Zoo Lights 2026: Dates and Prices

Zoo lights in 2026 start on 13 November at the Dallas Zoo and 19 November at the Houston Zoo, and most shows run to early January. Tickets start at $19 at the Los Angeles Zoo and the Dallas Zoo, and an any-night adult ticket at the Bronx Zoo is $42.95. Prices change by night, so confirm your date before you buy.

As of 5 November 2026, all eight zoos below have posted their 2026 season. Six print the 2026 year on their own page. The Dallas Zoo and Denver Zoo pages give dates without a year. We re-read each zoo's page on 4 November 2026.

When do zoo lights start in 2026?

"Not stated" means the zoo's page does not mention timed entry. It does not mean there is none.

The 3 things to check before you pay:

• Your night. Most zoos skip some nights, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The closed days are in each zoo's section below.

• The price for that night. Lincoln Park, Los Angeles, Denver, Oregon and the Bronx Zoo all charge different prices on different nights.

• Whether you can buy at the gate. The Bronx Zoo sells no tickets on site.

So, Dallas and Houston open first, and Phoenix runs the latest, to 15 January.

When is Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo?

Hours: Zoo Lights runs 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., last entry 9:30 p.m. The zoo is closed 9 December and Christmas Eve. For the first time, it opens on Christmas Day (Houston Zoo, Zoo Lights page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: One Zoo Lights admission for ages 3 and up, $24.95 to $44.95 depending on the date. Ages 2 and under are free (Houston Zoo ticket store, read 4 Nov 2026). Member Preview Nights on 17 and 18 November are $14.95 (Zoo Lights page)

Note: Entry is only on the date on your ticket, any time after the arrival time on it (Zoo Lights page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Parking, the Red Line and every discount are in our Houston Zoo Lights guide.

So, Houston opens first among the zoos with a 2026 date printed, on 19 November.

When is ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago?

Hours: ZooLights runs Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, 4:30 to 9 p.m., last entry 8 p.m. Closed 26 November and 1, 8, 15, 24 and 25 December. Member Preview is 19 November, Sensory-Friendly night 24 November and the 21 and over night 10 December (Lincoln Park Zoo, ZooLights page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: Fixed-date tickets are $7 to $12 in advance, depending on the date, or $20 on the day. Flexible admission is $20. Admission is free on Mondays with a reservation, except 21 and 28 December. Free Monday tickets are released one week ahead at 11 a.m. CT (same page)

Note: Fixed-date tickets have an entry time. The page asks you to enter within one hour of it, but late guests will not be turned away. Flexible tickets work up to 8 p.m. Paid parking on Cannon Drive is limited and not included in the ticket (same page)

So, Lincoln Park is the cheapest show here, and four Mondays are free with a reservation.

When is L.A. Zoo Lights?

Hours: L.A. Zoo Lights runs 20 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 on select evenings. The box office is open 5:45 to 8:45 p.m. on event days. Closed 26 and 30 November, 1, 7, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25 and 31 December, and 4, 5, 6 and 7 January (Los Angeles Zoo, Zoo Lights page and FAQ, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: Non-member adult (13 and older) $29 on Value Weekdays, $32 on Value Weekends and $35 on Holiday Peak nights. Child (2 to 12) $19, $22 and $25. Members pay $5 less. Children under 2 are free. "Tickets start at $19" is the child price. Parking is free (same pages)

Note: "Two entry times are offered." Each ticket scans once and is good only on its date. No re-entry, except on 8 December, the Sensory-Inclusive night (FAQ, read 4 Nov 2026)

The FAQ sets the price tier by date:

So, in Los Angeles the cheapest adult night is a Value Weekday at $29.

When is ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo?

Hours: ZooLights runs 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 and opens nightly at 4:30 p.m. Closing times vary by night, from about 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Closed 17 to 19 and 24 to 26 November and 25 December (Oregon Zoo, ZooLights page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: Adult tickets $13 to $35, youth $13 to $30, depending on the night. Any Night tickets work on any night from 20 November to 31 December 2026. Daytime tickets do not cover ZooLights (same page)

Getting there: Your ZooLights ticket is your fare on TriMet bus, MAX, WES, LIFT and Portland Streetcar to and from the zoo on your date, through 3 January 2027. It is not valid on C-TRAN. Sunset Transit Center has free Park and Ride spaces. The page does not mention timed entry (same page)

So, Oregon's adult price is $13 to $35 by night, and the ticket includes your TriMet ride.

When is Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo?

