As for the Holiday Lights...I think I would give i...

As for the Holiday Lights...I think I would give it 3 stars. There are lots of lights around the zoo. The animal shapes are nice but some of the lantern displays really take the cake. There are some lovely scenes with the lantern animals. The lights are spread out enough to socially distance but barely. There are still crowds in the larger areas, espcially the lines. The lines to see some of the lantern displays and some other displays can get long with people failry close (less than 6 feet) to each other. I was glad to see mostly everyone was wearing a mask though. We went for 6 PM on a Tuesday and t was more crowded than I thought. I would suggest maybe going later on (8 PM or so since I believe most people aim for the 5pm and 6pm times). Parking is $17 unless you are a Zoo/WCS member. There is street parking nearby along Southern Blvd, but during that time in the evening, it may be hard to get a spot. Overall we had a good time, more so because we were members and got free parking and 40% off tickets discount. If I was not a member and had to pay full price ($35 adult, $22 kids) for tickets plus an additional $17 for parking, I don't think it would be worth it. Keep in mind that those prices are for "admission only" to see the lights. Like any other venue, everything else is an additional charge and you can expect to pay top dollar for food, drinks and souvenirs. A family of four could easily spend $160+ ($130 alone on admission and parking) during their visit to the Holiday Lights. We were able to see everything in about 1.5 hours. You can add another 30 mnutes or so if you want to do some activities. (i.e. smores)

Bronx Zoo itself is five stars as its always been...even now during COVID. Tickets can be obtained in advance online. They have timed tickets to avoid over crowding. Even on a free Wednesday, it was very empty earlier in the morning. Everyone seemed very compliant with wearing masks. There is lots of parking along and around Southern Blvd. I believe the alternate side there is on Thursday and Friday, so you should have no problem finding a spot on the other days. There were a bunch of open spots available when I visited on 10 AM on a Wednesay...I snagged a spot right near the South Blvd. pedestrian entrance which is near 183rd street. Lots of hand sanitizing stations throughout the zoo as well. Most of the concession stands ar closed due to COVID, understandably. Also some animal may be indoors depending on the weather. Be sure to check ahead on the website or app. All staff were friendly and helpful. I remember coming to the zoo during the winter in the past and it is like you have the zoo to yourself...and this year with COVID it seems to be even emptier. It is also a great place to walk so condier getting an annual membership which also gets you access to 3 other zoos around NYC. Lastly, be sure to talk to zookeepers/attendants if you see them around. Most are very knowledgable...its always nice to get to learn a few facts about the animals from someone with hands-on experience.