At Clifton Mill the gorge goes black every hour on the hour. Five million bulbs go out at once, the covered bridge, the hundred-foot curtain of light falling into the Little Miami, and for a moment there is nothing to see. Kids notice the dark before they notice the lights. Then it comes back up and the countdown to the next blackout starts.
The holiday events for kids in Ohio start earlier than that. Cincinnati Zoo opens the PNC Festival of Lights on November 19 and runs it to January 3. Columbus Zoo follows a night later. Toledo opens November 20 and then stays open every night through New Year's Eve, Christmas Day included.
Eighteen made the list, from a train that leaves Nelsonville with Santa aboard to a bowling alley where a pass swipe pays for a game. Eleven come with GetOut Ohio, a yearly membership covering zoos, museums, arcades and trampoline parks around the state. Seven sell their own tickets.
Book the Santa train first. The evening departures go before the afternoon ones. Then pick a zoo night, since Toledo requires a reservation and Cleveland charges less a day ahead. Keep the indoor list for the week between Christmas and New Year's. Families driving out of state can start with holiday events for kids in Oregon.
Holiday Events for Kids in Ohio at a Glance
Every event in the order it appears below, with a rough sense of how much of a day it takes.
Event
Area
Best For
How Long
PNC Festival of Lights
Cincinnati
Ages 3 to 10
2 to 3 hours
Wildlights
Powell, north of Columbus
A whole evening out
3 to 4 hours
Wild Winter Lights
Cleveland
Families who want the walk
90 minutes
Lights Before Christmas
Toledo
Santa without a long wait
2 to 3 hours
Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill
Clifton, near Springfield
The hour the lights go out
1 hour
Conservatory Aglow
Columbus
A warm night outdoors
2 hours
Wild Lights at Akron Zoo
Akron
Northeast Ohio families
2 hours
Santa Train
Nelsonville
Ages 2 to 8
2 hours
Holiday Junction
Cincinnati
Train-obsessed kids
2 to 3 hours
WinterFest
Mason, near Cincinnati
Tweens and teens
4 to 5 hours
Scene75 Columbus
Columbus
Rainy afternoons
2 hours
Recreations Outlet
Powell
Ages 1 to 6
90 minutes
Big Air Trampoline Park
Columbus, Polaris
Kids who need to move
90 minutes
Delaware Lanes
Delaware
A cheap afternoon
1 to 2 hours
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
Dayton
A cold Saturday
2 to 3 hours
AHA! A Hands-on Adventure
Lancaster
Ages 1 to 8
2 hours
The Web Extreme Entertainment
West Chester
A wide age spread
2 to 3 hours
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Cincinnati
Ages 9 and up
2 hours
Zoo Lights: Four Zoos, Four Different Nights
Cincinnati runs longest, and Columbus adds free rides once you are inside. Cleveland sells a drive-through on some weeknights, while Toledo skips no nights at all, which makes it the one for Christmas Day.
PNC Festival of Lights at Cincinnati Zoo (Cincinnati)
Five million lights sit behind the turnstiles, along with 65 animal lanterns built larger than life, a show that plays across Swan Lake, and Fiona's Fairyland. The festival takes over at 4 p.m. daily from November 19 through January 3, and the animals are out for the first hour before they head indoors.
Santa and Mrs. Claus hold court from 4 p.m., with their last night on December 23. Madcap Puppets perform at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30. The North Polar Express boards from 2:30 p.m. and runs a longer light tunnel this year. The zoo closes Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
GetOut Ohio covers one general admission, any day, no blackout dates. That admission is the festival ticket, and the zoo says so on its own site. Families driving up from Northern Kentucky use a GetOut Kentucky membership for the venues on their own side of the river.
Wildlights at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (Powell)
Two animated light shows play over Conservation Lake. New this season are a Starlight Safari of seven lit animal sculptures, a Bricktopia built from LEGO, and a Pixel Passage that kids walk through. The 12 Days of Wildlights train, the Yule Tide boat ride and the 1914 carousel cost nothing once you are through the gate.
Wildlights runs nightly November 20 through January 3, 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and an hour later on Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $34.95 for ages 10 to 59 and $27.95 for ages 3 to 9, under 3 free, with Franklin County residents paying less. Parking adds $12. The zoo closes Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
The gorillas and orangutans go to bed early, so a 4 p.m. arrival gets you both the animals and the lights on one ticket.
