# Christmas break with kids in Columbia, 2026

> What to do with kids in Columbia 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 four dated outings on Christmas Eve and the days in between.

- Last checked: 2026-10-21
- 2 places’ holiday hours; 5 dated outings
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/christmas-break/
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## Open or closed: Dec 24, Dec 25 and Jan 1

- **Leo’s Landing Inclusive Playground (Saluda Shoals Park)**: Christmas Eve not posted; Christmas Day closed; New Year’s Day not posted. Their page says: “Saluda Shoals Park is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.” Source: https://icrc.net/park/saluda-shoals-park (checked 2026-10-21)
- **Riverbanks Zoo & Garden**: Christmas Eve not posted; Christmas Day closed; New Year’s Day not posted. Their page says: “Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is open daily, except Thanksgiving and Christmas days.” Source: https://www.riverbanks.org/plan-your-visit/visitor-information (checked 2026-10-21)

## Christmas Eve

- **Santa Photos at Columbiana Centre** at Columbiana Centre, 100 Columbiana Circle, Columbia, SC 29212. When: Nov 21–Dec 24, 2026 (closed Thanksgiving). Time: Most days 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Dec 24 9 a.m.–6 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 8 evenings (Nov 23, Nov 24, Nov 30, Dec 1, Dec 7, Dec 8…). Official page: https://whereissanta.com/mall/0881 (checked 2026-10-19)

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

- **Fireflies Holiday Lights** at Segra Park, Segra Park, Columbia, SC. When: Nov 20, 2026–Jan 3, 2027. Time: 6–9pm (last entry 8:30pm). Price: See tickets online. More than 2 million lights. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day; NYE hours 5–8pm. Official page: https://www.firefliesholidaylights.com/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Wild Lights at Riverbanks** at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, 500 Wildlife Pkwy., Columbia, SC. When: Select nights Nov 20, 2026–Jan 10, 2027. Time: 5–9pm. Price: Tickets sold from Nov 2. Over 60 handcrafted wildlife lanterns, nightly snowfall and visits with Santa through Dec 23. Check the calendar for open nights. Official page: https://www.riverbanks.org/events/wild-lights (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Holiday Lights on the River** at Saluda Shoals Park, Saluda Shoals Park. When: Nightly Nov 25 – Dec 31, 2026. Time: 6–10 p.m. Price: $25 per car most nights; $30 Nov 28, Dec 5, 11, 13, 17 and 24; $35 Dec 12 and 18–23. Three miles of lights from the car. Tube slides, hayride and train ride, laser show and letters to Santa are included (no activities Thanksgiving night, Christmas Eve or Christmas night). Santa photos Nov 27–29, Dec 4–7, 11–13 and 17–23. Official page: https://www.icrc.net/event/holiday-lights-river-1 (checked 2026-10-29)

## New Year’s Eve and Day

- **Wild Lights at Riverbanks** at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, 500 Wildlife Pkwy., Columbia, SC. When: Select nights Nov 20, 2026–Jan 10, 2027. Time: 5–9pm. Price: Tickets sold from Nov 2. Over 60 handcrafted wildlife lanterns, nightly snowfall and visits with Santa through Dec 23. Check the calendar for open nights. Official page: https://www.riverbanks.org/events/wild-lights (checked 2026-10-18)

## 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 Columbia with kids?
Of the two places we checked, none posts Christmas Day hours as open; Leo’s Landing Inclusive Playground (Saluda Shoals Park) and Riverbanks Zoo & Garden are closed. A park or a drive past the lights is the easy plan.

### What can we do with kids on Christmas Eve in Columbia?
On the calendar: Santa Photos at Columbiana Centre.

### What can we do with kids on New Year’s Day in Columbia?
On the calendar for Jan 1: Wild Lights at Riverbanks. 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 Columbia?
Fireflies Holiday Lights, Wild Lights at Riverbanks and Holiday Lights on the River. 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/).