# Christmas break with kids in Colorado Springs, 2026

> What to do with kids in Colorado Springs over Christmas break, from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. We read the holiday hours posted by two museums, zoos and play places: none of them opens on Christmas Day. Plus five dated outings on Christmas Eve and the days in between.

- Last checked: 2026-10-21
- 2 places’ holiday hours; 7 dated outings
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/christmas-break/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/colorado-springs/llms.txt

## Open or closed: Dec 24, Dec 25 and Jan 1

- **Garden of the Gods Park**: Christmas Eve not posted; Christmas Day closed; New Year’s Day closed. Their page says: “Park Hours: 5 am – 10 pm | Visitor & Nature Center: 9 am – 5 pm (Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day)” Source: https://gardenofgods.com/ (checked 2026-10-21)
- **Western Museum of Mining & Industry**: Christmas Eve not posted; Christmas Day closed; New Year’s Day closed. Their page says: “Open year-round (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day)” Source: https://wmmi.org/plan-your-visit/admission-hours-tours-location.html (checked 2026-10-21)

## Christmas Eve

- **Santa Photos at Chapel Hills Mall** at Chapel Hills Mall, 1710 Briargate Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. When: Nov 20–Dec 24, 2026 (closed Thanksgiving). Time: Most days 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Dec 24 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; hours change by day, full schedule on the booking page. Price: See photo packages on the booking page. Walk-ups welcome; booking a 15-minute slot online is encouraged (a few families share each slot). Official page: https://whereissanta.com/mall/1183 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Santa Photos at The Citadel Mall** at The Citadel Mall, 750 Citadel Drive East, Colorado Springs, CO 80909. When: Nov 27–Dec 24, 2026. Time: Most days 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Dec 24 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; hours change by day, full schedule on the booking page. Price: See photo packages on the booking page. Walk-ups welcome; booking a 15-minute slot online is encouraged (a few families share each slot). Pet photo nights on 2 evenings (Nov 30, Dec 7). Official page: https://whereissanta.com/mall/0414 (checked 2026-10-19)

## Between Christmas and New Year’s (Dec 26–30)

- **Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo** at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd., Colorado Springs, CO. When: Dec 2, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027. Time: From 5:30pm; ends 8:30pm. Price: See the zoo’s ticket page. The zoo’s lights festival, ranked among the best zoo lights in North America by USA Today 10Best readers. Official page: https://www.cmzoo.org/events/electric-safari-dec-2-jan-1-2027/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Magic of Lights at Pikes Peak International Raceway** at Pikes Peak International Raceway, 16650 Midway Ranch Rd, Fountain, CO 80817. When: Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027. Time: Sun–Thu 5:30–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat 5:30–10 p.m. Price: Per car; November-only tickets from $18.50 online. Drive-through LED scenes, plus a holiday village stop with Santa. Official page: https://magicoflights.com/locations/colorado-springs-co/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Skate in the Park** at Acacia Park, Downtown. When: Nov 13 – Jan 31. The area’s only outdoor ice rink. Schedule, special events and tickets are on the Downtown Colorado Springs site. Official page: https://www.downtowncs.com/event/skate-in-the-park/ (checked 2026-10-20)

## New Year’s Eve and Day

- **Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo** at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd., Colorado Springs, CO. When: Dec 2, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027. Time: From 5:30pm; ends 8:30pm. Price: See the zoo’s ticket page. The zoo’s lights festival, ranked among the best zoo lights in North America by USA Today 10Best readers. Official page: https://www.cmzoo.org/events/electric-safari-dec-2-jan-1-2027/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Magic of Lights at Pikes Peak International Raceway** at Pikes Peak International Raceway, 16650 Midway Ranch Rd, Fountain, CO 80817. When: Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027. Time: Sun–Thu 5:30–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat 5:30–10 p.m. Price: Per car; November-only tickets from $18.50 online. Drive-through LED scenes, plus a holiday village stop with Santa. Official page: https://magicoflights.com/locations/colorado-springs-co/ (checked 2026-10-29)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
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## FAQ

### What’s open on Christmas Day in Colorado Springs with kids?
Of the two places we checked, none posts Christmas Day hours as open; Garden of the Gods Park and Western Museum of Mining & Industry are closed. A park or a drive past the lights is the easy plan.

### What can we do with kids on Christmas Eve in Colorado Springs?
On the calendar: Santa Photos at Chapel Hills Mall and Santa Photos at The Citadel Mall.

### What’s open on New Year’s Day in Colorado Springs?
None of the places that post New Year’s Day hours says it’s open.

### What can we do with kids on New Year’s Day in Colorado Springs?
On the calendar for Jan 1: Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Magic of Lights at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Check each one’s own page before you go, since holiday hours can change.

### What is there to do with kids between Christmas and New Year’s in Colorado Springs?
Electric Safari at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Magic of Lights at Pikes Peak International Raceway and Skate in the Park. Check each one’s calendar for the exact nights; some close on certain days.

### How do you check these holiday hours?
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 21, 2026, and we recheck them in early December and again the week before Christmas. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).