Wild Winter Lights at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (Cleveland)
Displays run through Twinkly Trail, Frosty Fun, Santa's Cabin, Glittering Galaxy and Gingerbread Lane, with a light show on the 50-foot tree. The carousel and the 4-D Rudolph screening are unlimited once you are in, and Santa photos cost nothing with your own camera.
Walk-through nights run select dates from November 19 to December 30, 5 to 9 p.m., with the last entry at 8:30. A day ahead costs $27 for non-members and $24 for members, against $29 on the day and $30 at the box office. Children 2 and under are free, and everyone 2 and up needs a ticket. The Eagle Zip adds $10 and the railroad $5. The event is dark Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Lights Before Christmas at Toledo Zoo (Toledo)
More than a million lights cover the grounds, with 200 illuminated animal images and an 85-foot Norway spruce the zoo calls the Big Tree. Santa sits in his lodge from 4 to 8 p.m. nightly November 20 through December 23. The ice slide, the indoor African Carousel and the Holly Jolly Express each cost $3.50, and a model railroad club runs trains from 5 p.m. every night.
Gates open at 3 p.m. November 20 through December 31, until 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reservations are required for everyone, members included, and the reservation holds your night. Adults pay $32, children 2 to 11 and seniors $29, under 2 free.
The season opens with 400 drones over the zoo on November 20 at 6 p.m. and again on November 21 at 7 p.m.
Lights You Walk Through
Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill (Clifton)
A mill, a covered bridge and a gorge above the Little Miami get wrapped in five million lights, including a 100-foot waterfall of bulbs and a 20-foot twinkling tree beside the water wheel. The bridge runs a synchronized light-and-music show. The Miniature Village and the Santa Claus Museum sit indoors.
Santa works the workshop here. Every 15 minutes he checks his list, climbs the chimney and loads the sleigh. On the hour, every light goes out.
Gates open at 5 p.m. and the lights run 6 to 9 p.m., November 27 through December 30. Tickets are $15 for ages 4 and up, free under 4, parking free, and cash moves the line faster. It closes New Year's Eve and an hour early December 24 and 25.
Conservatory Aglow at Franklin Park Conservatory (Columbus)
A 100-foot light tunnel, a life-sized Candyland board game and a winter dance party fill the gardens, and the Paul Busse Garden Railway sends nine G-scale trains along 1,122 feet of track past miniature buildings. The biomes stay warm and lit, which makes this the light show you can do in a sweater.
Aglow runs November 21 through January 3, 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and an hour later on Friday and Saturday. Adults pay $28.35 with the culture fee, children 3 to 12 $17.33, members about half. Tickets are sold by date and some nights sell out. It closes Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and December 2 and 3.
Wild Lights at Akron Zoo (Akron)
Santa Land, a Holly Jolly Hillside and lit moments through the animal habitats run 5 to 9 p.m. on select nights: November 20 and 21, November 27 and 28, December 4 and 5, December 11 to 13, December 18 to 23, December 26 and 27. Adults pay $20 to $27, children $16 to $23, and a low-sensory night exists for kids who find crowds hard.
Wild Lights sells its own ticket, so the pass does not cover it. What the pass covers is one general admission on any day the zoo is open, which puts the animals and indoor habitats within reach during break. Plan on two purchases for both. Akron sits a two-hour drive from Pittsburgh, where a GetOut Pittsburgh membership works the same way.
Christmas Events for Kids in Ohio: Trains, Santa, and a Model Railway Under Glass
Hocking Valley Scenic Railway Santa Train (Nelsonville)
Santa boards in Nelsonville and walks the train, stopping at every child with a candy cane and a question about the list. Coaches are heated and decorated inside and out, Christmas music plays over the speakers, and the trip runs about two hours to East Logan and back.
Trains leave Thursday through Sunday from November 28 through December 20, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekends and 6 p.m. on December 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19. Adults pay $26, children 3 to 12 $21, under 3 free on a lap. Paper tickets come from the depot on West Canal Street, so arrive 30 minutes early.
Holiday Junction at Cincinnati Museum Center (Cincinnati)
The Duke Energy Holiday Trains return for an 80th season with more than 300 rail cars and 50 locomotives, a garden railway with a scavenger hunt of hidden objects, a Northern Lights photo backdrop and a storybook on the history of the display. Santa arrives November 27 and receives visitors by the fireplace in the Ruthven Gallery.