Hours: Holiday Lights runs on select dates from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027: 21, 22 and 27 to 29 November; 3 to 6, 10 to 13, 17 to 23 and 26 to 31 December; 2 and 3 January. The park is open 1 to 9 p.m. The lights and lantern trails open at 4:30 p.m. (Bronx Zoo, Holiday Lights FAQs, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: Date-specific adult $37.95, senior $32.95, child (3 to 12) $22.95. Deal Days (3, 10 and 17 December): adult $29.95, senior $24.95, child $14.95. Any-night adult $42.95, senior $37.95, child $27.95. Parking $22 per car. No tickets are sold on site (same FAQ)

Note: Tickets are open arrival from 1 to 8 p.m. Last entry is 8 p.m. (same FAQ)

So, the Bronx Zoo's Deal Days save an adult $8 against a regular set-date ticket.

When is Zoo Lights at the Denver Zoo?

Hours: Zoo Lights runs on select nights from 23 November to 3 January. The page does not print the year. Sunday to Thursday 4:30 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4:30 to 10 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Public tickets go on sale 5 November (Denver Zoo, Zoo Lights page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: Regular nights (23 to 25, 27 and 28 November; 3 to 5, 10 to 12, 17 to 24 and 26 to 30 December): adults and seniors $29.95 (members $26.95), youth $22.95 (members $20.65). Value Nights (29 November to 2 December; 6, 8, 9 and 13 to 16 December; 2 and 3 January): adults and seniors $25.95 (members $23.35), youth $18.95 (members $17.05). Children 2 and under are free (same page)

Note: The page does not mention timed entry or general parking (same page)

So, a Value Night in Denver saves an adult $4.

When is ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo?

Hours: ZooLights runs 25 November 2026 to 15 January 2027, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. The page lists no closed dates and says dates and hours can change (Phoenix Zoo, ZooLights page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: General $35, members $30. Children 2 and under are free. Member Mondays are $10 per ticket, limit six, on 23 and 30 November, 7 and 14 December, and 4 and 11 January. A ticket is good for one admission on any public night (same page)

Note: The page does not mention timed entry. When the main lots are full, signs send drivers to an overflow lot at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, about a 15-minute walk (same page)

So, Phoenix starts last but runs the longest, to 15 January.

When is Zoo Lights at the Dallas Zoo?

Hours: Dallas Zoo Lights runs on select nights from 13 November to 3 January, 5:30 to 9 p.m. The page does not print the year. Sensory Friendly Night is 17 November (Dallas Zoo, Zoo Lights page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: Single tickets start at $19. The page does not say which age that price is for. Dual-Passport members get 20% off, and Patron members and above get in free. Parking is $15, bought separately (same page)

Note: "The time on your ticket is meant to be your window for arrival." Combo Ticket entry starts at 2:30 p.m. (same page)

So, Dallas has the earliest start date, but check the year on your ticket page.

Which zoos did we leave out?

We did not include Brookfield Zoo (Chicago) or the San Antonio Zoo. The Brookfield pages we tried would not load, and the San Antonio Zoo Lights page we could read covered the 2024 season. Neither zoo had a 2026 page we could confirm on 17 October 2026.

For other 2026 holiday trips, see Busch Gardens Christmas Town, the Christmas train rides guide and Christmas in Washington DC.

So, for Chicago, Lincoln Park is the one with confirmed 2026 dates.

What we checked and what can change

Read on 4 November 2026:

• Houston Zoo, Zoo Lights page and ticket store: dates, hours, closed days, the $24.95 to $44.95 price.

• Lincoln Park Zoo, ZooLights: dates, closed days, prices, free Mondays, entry and parking.

• Los Angeles Zoo, Zoo Lights and FAQ: dates, closed days, the three price tiers and the two entry times.

• Oregon Zoo, ZooLights: dates, hours, price ranges and the TriMet ride.

• Bronx Zoo, Holiday Lights FAQs: every open date, hours, all three ticket types and parking.

• Denver Zoo, Zoo Lights: hours, regular and Value Night dates and prices.

• Phoenix Zoo, ZooLights: dates, hours, prices and Member Monday dates.

• Dallas Zoo, Zoo Lights: dates, hours, the $19 starting price, member deals and parking.

Not confirmed: which Houston dates cost the low or the high price, the year on the Dallas and Denver pages, which age Dallas's $19 price is for, and whether Denver, Phoenix and Oregon use timed entry. Zoos can close for weather, so check the ticket page for your night before you pay. We have not visited these shows.