How many of Lincoln's big light shows can you still see without leaving the car?
Last season, the Nebraska Christmas Lights Show was a drive-through. 10/11 NOW reported in December 2025 that it ran between 27th Street and Nebraska Parkway, with nearly one million synchronized lights, and stayed open daily until January 1. For 2026 it has moved across town and dropped the car entirely. It joins Zoo Lights as a show you see on foot. The nearest confirmed drive-through now sits in Valley, and online tickets there come with an arrival window.
The change affects how the whole season gets planned. In 2026, the major light displays within reach of Lincoln ask you either to get out of the car or to commit to a time ahead, and sometimes both. A good December evening depends on knowing which show asks for which.
The show that outgrew Star City Shores
10/11 NOW reported on October 12 that the organizers moved the Nebraska Christmas Lights Show to the Sandhills Global Event Center to make room for growing attendance. They said Star City Shores, the previous site, had become too small for the event. With the move came a new format. Guests park, walk a lit trail and reach a Christmas Village of 10 themed rooms. The station reported that no drive-through version will be offered.
Visit Lincoln's event listing puts the show at 4100 N. 84th Street. It runs November 19 through December 27, 5:30 to 10 p.m., every day of the run. The 10 rooms named on the show's own site are:
- Nutcracker
- Snow Globe
- Christmas Tree
- North Hall
- Gingerbread House
- Elf Workshop
- Mrs. Claus Kitchen
- Mischief
- Santa
- Nativity
The operator advertises more than one million lights synchronized to music. General admission is listed at $15 per person, marked down from $20, and seniors, adults and kids 2 to 18 all pay the same price. The two sources disagree on which young children get in free. The operator's page says age 1 and under. 10/11 NOW reported age 2 and under. Families with a 2-year-old should check before they buy.
The dates need a check too. The operator's homepage still shows "Nov 13 - Jan 1." That is close to the window the 2025 show used at Nebraska Parkway, which ran through January 1. Both 10/11 NOW and Visit Lincoln give November 19 through December 27 for this year, and this post uses those dates. A quick look at the operator's site before your visit settles it.
Two walk-through shows, two ways to commit
With both big Lincoln shows now on foot, the real difference between them is how far ahead you have to decide.
The Nebraska Christmas Lights Show sells tickets online or at the gate. The operator says it runs in most weather, and its homepage says "rain or shine." For severe weather, it asks visitors to check the website or call before heading out. In practice, that means you can decide the same night, as long as the forecast cooperates.
Zoo Lights Powered by LES at Lincoln Children's Zoo works the other way. It is a timed-ticket event. General admission slots run every 15 minutes from 6 to 8 p.m. The zoo says ticket dates and times will sell out, and that once they do, no tickets are sold at the gate. All tickets are non-refundable. They can be transferred only if you bought Ticket Assurance.
| Nebraska Christmas Lights Show | Zoo Lights Powered by LES | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Sandhills Global Event Center, 4100 N. 84th St. | Lincoln Children's Zoo |
| 2026 dates | Nov. 19 to Dec. 27 | Nov. 20 to Dec. 30 |
| Hours | 5:30 to 10 p.m. daily | 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day |
| Entry | Online or at the gate | Timed entry, 6 to 8 p.m. general admission; 5:30 p.m. or anytime with VIP |
| Listed price | $15 per person, regularly $20 | $13.95 zoo member, $16.95 non-member; holiday train ride $3 |
| If plans change | Check site or call for severe weather | Non-refundable; transferable only with Ticket Assurance |
At listed prices, a family of four with everyone over age 2 would pay $60 at the Christmas Lights Show. The same family would pay $67.80 for non-member general admission at Zoo Lights, or $55.80 as zoo members, before any train rides. Prices are close. Flexibility is where the two shows differ.
The zoo pairs that structure with more on site. It lists light shows choreographed to holiday music, hanging vine lights, light tunnels, more than 30 lit animal silhouettes, holiday train rides, and s'mores and hot cocoa stations. Guests 21 and older can get adult hot cocoa, hot cider, beer and wine every evening. Proceeds support the zoo and its animals through the winter months.
Zoo Lights also opens one day earlier than last year. 10/11 NOW reported in October 2025 that the 2025 run began November 21. It closed on December 30, the same end date as this year.
The nearest drive-through means a trip to Valley
Households that want lights through a windshield, whether for a sleeping toddler, a cold night or an older relative who would rather stay seated, now have a longer drive. The closest confirmed 2026 option is ChristmasLand at 4979 N. 252nd Street in Valley. It opens nightly November 7 through January 3, 5 to 10 p.m. The route runs more than two miles and is meant to be seen from inside the car. Tickets are $40 per vehicle, and one ticket covers one vehicle however many people are inside.
This option takes some planning too. Buying online means choosing a 30-minute arrival window, and the site says the drive takes about 30 to 40 minutes, with gates closing at 10 p.m. Tickets are also sold at the gate, but ChristmasLand recommends buying ahead to lock in your date and avoid sellouts. Add the drive from Lincoln, and of the three shows, the Christmas Lights Show at Sandhills Global Event Center is the easiest to decide on the same night. You just have to be willing to walk.
For a full carload, the per-vehicle price changes the math. Four people pay the same $40 as two. That is less per person than either Lincoln show, though the drive adds time and fuel.
How the season lines up
From publication day, here is the season in order, with the dates above put on one calendar.
- Saturday, November 7. ChristmasLand opens in Valley, the first of the three.
- Thursday, November 19. The Nebraska Christmas Lights Show opens at Sandhills Global Event Center.
- Friday, November 20. Zoo Lights opens. The day before is a good time to book timed tickets for any date you are set on.
- Thursday, November 26. Zoo Lights is closed for Thanksgiving. The other two shows list no Thanksgiving closure.
- Saturday, December 12. Wax Buffalo's Winter Market on O Street runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 727 O Street, under the bridge. It ends 30 minutes before the walk-through shows open.
- Thursday, December 24, and Friday, December 25. Zoo Lights is closed both nights.
- Sunday, December 27. Last night of the Nebraska Christmas Lights Show, based on the 10/11 NOW and Visit Lincoln dates.
- Wednesday, December 30. Last night of Zoo Lights.
- Sunday, January 3. Last night at ChristmasLand.
The last week of December thins out quickly. Zoo Lights is dark on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and the Christmas Lights Show closes two days later. That leaves Zoo Lights for December 28 through 30 and ChristmasLand as the only option into the new year. If out-of-town guests arrive after Christmas and want to see the zoo, book their slots well before they land.
The State Capitol has its own tradition building. 10/11 NOW reported in August that the Nebraska State Capitol Commission was looking for a donated evergreen for its 2026 holiday celebrations and performances, with donors recognized at the annual tree-lighting ceremony. The commission had not announced a ceremony date as of late October.
Holiday evenings are also when many households start talking about next year, whether that means a move closer to family or a smaller home after the kids have left. If those conversations are starting at your table this season, Black Tie Realty is glad to talk through what comes next, calmly and when you're ready. Let's Begin.