Holiday Junction runs November 13 through January 4 inside Union Terminal, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and it shuts at 2 p.m. on November 25 and December 24. One museum admission covers it plus the Children's Museum and two more, and GetOut Ohio covers that admission on any day.
The One Night the Theme Park Stays Open Late
WinterFest at Kings Island (Mason)
The Eiffel Tower becomes a Christmas tree, a parade runs nightly, and ten shows play across the park, including a Charlie Brown Christmas sing-along and a big-band set. Sally's Christmas Crafts are for kids 12 and under, and Mrs. Claus runs a cookie kitchen. Snow Flake Lake opens for skating on a separate fee.
WinterFest runs select dates November 27 through December 31. Admission starts at $39 online and includes the event, and anyone 65 and over gets in free through the year.
Winter Break Indoors, on the Membership
By the week between Christmas and New Year's the lights have been seen and the weather has settled in. These eight are indoors, and all eight come with GetOut Ohio. A few tips for using the membership through winter cover what changes when the season turns.
Scene75 Columbus (Columbus)
An arcade floor with one free attraction per member, which covers the afternoon when one kid wants games and another wants nothing to do with them.
Recreations Outlet (Powell)
Open play on indoor play sets, scaled for toddlers and preschoolers, and an hour and a half handles the 1-to-6 crowd on a wet morning. The pass covers one open play admission.
Big Air Trampoline Park (Columbus)
Ninety minutes of jump time at Polaris, with foam pits for kids who launch themselves sideways. The offer runs once a quarter, so it covers one big afternoon.
Delaware Lanes (Delaware)
A classic bowling alley north of Columbus where the pass covers one game a month, shoes and extra games charged separately.
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (Dayton)
Hands-on science exhibits, a planetarium and live animals, open Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5. Admission is $16 for adults and $13 for children 3 to 12, and the pass covers one visit. It closes December 24, 25 and January 1. Dayton sits an hour from the Indiana line, and a GetOut Indiana membership covers the venues on that side.
AHA! A Hands-on Adventure (Lancaster)
More than 60 hands-on exhibits fill this small museum, built for children from 6 months to 8 years. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $8 a person, and the pass works Tuesday through Friday only. It also opens December 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and closes December 24, 25, 26 and January 1.
The Web Extreme Entertainment (West Chester)
Six attractions under one roof, from laser tag to go-karts, which helps when the group spans a 6-year-old and a 14-year-old. One admission comes with the pass, once a month.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati)
A serious museum on the Cincinnati riverfront, best for kids old enough to sit with the material. One general admission comes with the pass, once a year, any day it is open.
New Year's Events for Kids in Ohio: Countdowns Before Bedtime
Midnight is a stretch for most kids, and Ohio has answers for that.
Cincinnati Zoo holds Happy ZOO Year on December 31, its 18th year of running the festival into the evening for families who want the lights without the wait. The festival closes January 3, so New Year's week is the last stretch for the lanterns. Those who would rather start the year with a full calendar can read why members begin in January.
Kings Island builds several early countdowns into its New Year's Eve program on December 31, with fireworks at midnight for the families who stay. Toledo Zoo keeps gates open from 3 to 8 p.m. that day. Franklin Park Conservatory finishes its run with the Arch City Big Band in the Garden Pavilion from 6 to 9 p.m. Clifton Mill closes on New Year's Eve, so a family planning that night should pick a different stop.
Which One Fits Your Family
Work backwards from what the day needs to be. Six priorities, and the stop that answers each one.
If You Want
Go To
Why
The biggest light count in the state
Clifton Mill
Five million bulbs over a gorge, with a blackout every hour to break the spell
Lights with animals still awake
Cincinnati Zoo
The festival starts at 4 p.m. while the habitats are open, and animals are still out for the first hour
A first train ride
Hocking Valley Santa Train
Two hours, heated coaches, and Santa works the aisle
A warmer light show
Conservatory Aglow
The biomes are indoors and lit, so the coat stays zipped for the garden walk only
Something on Christmas Day
Toledo Zoo
The only zoo light show on this list that opens on December 25
Energy burned in an afternoon
Big Air Trampoline Park
Ninety minutes of jump time on the pass, indoors, no weather calls
What the Membership Covers
Eleven of the eighteen events come with GetOut Ohio. This is what each one hands over, and how often the offer can be used. Every one of these venues allows the offer on any day it is open unless the last column says otherwise, and how to use your GetOut membership covers the check-in side.
