For 2026, both of Lincoln's big holiday light shows are walk-through only. The Nebraska Christmas Lights Show is moving to the Sandhills Global Event Center and will not offer a drive-through. Zoo Lights Powered by LES at Lincoln Children's Zoo has always been a walk-through. That leaves no confirmed drive-through display in Lincoln this season. The closest one that has published dates is ChristmasLand in Valley.
That changes how you plan a lights night. With a drive-through, you load the car, turn up the heater and go when it suits you. A walk-through means picking a ticket type, an arrival time and a warm coat. Lincoln's two big walk-throughs also handle those things very differently.
What Changed at the Nebraska Christmas Lights Show
10/11 NOW reported on October 12 that organizers are moving the show from Star City Shores to the Sandhills Global Event Center to make room for growing crowds. They said the old site had become too small.
The format changed along with the venue. You park, then walk a lit trail to a Christmas Village with 10 themed rooms. The station's report says plainly that no drive-through will be offered.
Visit Lincoln's event listing puts the show at 4100 N. 84th Street, open 5:30 to 10 p.m. every night. 10/11 NOW lists the season as Nov. 19 through Dec. 27, with tickets at $15 per person and free admission for children 2 and younger.
The show's own website gives slightly different details, so check it before you go. Right now, nebraskachristmaslightsshow.com lists a November 13 through January 1 season and says only children age 1 and under get in free. It also shows the $15 general admission marked down from $20. The site says tickets are sold online or at the gate and the show runs rain or shine. If the earlier opening or the later closing date matters to your plans, the official site will have the final word.
Two Walk-Throughs With Different Rules
Now that both big shows are on foot, they're easy to lump together. They work differently in the ways that matter on a weeknight with kids in tow, though.
Zoo Lights uses timed tickets. The Lincoln Children's Zoo event page sells general admission in 15-minute entry slots from 6 to 8 p.m. It warns that dates and times will sell out, and that once a slot is gone, you can't buy it at the gate. The zoo's Zoo Lights FAQ says the same about gate sales. The Nebraska Christmas Lights Show sells at the gate and runs until 10 p.m. Its website doesn't mention timed entry.
| Nebraska Christmas Lights Show | Zoo Lights Powered by LES | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Sandhills Global Event Center, 4100 N. 84th St. | Lincoln Children's Zoo, 1222 S. 27th St. |
| 2026 dates | Nov. 19 to Dec. 27, per 10/11 NOW | Nov. 20 to Dec. 30 |
| Hours | 5:30 to 10 p.m. daily | 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. |
| Entry | Online or at the gate | Timed slots, 6 to 8 p.m. general admission |
| Adult price | $15 | $16.95 nonmember, $13.95 member |
| Extras | 10 themed rooms in a Christmas Village | Holiday train ride, $3 |
| Holiday closures | Website says open on holidays | Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day |
If you want a later night out, the gap in hours is the deciding factor. The last general admission slot at the zoo is 8 p.m. At 84th Street, you can still walk in two hours after that.
The zoo's VIP ticket works around the timed slots. It costs $25.95 for nonmembers and $22.95 for members, allows entry at 5:30 p.m. or anytime during the evening, and includes the train ride. Every Zoo Lights ticket is non-refundable. You can transfer one to someone else only if you bought Ticket Assurance. So if your plans might shift because of weather or a sick kid, keep that in mind before you buy.
The zoo calls Zoo Lights one of the largest light displays in the Midwest. It includes light shows set to holiday music, hanging vine lights, light tunnels, more than 30 lit animal silhouettes, and s'mores and hot cocoa stations. Guests 21 and older can get adult hot cocoa, hot cider, beer and wine every evening. Ticket money helps support the zoo and its animals through the winter.
What a Family of Four Pays
Walk-through tickets are priced per person, while drive-throughs usually charge per car. That makes a big difference for larger groups. Here's a family of four, two adults and two children over age 2:
- Nebraska Christmas Lights Show: $60. The show charges one price for seniors, adults and kids ages 2 to 18.
- Zoo Lights, nonmember general admission: $67.80, or $79.80 if all four ride the train.
- Zoo Lights, member general admission: $55.80, or $67.80 with the train.
- ChristmasLand Drive-Thru in Valley: $40 for the car, whatever the headcount.
At the zoo, the youngest children get in free because tickets are required only for ages 2 and up. At the Nebraska Christmas Lights Show, the free age depends on which source you read. 10/11 NOW says 2 and younger, while the show's website says 1 and under. If you have a 2-year-old, check before you buy.
For a family that lives near the zoo and already has a membership, the zoo comes out cheapest of the Lincoln options. For a family of four or more without a membership, the 84th Street show is cheaper than nonmember Zoo Lights before anyone even rides the train.
The Nights the Calendar Splits
The two shows overlap from Nov. 20 through Dec. 27, so for most of the season you can pick either. The exceptions are the nights when relatives are in town and everyone wants to get out of the house.
- Thanksgiving night. Zoo Lights is closed. The Nebraska Christmas Lights Show's website says it's open on holidays.
- Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Same pattern. The zoo is closed, and the 84th Street show's holiday-hours note applies.
- Dec. 28 through Dec. 30. In 10/11 NOW's schedule, the Nebraska Christmas Lights Show has closed by then, while Zoo Lights runs through Dec. 30. If the show's website is right about a January 1 close, both are open these nights. Check before you count on it.
- Nov. 19. Opening night on 84th Street comes one day before Zoo Lights begins on Nov. 20.
If you're hosting over the holidays, the Thanksgiving and Christmas closures are the ones to plan around. On those nights, Lincoln's single open walk-through is the one on 84th Street.
The Drive-Through That Remains Is in Valley
The other big change this season came from a private home. In December 2025, 10/11 NOW reported that a family just east of Lincoln was putting up its Christmas lights display for the last time after more than 30 years. The family called it "our family gift to the community." Taken together, that retirement and the 84th Street show's switch to walking leave Lincoln without either one as a drive-by option in 2026.
The nearest drive-through with published dates is ChristmasLand Drive-Thru at 4979 N. 252nd Street in Valley. It's open nightly from Nov. 7 through Jan. 3, and booking is open for the 2026 season. Tickets cost $40 per vehicle, and one ticket covers everyone in the car. From Lincoln, that's a real road trip, so it works better as a weekend outing than a quick weeknight drive. It also opens nearly two weeks before either Lincoln walk-through.
So the drive-through is still around, it's just farther away. On a cold night in Lincoln, the choices are hats and gloves, a zoo ticket booked for a set time, or a gate ticket at 84th Street before 10 p.m.
If you're having family in for the holidays and want help mapping out a lights night between Lincoln and the Gretna and Elkhorn side of the metro, Melissa Ruff is glad to share the local calendar she keeps. Reach out anytime through Contact Me, whether you're planning the outing or just want to know which nights will be busiest.
