Electric Safari

Dates:
Dec. 5 - Dec. 23, Dec. 25 - Jan. 1, 2026
Note:
Electric Safari is CLOSED on Christmas Eve, December 24
Time:
- Member Early Entry Hour with advance timed ticket: 4 - 5 p.m.

- General admission with advance timed ticket: 5 - 7:30 p.m.

- Event ends at 8:30 p.m.
Zoo Members:
Attend Electric Safari for FREE with a Zoo membership! Advance tickets required.
Sky Ride:
Tickets at Admissions. $3 per person, ages 2 & under FREE. (Be in line by 7:30 p.m., last Sky Ride leaves at 8 p.m.) Weather permitting.
SAVE ON YOUR TICKET:
Save $5 per ticket by visiting on a non-peak day!

EVENT INFORMATION

Activities
Santa
Animal Exhibits
Guest Experiences & Animal Demos
Restaurants & Food
Members & Electric Safari
Volunteers
Sponsorships

Lights, Animals and Holiday Spirit!

Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is the only place in Colorado Springs where you can see over 85 one-of-a-kind light sculptures while celebrating the season with our animals at the same time!

You’ll also enjoy photos with our larger-than-life illuminated inflatable animals located throughout the Zoo and a holiday-safari themed drone show! Electric Safari was voted 3rd Best Zoo Lights in the U.S. from 2019-2024 by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice.

This year’s event will celebrate 34 years of holiday cheer, and Santa Claus will be listening to wishes through December 23. Come celebrate the holiday season with sparkling lights, animals and fun for the whole family! (Inflatables and drone show may not be viewable when high winds or other severe weather is present.)

Activities
  • HOLIDAY-SAFARI THEMED DRONE SHOW! (weather permitting). At 7:30 p.m. every night of Electric Safari, guests can see 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.
  • LARGER-THAN-LIFE ILLUMINATED INFLATABLE ANIMALS (Inflatables may not be viewable when high winds or other severe weather is present.)
  • INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES; experiences with animals at The Loft near Rocky Mountain Wild, along with giraffe and budgie feeding opportunities (additional fees apply).
  • SANTA will be available for photos and to hear wishes in the Safari Lodge from 4-8:30 p.m., nightly through Monday, Dec. 23.
  • SKY RIDE – tickets are available at Admissions. $3 per person, ages 2 & under FREE.
    (Be in line by 7:30 p.m., last Sky Ride leaves at 8 p.m.) Weather permitting.
  • CAROUSEL – tickets available at Admissions or Carousel. $2 per person, per ride. Frequent flyer tickets: 10 rides for $15.
  • HOT COCOA – throughout the Zoo you’ll find stations with delicious hot cocoa available for purchase.
  • Be a SECRET SANTA to the Animals!
    View the Electric Safari Wish List for a list of items you can bring in for the animals!
    Items can be dropped off at Admissions between 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. any day of the week (by 2 p.m. on holidays), and between 4 – 7:30 p.m. on Electric Safari nights.

Select animal exhibits are open, including

– Lion Relaxation Room
– Asian Highlands
– Australia Walkabout
– Elephant & Rhino Barn
– Giraffe Barn
– Hippo Building
– Rocky Mountain Wild (except grizzlies, wolves and raccoons)
– The Loft
– Scutes Family Gallery
*Note: Some animal areas are closed due to the species’ sensitivities to nighttime events.

Restaurants open during Electric Safari

  • Food & beverage selections, plus hot cocoa at:
    • Grizzly Grill
    • Cozy Goat
    • Pizza with a View
    • Rocky Mountain BBQ Co.
      – open Fri, Sat & Sun
      – Southwest Bison Chili
      – Pretzel Bites and Flights
      – Mini Donuts
    • Dippin’ Dots
      – open Fri, Sat & Sun
      – Roasting S’mores
      – Holiday Popcorn
    • Trolley Treats
      – open Fri, Sat & Sun
      – Hand-Dipped Ice Cream and Holiday Cones
      – Holiday Funnel Fries
    • Gift Shop at the Cabin (open all nights & serving hot cocoa)
  • Boozy Hot Cocoa options at these locations:
    • Stroller Hut (closes at 7:30pm daily)
    • Grizzly Grill
    • Cozy Goat
    • Rocky Mountain BBQ Co.

Guest Experiences

Available all evening.

  • The Loft – Experience the excitement of coming face-to-face with some of our smaller animals. Bring your curiosities!
  • Giraffe Feeding Experience (African Rift Valley) – A guest favorite! Hand-feed our long-necked friends in the Giraffe Barn— $3 per lettuce bundle, or $5 for two.
  • Budgies Feeding Experience (Australia Walkabout) – Hold a specially-crafted seed stick for our colorful budgies to enjoy in the Budgie Building— $1 each.

Animal demonstration schedule posted here, closer to the event.

Santa
  • Ho, ho, ho! Santa is visting Safari Lodge. Snap a photo with the big man in red while you tell him what’s on your holiday wish list!
    DATES: Nightly during Electric Safari through December 23
    TIME: 4 – 8:30 p.m.
    WHERE: Safari Lodge in African Rift Valley

Tickets & Cost

– Advance timed e-tickets must be purchased in advance, and are subject to selling out. All individuals visiting the Zoo must have their own advance e-ticket, including children age 2 and under.
– For dates, pricing levels and tickets, view the pricing calendar below.

