West Orange, NJ – The free Annual Essex County Holiday Lights Spectacular at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo begins on Friday, November 20 for weekend nights in November and is open nightly starting December 4, with more than a million lights lighting up the nights.
“We invite the public to make this Essex County holiday tradition your family tradition! Turtle Back Zoo will be turned into a Winter Wonderland, with extraordinary seasonal lighting exhibits and costumed characters. Stroll the landscaped paths of our Zoo and admire the illuminated images of everything from toy soldiers to penguins,” said Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. DiVincenzo. “We are offering free admission to make this exciting attraction available to everyone. We also are encouraging our visitors to bring non-perishable food items, new unwrapped toys, and new and gently used winter coats to help our families in need.”
Free admission is being offered at The Holiday Lights Spectacular, which will be held as follows:
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday, November 20, 21 & 22
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday, November 27, 28 & 29
- Nightly from Friday, December 4 to Thursday, December 31
Time: 5 to 9 p.m. each night
Location: Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex
Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, NJ
The Holiday Lights Spectacular will be closed on December 24 and 25.
About 50 animal and holiday-themed figures will light up the winter night in Turtle Back Zoo and the surrounding Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex. Over one million lights will illuminate figures of bears, tigers and elephants, along with holiday lights designed to look like wooden soldiers, stars and winter scenes. Several animal exhibits will be open, including the Essex Farm, Tam-ring Gibbons Reserve, Amazing Asia and the Reptile Building.
The Zoo is also collecting non-perishable food items; new, unwrapped toys; and new or gently used winter coats. Items will be donated to several organizations that provide assistance to the needy. Donations collected over the years have amounted to over 184 tons of non-perishable food, 365,000 toys and 25,000 winter coats.
Myrtle the Turtle, the mascot of Turtle Back Zoo, and several of his winter friends will be on hand to greet visitors at the Zoo.
Also part of the festivities are Meet and Greet photos with Santa Claus and Ms. Claus. Personal photos are allowed; professional photos may be purchased on site. No appointments are needed.
Meet and Greet with Santa and Mrs. Claus will be held as follows:
- Friday to Sunday, November 20-22, 2026
- Friday to Sunday, November 27-29, 2026
- Friday to Sunday, December 4-6, 2026
- Friday to Sunday, December 11-13, 2026
- Daily from December 16-23, 2025
Times: 5 to 8:30 p.m. (Lines may close earlier)
Location: Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, NJ
Jump, hop or slither to the Berson Family Center and join TBZ educators for this year’s Winter Storytime. Wear your favorite seasonal outfit, listen to an animal-themed story read by a zoo staff member, enjoy a snack, and meet a new animal friend. Programs last approximately 45 minutes. This is a family-friendly event recommended for families with children ages 8 and younger. All attendees must have a ticket; children under 2 are free. Fee is $10/participant and does not include zoo admission.
Winter Storytime will be held as follows:
Dates and Times:
- Thursday, December 17 & Friday, December 18 at 6 p.m.
- Saturday, December 19 & Sunday, December 20 at 2:30 & 3:30 p.m.
Location: Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, Berson Education Center, 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, NJ
Other special events include the following:
Ice Carving Demonstrations, starting at 6 p.m. in the amphitheater: Fridays, November 20 & 27 and December 4, 11 & 18
Princess Holiday Appearance in the Picnic Area: Fridays, December 4 & 11 and Saturdays, December 5 & 12
Superhero Holiday Appearance in the Picnic Area: Sundays, December 6 and 13
Don’t Be a Grinch Weekend in the Picnic Area: Friday to Sunday, December 18 to 20
The Essex County Holiday Lights Spectacular is sponsored by PSE&G, Reworld (formerly Covanta Energy), the Zoological Society of New Jersey and the Essex County Parks Foundation. Hot chocolate and other refreshments will be available for purchase. For more information, call Essex County Turtle Back Zoo at 973-731-5800 or visit www.essexcountynj.org.
The Zoo is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $22 for adults, $19 for children and senior citizens, and free for children younger than 2 years. For more information, visit www.essexcountynj.org/turtlebackzoo or call 973-731-5800.