Venue
What the Pass Covers
How Often
Best Age
Cincinnati Zoo
One general admission, which is the Festival of Lights ticket after 4 p.m.
Once a year
3 and up
Cincinnati Museum Center
One admission covering Holiday Junction, the Children's Museum and two more museums
Once a year
4 and up
Akron Zoo
One daytime general admission. Wild Lights sells its own ticket
Once a year
3 and up
Scene75 Columbus
One free attraction
Once a year
6 and up
Recreations Outlet
One open play admission
Once a year
1 to 6
Big Air Trampoline Park
90 minutes of jump time
Once a quarter
6 and up
Delaware Lanes
One game of bowling
Once a month
5 and up
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
One visit
Once a year
3 to 10
AHA! A Hands-on Adventure
One admission, Tuesday to Friday only
Once a year
6 months to 8
The Web Extreme Entertainment
One admission
Once a month
7 and up
Freedom Center
One general admission
Once a year
9 and up
FAQ
Are the Cincinnati Zoo lights included with GetOut?
Yes. The zoo states that the PNC Festival of Lights comes with zoo admission, and GetOut Ohio covers one general admission on any day with no blackout dates. The festival runs November 19 through January 3 and starts at 4 p.m.
What is open on Christmas Day in Ohio for kids?
Toledo Zoo. Lights Before Christmas opens at 3 p.m. on December 25 with the grounds lit until 9. Clifton Mill also opens on December 25, with gates at 5 p.m. and an early close at 8. Cincinnati Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Cincinnati Museum Center, Franklin Park Conservatory and AHA! all close for the day.
Where do kids count down to New Year's in Ohio?
Cincinnati Zoo runs Happy ZOO Year on December 31, Kings Island holds several early countdowns before its midnight fireworks, and Toledo Zoo stays open from 3 to 8 p.m. that evening. The Santa Train has finished its season by then, and Clifton Mill closes for the night.
Which Ohio holiday events sell out?
The Hocking Valley Santa Train asks families to book as early as possible and the 6 p.m. departures go first. Toledo Zoo requires a reservation for every guest, members included. Franklin Park Conservatory sells by date and has sold-out nights. Zoo tickets are dated too, so a weekend in the last week of December is worth buying ahead.
At Clifton Mill the gorge goes black every hour on the hour. Five million bulbs go out at once, the covered bridge, the hundred-foot curtain of light falling into the Little Miami, and for a moment there is nothing to see. Kids notice the dark before they notice the lights. Then it comes back up and the countdown to the next blackout starts.
The holiday events for kids in Ohio start earlier than that. Cincinnati Zoo opens the PNC Festival of Lights on November 19 and runs it to January 3. Columbus Zoo follows a night later. Toledo opens November 20 and then stays open every night through New Year's Eve, Christmas Day included.
Eighteen made the list, from a train that leaves Nelsonville with Santa aboard to a bowling alley where a pass swipe pays for a game. Eleven come with GetOut Ohio, a yearly membership covering zoos, museums, arcades and trampoline parks around the state. Seven sell their own tickets.
Book the Santa train first. The evening departures go before the afternoon ones. Then pick a zoo night, since Toledo requires a reservation and Cleveland charges less a day ahead. Keep the indoor list for the week between Christmas and New Year's. Families driving out of state can start with holiday events for kids in Oregon.
Holiday Events for Kids in Ohio at a Glance
Every event in the order it appears below, with a rough sense of how much of a day it takes.
Event
Area
Best For
How Long
PNC Festival of Lights
Cincinnati
Ages 3 to 10
2 to 3 hours
Wildlights
Powell, north of Columbus
A whole evening out
3 to 4 hours
Wild Winter Lights
Cleveland
Families who want the walk
90 minutes
Lights Before Christmas
Toledo
Santa without a long wait
2 to 3 hours
Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill
Clifton, near Springfield
The hour the lights go out
1 hour
Conservatory Aglow
Columbus
A warm night outdoors
2 hours
Wild Lights at Akron Zoo
Akron
Northeast Ohio families
2 hours
Santa Train
Nelsonville
Ages 2 to 8
2 hours
Holiday Junction
Cincinnati
Train-obsessed kids
2 to 3 hours
WinterFest
Mason, near Cincinnati
Tweens and teens
4 to 5 hours
Scene75 Columbus
Columbus
Rainy afternoons
2 hours
Recreations Outlet
Powell
Ages 1 to 6
90 minutes
Big Air Trampoline Park
Columbus, Polaris
Kids who need to move
90 minutes
Delaware Lanes
Delaware
A cheap afternoon
1 to 2 hours
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
Dayton
A cold Saturday
2 to 3 hours
AHA! A Hands-on Adventure
Lancaster
Ages 1 to 8
2 hours
The Web Extreme Entertainment
West Chester
A wide age spread
2 to 3 hours
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Cincinnati
Ages 9 and up
2 hours
Zoo Lights: Four Zoos, Four Different Nights
Cincinnati runs longest, and Columbus adds free rides once you are inside. Cleveland sells a drive-through on some weeknights, while Toledo skips no nights at all, which makes it the one for Christmas Day.
