Atlanta’s favorite after-dark holiday walk is coming back. IllumiNights at the Zoo returns to Zoo Atlanta on select nights from Friday, November 20, 2026 through Monday, January 18, 2027, transforming the zoo’s paths into a glowing wonderland of hand-crafted Chinese lanterns.
More than 200 lantern displays — flowers, feathers, animals and fantastical creatures — light up the night across the zoo, each one an individual work of illuminated art. Because the experience happens after dark, it feels completely different from a daytime zoo visit: part art exhibition, part festive stroll, and a favorite family tradition to kick off the season of lights in Atlanta. Some of the zoo’s animals may be visible in the evening, and the lanterns themselves are the stars of the show.
IllumiNights runs from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on event nights, with last entry at 8:30 p.m. The event is rain or shine, and tickets are sold for timed entry, so booking ahead on the zoo’s website is a smart move — popular December nights tend to sell out. Bundle up, bring the family, and get ready to see Zoo Atlanta in a whole new light.
Photo: Zoo Atlanta
