Sensory-Friendly Christmas at the Zoo

Low sensory: reduced sound, smell, and flashing lights. Calming room in the HIX Institute across from Oceans. KultureCity sensory bags free to borrow. Some lighting and sound stay at normal levels for safety.

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About this adventure

The Indianapolis Zoo runs two low-sensory nights inside Christmas at the Zoo, on Wednesday, December 2 and Wednesday, December 16, from 5 to 9 p.m. Music is reduced or turned off, flashing lights are made solid where the zoo can do it, and signs warn guests where lights cannot change. Thematic smells are off for the evening. Animal chats skip voice amplifiers, and the dolphin presentation uses less light change and lower volume. A calming room is open in the HIX Institute across from Oceans for guests who need a quiet stop. KultureCity sensory bags and lap pads can be borrowed at no charge, the same as on other days. The zoo notes that some lighting and sound stay at normal levels for safety. The Christmas at the Zoo page, opened the same day, says the season is included in admission and repeats these two Wednesdays. Christmas at the Zoo itself is already listed, so only these sensory nights are a new record. Both zoo pages were read through Cloudflare Browser Run; the clock times are printed as local evening hours.