You Simply Have To See This Oregon Aquarium Decorated With Over 500,000 Christmas Lights

,"4":

,"11":3,"12":0}">This year, one of the best ways to celebrate the holiday season in OR is by diving into the Sea of Lights event at the Newport Aquarium in Oregon, the Oregon Coast Aquarium. This festive event features over half a million colorful Christmas lights, enchanting holiday decorations, and even a SCUBA Santa. How neat is that? Take a look:

Located in Newport on the beautiful Oregon Coast, the Oregon Coast Aquarium is a wonderful destination you can visit year-round.

During the holiday season, the aquarium is transformed into one of the best indoor light displays in Oregon with over 500,000 dazzling lights as part of the annual Sea of Lights event.

You'll be surrounded by colorful light displays and festive holiday decorations as you stroll through the grounds.

The fun light displays are designed after some of the animals that call the aquarium home, including this Black Oystercatcher display.

You'll love exploring the aquarium after hours and visiting with some of the animal residents.

The epic shark tunnel is the perfect place to stop by for some photos...

... and you might even run into SCUBA Santa. He will be diving into aquarium exhibits and posing for photos all night long.

This year, the aquarium accepted canned food donations on the first two nights of Sea of Lights. They raised 8,600 lbs of food in total for the Food Share of Lincoln County.

It's always nice to have an opportunity to help others while having some festive fun.

Sea of Lights illuminates the aquarium every Friday and Saturday night from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event runs until December 30.

To see more of these joyful Oregon aquarium lights, check out this YouTube video from gpkeith, which provides a nice overview of what you'll experience when you visit. Because there's nothing like seeing these in person:

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is located at 2820 SE Ferry Slip Rd, Newport, OR 97365. For more information, including updates on the food drive and more, visit the official Newport Aquarium in Oregon website.

Have you attended the Sea of Lights before? If so, we'd love to hear about your experience! Share your thoughts in the comments below.

If you're looking for more ways to get into the spirit of the season, make sure to check out this magical Polar Express train ride.