ZooLights: What you need to know about the 2024-25 Phoenix Zoo holiday spectacle
Nov 27, 2024, 9:11 AM
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Zoo is ready to flip the switch on its annual ZooLights holiday spectacle.
The dazzling light display makes its seasonal debut on Wednesday and will shine nightly from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. through Jan. 12. (Note: Dec. 2 is a sensory-friendly night requiring a specific ticket, and there will be special drive-thru nights Jan. 13-14).
The 2024-25 edition of ZooLights is powered by 4 million lights strung up throughout the zoo grounds and hundreds of twinkling armatures.
At the middle of it all is a 50-foot-tall color-changing LED tree floating in the zoo’s central lake.
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Among this year’s displays are a 200-foot-long light tunnel, over 50 animal lanterns and an illuminated holiday globe that reflects off the lake.
And don’t forget to brighten your night at the Glow Garden with its glowing dance floor and swings.
When it’s snack time, guests can warm their tummies with hot cocoa, crunch on some kettle corn or roast s’mores over the fire pits at the Plaza de los Niños.
ZooLights ticket information and other things to know
One thing to note is that most of the animals viewable during the zoo’s regular daytime hours won’t be visible at night.
ZooLights attendees are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance to avoid lines at the gate and save a few dollars.
Admission is $30 online ($25 for zoo members) and $35 at the gate ($30 for members) for ages 3 and up and free for kids 2 and under. There’s a $2 service fee for each online order.
Leading up to Christmas, families can sign up in advance for photos with Santa from Nov. 29 to Dec. 23. A variety of picture packages are available for purchase.
If you’re hoping to avoid the biggest crowds, attendance is generally lighter on Monday-Wednesday nights, according to the zoo. Another tip is to arrive around 7:30 or 8 p.m., after the early wave of guests subsides.
In addition, the first two weeks of December and the January sessions tend to be less crowded.
The Phoenix Zoo provides free parking at 455 N. Galvin Parkway in Papago Park.
If the main lots are full, vehicles will be directed to the nearby Sun Devil Municipal Stadium. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from the stadium lot to the zoo entrance.
