Houston Zoo Lights

Book ahead. Tickets are for a specific date, so this is not an event you decide on at 5pm. Pick a weeknight if you have any flexibility at all; the difference in crowding between a Tuesday in early December and the Saturday before Christmas is the difference between a pleasant walk and a queue.

Getting there is easier than most people assume, and cheaper. The zoo's own directions point drivers at the free Hermann Park lots — G, F, E, H and I are a five to ten minute walk to the entrance — so there is no reason to hunt for paid parking. On METRORail, take the Red Line to Memorial Hermann Hospital/Houston Zoo and walk about ten minutes through the Commons, or to Hermann Park/Rice U and come in through the Japanese Gardens. Standard rail fare is $1.25, and children five and under ride free.

This season runs 19 November to 3 January, 5:30 to 10:30pm with last entry at 9:30. It is closed on 9 December and Christmas Eve, and for the first time it opens on Christmas night. Tickets let you arrive any time after your slot, so there is no rush once you are in. Prices are on the zoo's ticket site; children two and under are free, and military, first responders and educators get 10% off with ID.

It is a walking route in the open air on the coldest nights Houston gets. Dress for standing still rather than for the drive over.