Nightly through Jan. 1 (closed Christmas Eve), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road; $9.25 adult, $8.25 (65 and over) $6.25 (age 3-11), free for children under 2; cmzoo.org or 633-9925

Something else:

Pueblo Zoo ElectriCritters, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 11-13, 18-23, 26 and 27, 3455 Nuckolls Ave., Pueblo; $5-$7; pueblozoo.org.

Denver Zoo Lights, 5:30-9 p.m. through Jan. 3, 2300 Steele St., Denver; $9-$13; denverzoo.org.

Electric Safari shows Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in a different light – 50 acres of them, to be precise. When the nation’s only mountaintop zoo plugs in for the 25th year of its holiday showcase, things will be brighter than ever, with more bulbs, new features and included exhibits.

“The entire zoo is lit up with more lights than you can possibly count and we have lots of new light sculptures that are amazing. I think we’re up to about 85 sculptures now, all created in-house by our horticulture and maintenance departments,” said public relations manager Erica Meyer. “We have some great welders on the maintenance team.”

The zoo normally closes at 5 p.m., but – for the event’s 24-night run – Electric Safari visitors can experience what happens at Cheyenne Mountain after the public goes home.

“Visiting the zoo at night, not only are you surrounded by all these lights and peaceful atmosphere, but you can see what the animals are up to at night,” Meyer said. “You can hear wolves howling, which is something you won’t experience during the day, and sometimes our tigers are really active at night, which is really fun to see.”

The event also features special keeper talks, a soundtrack of holiday music and warming stations with roaring fires and hot chocolate.

“You’re also on the mountain so you’re going to get to look out over Colorado Springs, which is lit up with its own thousands of lights. The views are just really breathtaking,” Meyer said. “It’s really a unique experience.”

Stephanie Earls, The Gazette, 636,0364, stephanie.earls@gazettedev.gazette.com