2024 Electric Safari Pricing Calendar PDF

– Remember, the only way to guarantee the authenticity and best price for your Electric Safari tickets is by reserving them via Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s website on this page. CMZoo does not charge extra ticketing fees and does not authorize other ticketing agents to sell tickets on our behalf. Tickets purchased through third parties could be fraudulent or exorbitantly priced; fraudulent tickets will not be accepted at the gate.
– Your ticket will indicate the earliest time you can enter the Zoo. From the ticketed time, you have a half-hour window to enter the Zoo (for example, if your ticket is for 4 p.m., you need to be in line to enter the Zoo by 4:30 p.m.). Once you’re inside, you are welcome to stay at Electric Safari until the event ends at 8:30 p.m.
– Electric Safari is an all-weather event; snow, rain or shine. Refunds are not available due to weather conditions.
– No passes or other coupons accepted. One discount per purchase; discounts cannot be combined. All discounted tickets will be honored at the gate only with proper identification.

*75¢ of each ticket is allocated to Quarters for Conservation. Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) is an exciting way that you can contribute to wildlife conservation work. Through the collection of quarters, we’ll provide funding for new and existing wildlife conservation projects. This program provides an opportunity to engage our guests in wildlife conservation in our region and around the globe.

Refund Policy:

Purchased online tickets can be refunded or exchanged up to two weeks prior to event date. (For example, tickets purchased for the night of Dec. 20 can be refunded through Dec. 6 only.) Free member tickets can be returned anytime for another member to use. Refunds for purchased tickets are not available due to weather conditions or other reason within two weeks of ticketed date. Email [email protected] for refund requests or to return free member tickets.

MILITARY DISCOUNT FOR ELECTRIC SAFARI

The military discount is offered to all active duty, veteran and retired military personnel any day of the year. Bring any of the following to validate the discount for you, your spouse and your dependents living in the same household:
– A valid military / retired military ID
– A copy of your DD214
– Your state driver’s license printed with veteran indicator or military identifier
– Your ID issued by the VA, VFW or American Legion
– A military spouse ID, if the military member is not present
This discount cannot be combined with other offers. A valid military ID is required upon admission.

SENIOR DISCOUNT FOR ELECTRIC SAFARI

Seniors must bring valid ID showing their age of 65+ to validate their discounted senior tickets at the gate. If proper ID is not provided, the remaining balance of a non-senior ticket will be charged at Admissions that day.

Members

Electric Safari is FREE for all active CMZoo members!

MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE:

  • *Individual Plus, Family, Grandparent and Family Plus level members are required to reserve complimentary advance tickets online. Conservator, Patron and Patron Gold level members are not required to reserve advance tickets.
  • ALL named members will be required to present their valid photo IDs at the gate to confirm eligibility for the member ticket(s).
  • Memberships cannot be renewed or purchased at the gate during Electric Safari hours, so be sure your membership is active before you arrive. You can download your digital membership card to verify your membership’s expiration date.

Exclusive Member Early Entry Hour:

  • We love our members! To say thank you, we open Electric Safari one hour early, just for members and their paying guests. Advance tickets are required for Individual Plus, Family, Grandparent and Family Plus level members and all non-member guests.

TIPS WHILE GETTING ELECTRIC SAFARI MEMBER ETICKETS:

  • Are you registered online, but forgot your member login/password?
    • Visit our Getting Started page (link to cmzoo.org/gettingstarted) to review our password reset guidelines and request a password reset email. Be sure to enter the email address that you registered with.
    • If you do not receive a password reset email, either:
      – You have not completed the registration process. Complete the registration process here.
      – Your email address on file is incorrect. Email [email protected] to verify the email address associated with your online account – we’re happy to assist you!
  • Who Qualifies for Electric Safari Member Tickets:
    • Anyone who is listed on an active membership can receive complimentary member tickets.
      – Individual Plus members: the named adult and the “plus” guest are included
      – Family or Grandparent members: the named adult(s) and any children listed on the membership are included.
      – Family Plus members: the named adult(s), any children listed on the membership and the “plus” guest are included.
      – Conservator members: the named adult(s), any children listed on the membership and two “plus” guests are included.
      – Patron and Patron Gold members: the named adult(s), any children listed on the membership and three “plus” guests are included.
      – Named Third Adults on all membership levels are included.
    • Additional guests who are not included on an active membership must purchase non-member tickets.

To Renew Your Membership:

  • If you need assistance renewing your membership:
    – Call 719-424-7830 to renew your membership over the phone with a Membership team member.
    – Visit our Membership page and select the ‘Renew’ option in the orange dropdown menu next to the membership level of your choosing.
  • For membership questions, call 719-424-7830 or 719-424-7893 or email [email protected].

Sponsorships

If you are interested in sponsoring Electric Safari, please contact Jenny Koch at [email protected], or 719-424-7814.

Electric Safari is made possible in partnership with:

Visit Children's Hospital Colorado's Website
Visit Toyota of Colorado Springs and Corwin Toyota Colorado Springs' Website
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