PNC Festival of Lights at Cincinnati Zoo (Cincinnati)
Five million lights sit behind the turnstiles, along with 65 animal lanterns built larger than life, a show that plays across Swan Lake, and Fiona's Fairyland. The festival takes over at 4 p.m. daily from November 19 through January 3, and the animals are out for the first hour before they head indoors.
Santa and Mrs. Claus hold court from 4 p.m., with their last night on December 23. Madcap Puppets perform at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30. The North Polar Express boards from 2:30 p.m. and runs a longer light tunnel this year. The zoo closes Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
GetOut Ohio covers one general admission, any day, no blackout dates. That admission is the festival ticket, and the zoo says so on its own site. Families driving up from Northern Kentucky use a GetOut Kentucky membership for the venues on their own side of the river.
Wildlights at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (Powell)
Two animated light shows play over Conservation Lake. New this season are a Starlight Safari of seven lit animal sculptures, a Bricktopia built from LEGO, and a Pixel Passage that kids walk through. The 12 Days of Wildlights train, the Yule Tide boat ride and the 1914 carousel cost nothing once you are through the gate.
Wildlights runs nightly November 20 through January 3, 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and an hour later on Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $34.95 for ages 10 to 59 and $27.95 for ages 3 to 9, under 3 free, with Franklin County residents paying less. Parking adds $12. The zoo closes Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
The gorillas and orangutans go to bed early, so a 4 p.m. arrival gets you both the animals and the lights on one ticket.
Wild Winter Lights at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (Cleveland)
Displays run through Twinkly Trail, Frosty Fun, Santa's Cabin, Glittering Galaxy and Gingerbread Lane, with a light show on the 50-foot tree. The carousel and the 4-D Rudolph screening are unlimited once you are in, and Santa photos cost nothing with your own camera.
Walk-through nights run select dates from November 19 to December 30, 5 to 9 p.m., with the last entry at 8:30. A day ahead costs $27 for non-members and $24 for members, against $29 on the day and $30 at the box office. Children 2 and under are free, and everyone 2 and up needs a ticket. The Eagle Zip adds $10 and the railroad $5. The event is dark Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Lights Before Christmas at Toledo Zoo (Toledo)
More than a million lights cover the grounds, with 200 illuminated animal images and an 85-foot Norway spruce the zoo calls the Big Tree. Santa sits in his lodge from 4 to 8 p.m. nightly November 20 through December 23. The ice slide, the indoor African Carousel and the Holly Jolly Express each cost $3.50, and a model railroad club runs trains from 5 p.m. every night.
Gates open at 3 p.m. November 20 through December 31, until 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reservations are required for everyone, members included, and the reservation holds your night. Adults pay $32, children 2 to 11 and seniors $29, under 2 free.
The season opens with 400 drones over the zoo on November 20 at 6 p.m. and again on November 21 at 7 p.m.
Lights You Walk Through
Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill (Clifton)
A mill, a covered bridge and a gorge above the Little Miami get wrapped in five million lights, including a 100-foot waterfall of bulbs and a 20-foot twinkling tree beside the water wheel. The bridge runs a synchronized light-and-music show. The Miniature Village and the Santa Claus Museum sit indoors.
Santa works the workshop here. Every 15 minutes he checks his list, climbs the chimney and loads the sleigh. On the hour, every light goes out.
Gates open at 5 p.m. and the lights run 6 to 9 p.m., November 27 through December 30. Tickets are $15 for ages 4 and up, free under 4, parking free, and cash moves the line faster. It closes New Year's Eve and an hour early December 24 and 25.
