are not limited to:
– Directing guests if their waste is compost, recycling or trash
– Handing out cups to guests
– Replacing and filling water jugs at water stations (jugs are 20-35 pounds)
– Helping guests navigate the Zoo
– Assisting Santa

To Sign-up to be a Volunteer

Complete this Electric Moonlight Volunteer Form

Vendors & Sponsors

To be a sponsor for this event, please contact Brooklyn Osborne at 719-424-7814, or [email protected]
To be a vendor at this event, please contact 719-424-7847, or [email protected]
Want to book this gig? contact 719-424-7847, or [email protected]

All event proceeds benefit the care of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s animals, and all food and drink samples are donated by the event vendors.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsor:

Visit Toyota of Colorado Springs and Corwin Toyota Colorado Springs' Website