The frigid breeze balanced the warming lights. 40-degree weather met sunburnt Houstonians like water to a flame. And one perfect winter night was assured by silky hot chocolate, frostbitten noses, and familiar faces. I say familiar, but they all looked different this time of year. Not different, like how human skin pales in color and lips become frighteningly dry. All animals looked different because they were no longer living, moving beings. They were structures.
I’d been to the Houston Zoo many times before, but I’d never seen it like this. Open this year from November 17, 2023, to January 7, 2024, this year’s Houston Zoo lights captured the hearts of many locals and tourists alike. With attractions that perfectly depicted the animals in vibrant colors and fitting habitats, it was no secret that the lights have secured its place as one of my new favorite winter spots.
Maybe it was a combination of the company I was with, the way the cool air felt on my bundled jackets, or even because I thought free hot chocolate tasted infinitely better than the store-bought alternative, yet one thing was for certain. I enjoyed the zoo lights this year because of how perfectly they showcased the animals.
Beginning with my favorite exhibit of that evening, the jellyfish was the most lively of this year’s lights. However, I might be partially biased because I already think jellyfish in general are one of the most visually appealing animals out there. With their free-hanging tentacles and bulbous heads, something about jellyfish has always appeared so calming to me. They can sit in a pool of water for hours on end and remain perfectly content.
I think the zoo did a perfect job of capturing that calm. I know it sounds insane to say that inanimate lights could actually appear lifelike, but in their own way, they did. Dangling from loosely hanging strings above our heads, the wire-built jellyfish slowly moved in vertical motions above us. They might have been inordinately colored, but their shape, movement, and tentacles were enough to gain instant recognition from my three-year-old sister. “Jellyfish!” she cried out as we passed them.
Closely following the jellyfish exhibit were the flamingos. Yes, the flamingos were a vibrant pink, but it was more the background that captured my attention. Although, it’s true that no flamingos I’ve ever seen live in shiny trees, these zoo flamingos just seemed like they should’ve. In between each flamingo there were budding roses and enough yellow lights on the trees to be an exhibit on their own. Again I would be lying if I told you that the zoo lights actually convinced me that the structures were alive and moving, but they somehow made the flamingos appear lively in their own way. The lights at the display’s base transformed from green to blue settings and something about the way the changes made them flicker made the flamingos appear oddly bouncy.
The last animal exhibit on my list was the giraffes. The reason I mentioned them last was because they were comparatively less exciting than the other exhibits. But I’ve never been the biggest fan of giraffes anyway. They’re just tall. Regardless, this year’s giraffe lights were intriguing in both their placement and their detailed color.
The splotchy brown patches of light resting on the vibrant yellow skin appeared extremely close to accurate in itself. However, the way that the structures were placed peeking their heads just through the tree branches sealed the deal for me. Call me weird, but I’ve always thought giraffes to be kind of intimidating animals and the way they sneakily peeked out of the bushes seemed all too fitting to that image.
Finally, an honorable mention was this year’s flower exhibit. Sure, they weren’t zoolike and I’ve never seen any exhibit dedicated to them before, but they remained one of the things I remembered most about my experience there.
The neon greens and reds perfectly contrasted with the night and the flowers were oriented in a way that appeared like they could’ve naturally belonged there. I even saw one of the girls scream to pick one of them. There were roses, daisies, tulips, and bellflowers, which were all beautiful enough to have been in a bouquet on their own.
Now if you don’t want to pay money to see lights, then Lights in the Heights or even driving around your own neighborhood are definitely great alternative options. But if you’re willing to pay a little and be in momentary crowds, then believe me when I say that the Houston Zoo Lights will exceed your koalafications.