Conservatory Aglow at Franklin Park Conservatory (Columbus)
A 100-foot light tunnel, a life-sized Candyland board game and a winter dance party fill the gardens, and the Paul Busse Garden Railway sends nine G-scale trains along 1,122 feet of track past miniature buildings. The biomes stay warm and lit, which makes this the light show you can do in a sweater.
Aglow runs November 21 through January 3, 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and an hour later on Friday and Saturday. Adults pay $28.35 with the culture fee, children 3 to 12 $17.33, members about half. Tickets are sold by date and some nights sell out. It closes Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and December 2 and 3.
Wild Lights at Akron Zoo (Akron)
Santa Land, a Holly Jolly Hillside and lit moments through the animal habitats run 5 to 9 p.m. on select nights: November 20 and 21, November 27 and 28, December 4 and 5, December 11 to 13, December 18 to 23, December 26 and 27. Adults pay $20 to $27, children $16 to $23, and a low-sensory night exists for kids who find crowds hard.
Wild Lights sells its own ticket, so the pass does not cover it. What the pass covers is one general admission on any day the zoo is open, which puts the animals and indoor habitats within reach during break. Plan on two purchases for both. Akron sits a two-hour drive from Pittsburgh, where a GetOut Pittsburgh membership works the same way.
Christmas Events for Kids in Ohio: Trains, Santa, and a Model Railway Under Glass
Hocking Valley Scenic Railway Santa Train (Nelsonville)
Santa boards in Nelsonville and walks the train, stopping at every child with a candy cane and a question about the list. Coaches are heated and decorated inside and out, Christmas music plays over the speakers, and the trip runs about two hours to East Logan and back.
Trains leave Thursday through Sunday from November 28 through December 20, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekends and 6 p.m. on December 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19. Adults pay $26, children 3 to 12 $21, under 3 free on a lap. Paper tickets come from the depot on West Canal Street, so arrive 30 minutes early.
Holiday Junction at Cincinnati Museum Center (Cincinnati)
The Duke Energy Holiday Trains return for an 80th season with more than 300 rail cars and 50 locomotives, a garden railway with a scavenger hunt of hidden objects, a Northern Lights photo backdrop and a storybook on the history of the display. Santa arrives November 27 and receives visitors by the fireplace in the Ruthven Gallery.
Holiday Junction runs November 13 through January 4 inside Union Terminal, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and it shuts at 2 p.m. on November 25 and December 24. One museum admission covers it plus the Children's Museum and two more, and GetOut Ohio covers that admission on any day.
The One Night the Theme Park Stays Open Late
WinterFest at Kings Island (Mason)
The Eiffel Tower becomes a Christmas tree, a parade runs nightly, and ten shows play across the park, including a Charlie Brown Christmas sing-along and a big-band set. Sally's Christmas Crafts are for kids 12 and under, and Mrs. Claus runs a cookie kitchen. Snow Flake Lake opens for skating on a separate fee.
WinterFest runs select dates November 27 through December 31. Admission starts at $39 online and includes the event, and anyone 65 and over gets in free through the year.
Winter Break Indoors, on the Membership
By the week between Christmas and New Year's the lights have been seen and the weather has settled in. These eight are indoors, and all eight come with GetOut Ohio. A few tips for using the membership through winter cover what changes when the season turns.
Scene75 Columbus (Columbus)
An arcade floor with one free attraction per member, which covers the afternoon when one kid wants games and another wants nothing to do with them.
Recreations Outlet (Powell)
Open play on indoor play sets, scaled for toddlers and preschoolers, and an hour and a half handles the 1-to-6 crowd on a wet morning. The pass covers one open play admission.
Big Air Trampoline Park (Columbus)
Ninety minutes of jump time at Polaris, with foam pits for kids who launch themselves sideways. The offer runs once a quarter, so it covers one big afternoon.
Delaware Lanes (Delaware)
A classic bowling alley north of Columbus where the pass covers one game a month, shoes and extra games charged separately.
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (Dayton)
Hands-on science exhibits, a planetarium and live animals, open Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5. Admission is $16 for adults and $13 for children 3 to 12, and the pass covers one visit. It closes December 24, 25 and January 1. Dayton sits an hour from the Indiana line, and a GetOut Indiana membership covers the venues on that side.
AHA! A Hands-on Adventure (Lancaster)
More than 60 hands-on exhibits fill this small museum, built for children from 6 months to 8 years. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $8 a person, and the pass works Tuesday through Friday only. It also opens December 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and closes December 24, 25, 26 and January 1.
