He’s the real deal, agree two siblings bounding out of Santa’s gazebo at the Greensboro Science Center’s Winter Wonderlights event. How else would he know about flamingos’ superpower — that they can survive in the Andes Mountains when temperatures dip to 20 degrees and their lake freezes? And in Tanzania, where water temperatures rise all the way to 140 degrees? He’s obviously traveled the world!
Santa lets out a hearty belly laugh. “I like to relate my conversations with kids to the animals we have here at the Greensboro Science Center.” Also known as Ron Durham, Santa moonlights as a docent in the off-season. “If they tell me they love dinosaurs, I explain about how the cassowary — and how it’s more similar to ancient dinosaurs than most other birds.”
Maybe it’s because Santa adds a touch of magic to the air. Or maybe it’s the Christmas “fountains,” where sparkling lights simulate water dancing to holiday classics from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It could be the soft snow that drifts above children who are filled with wonder. Either way, at the Greensboro Science Center’s (GSC’s) Winter Wonderlights event, the Claus-o-meter points squarely at 100.
Winter Wonderlights at the Greensboro Science Center returns November 17, 2022, through January 1, 2023. Explore and delight in 22 acres of dazzling light displays. Winter Wonderlights runs from 5:30–10 p.m. and is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
Since 2017, the Greensboro Science Center has hosted a “Gamechanger Challenge,” where all staff are encouraged to submit a new idea. The winner of the Gamechanger Challenge gets an award, and their idea is executed. “This is a special place to work,” says Beth Almy, Vice President of Creative Services. “Our entire team is passionate, whether they’re in maintenance or education or they’re a keeper.”
Several years ago, two staff members independently came up with the idea for a holiday light display. The judges loved it. Determined to make the idea a reality, the Greensboro Science Center partnered with an events production company experienced in setting up cutting-edge light shows.
The result of their hard work is an inspiring display of holiday cheer that has quickly become a tradition for families who come not just from across town, but from across the country. This marks year three of Winter Wonderlights. “When we launched the event during COVID, it was one of the only events you could do safely,” says Almy. “We had people travel here from 43 states.”
Snap a picture — or 10. There are endless photo opportunities. Photography courtesy of Greensboro Science Center
These days, the magic begins around mid-October, when the first elf crew arrives on the scene. That’s when Almy started getting Facebook messages from her friends in surrounding neighborhoods: “Why are the lights still on at 10 p.m.?” And, “It’s Halloween! Why do you have a tree up already?’”
Almy explains: It takes almost four weeks to install Winter Wonderlights, which consists of four shows and about 12 different zones that blend seamlessly into one another. On any given night, anywhere from 15 to 30 people arrive around dusk and work through the night, stringing lights and coordinating music with a tech crew.
At the end of their visit, Winter Wonderlights visitors leave filled with holiday cheer and reinvigorated in their enthusiasm for the Greensboro Science Center. “We’re not the same place we were 10, 20, or 30 years ago. It brings out an audience that realizes there’s so much more to see than they remembered from when their kids were little,” she says. “They come for the lights, but they come back for the science.”
Kids will discover wild wonder. Photography courtesy of Greensboro Science Center
As the GSC expands, so does Winter Wonderlights, which usually takes about 90 minutes to explore. Last year, the Revolution Ridge display opened on the boardwalk with lighted versions of the cassowary, okapi, and Pygmy hippo. During Winter Wonderlights, most of the animals who live at the GSC are tucked away. “The welfare of our animals is our priority, so we make sure everybody is safe and sound,” says Almy.
Down at the lower plaza, a Fantasia-like penguin orchestra starts up every five minutes or so, and there are also lights on the Shearer Animal Hospital & S.I. Tannenbaum Family Conservation Center. “One of the things we try to do is celebrate some of the things we teach here,” Almy says. “Like the starry night area, where you’re enveloped by quiet classical music and surrounded by lights that are a nod to our outer space programming. While it’s a holiday celebration, we’re also celebrating science and the beauty of nature.”
Discover the 18-foot-tall gingerbread house. Photography courtesy of Greensboro Science Center
Children waiting in line for Santa — his gingerbread gazebo is centered in the farmyard — are entertained with signs featuring facts about sweet celebrations. The fun tidbits offer a glimpse into how families around the world come together during the holidays with food and games. One sign, for example, gives the meaning of “chocolatada,” a word that refers to a spicy Peruvian hot chocolate and also to a Peruvian holiday tradition of providing sweet bread and hot cocoa to those in disadvantaged communities.
Back inside the GSC, there’s a final stop before visitors head across the parking lot to the carousel (a ride is included with the price of admission). The Dino Disco in the Prehistoric Party Zone is complete with disco balls, lava lamp projections, and holiday dance music. “It’s one last dance party,” Almy says with a laugh.
As the night draws to a close and families make their way back to their cars, they pass by Relativity, a new public art endowment by sculptor David Hess. All lit up, it’s easy to see what Almy likes best about the work of art: No matter where you’re standing in relationship to the sculpture, it looks different – it changes completely if you move even the slightest bit.
The same could be said for Winter Wonderlights, which gives animal lovers a chance to see the Greensboro Science Center in a whole new light. “That’s the nature of science and art,” Almy says. “By learning new things, you change your perspective and learn something different every time.”
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