The Web Extreme Entertainment (West Chester)
Six attractions under one roof, from laser tag to go-karts, which helps when the group spans a 6-year-old and a 14-year-old. One admission comes with the pass, once a month.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati)
A serious museum on the Cincinnati riverfront, best for kids old enough to sit with the material. One general admission comes with the pass, once a year, any day it is open.
New Year's Events for Kids in Ohio: Countdowns Before Bedtime
Midnight is a stretch for most kids, and Ohio has answers for that.
Cincinnati Zoo holds Happy ZOO Year on December 31, its 18th year of running the festival into the evening for families who want the lights without the wait. The festival closes January 3, so New Year's week is the last stretch for the lanterns. Those who would rather start the year with a full calendar can read why members begin in January.
Kings Island builds several early countdowns into its New Year's Eve program on December 31, with fireworks at midnight for the families who stay. Toledo Zoo keeps gates open from 3 to 8 p.m. that day. Franklin Park Conservatory finishes its run with the Arch City Big Band in the Garden Pavilion from 6 to 9 p.m. Clifton Mill closes on New Year's Eve, so a family planning that night should pick a different stop.
Which One Fits Your Family
Work backwards from what the day needs to be. Six priorities, and the stop that answers each one.
If You Want
Go To
Why
The biggest light count in the state
Clifton Mill
Five million bulbs over a gorge, with a blackout every hour to break the spell
Lights with animals still awake
Cincinnati Zoo
The festival starts at 4 p.m. while the habitats are open, and animals are still out for the first hour
A first train ride
Hocking Valley Santa Train
Two hours, heated coaches, and Santa works the aisle
A warmer light show
Conservatory Aglow
The biomes are indoors and lit, so the coat stays zipped for the garden walk only
Something on Christmas Day
Toledo Zoo
The only zoo light show on this list that opens on December 25
Energy burned in an afternoon
Big Air Trampoline Park
Ninety minutes of jump time on the pass, indoors, no weather calls
What the Membership Covers
Eleven of the eighteen events come with GetOut Ohio. This is what each one hands over, and how often the offer can be used. Every one of these venues allows the offer on any day it is open unless the last column says otherwise, and how to use your GetOut membership covers the check-in side.
Venue
What the Pass Covers
How Often
Best Age
Cincinnati Zoo
One general admission, which is the Festival of Lights ticket after 4 p.m.
Once a year
3 and up
Cincinnati Museum Center
One admission covering Holiday Junction, the Children's Museum and two more museums
Once a year
4 and up
Akron Zoo
One daytime general admission. Wild Lights sells its own ticket
Once a year
3 and up
Scene75 Columbus
One free attraction
Once a year
6 and up
Recreations Outlet
One open play admission
Once a year
1 to 6
Big Air Trampoline Park
90 minutes of jump time
Once a quarter
6 and up
Delaware Lanes
One game of bowling
Once a month
5 and up
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
One visit
Once a year
3 to 10
AHA! A Hands-on Adventure
One admission, Tuesday to Friday only
Once a year
6 months to 8
The Web Extreme Entertainment
One admission
Once a month
7 and up
Freedom Center
One general admission
Once a year
9 and up
FAQ
Are the Cincinnati Zoo lights included with GetOut?
Yes. The zoo states that the PNC Festival of Lights comes with zoo admission, and GetOut Ohio covers one general admission on any day with no blackout dates. The festival runs November 19 through January 3 and starts at 4 p.m.
What is open on Christmas Day in Ohio for kids?
Toledo Zoo. Lights Before Christmas opens at 3 p.m. on December 25 with the grounds lit until 9. Clifton Mill also opens on December 25, with gates at 5 p.m. and an early close at 8. Cincinnati Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Cincinnati Museum Center, Franklin Park Conservatory and AHA! all close for the day.
Where do kids count down to New Year's in Ohio?
Cincinnati Zoo runs Happy ZOO Year on December 31, Kings Island holds several early countdowns before its midnight fireworks, and Toledo Zoo stays open from 3 to 8 p.m. that evening. The Santa Train has finished its season by then, and Clifton Mill closes for the night.
Which Ohio holiday events sell out?
The Hocking Valley Santa Train asks families to book as early as possible and the 6 p.m. departures go first. Toledo Zoo requires a reservation for every guest, members included. Franklin Park Conservatory sells by date and has sold-out nights. Zoo tickets are dated too, so a weekend in the last week of December is worth buying ahead.
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