Zoo Lights

There’s a bit of magic in the air every night of Zoo Lights! We anticipate selling out early for most weekend nights, as well as every night in the last two weeks of December. If your schedule allows, we recommend visiting on a weeknight in the first two weeks of December. Snowy nights may be cold, but they make for great photos and the Zoo has plenty of indoor buildings for a quick warm-up. 

No. Zoo Lights tickets are valid ONLY on the specific date and time for which you purchased your tickets. 

Timed entry tickets help us regulate how many people are at the Zoo during each time slot—this helps us provide a safe, socially distanced evening for everyone. Once inside the Zoo, visitors may stay until the event closes.

We’ve placed a limit on attendance each evening to ensure proper social distancing—as well as provide a better experience for guests by preventing extremely large crowds on any given night.

ASAP! We highly recommend purchasing tickets as far in advance as you can, as we anticipate selling out most nights of Zoo Lights. Tickets are available ONLINE ONLY, and will not be available at the gate.

No, there will not be tickets available for sale at the door.

Daytime admission, including membership, does NOT include Zoo Lights. Denver Zoo closes at 5 p.m. (entry gates close at 3:30 p.m.) and will reopen for Zoo Lights at 5:00 p.m.

Free parking is available in our parking garage and surrounding City Park lots. However, due to the popularity of Zoo Lights, parking can become congested. We ask guests to consider alternate modes of transportation to avoid parking issues.

While every guest/visit is different, it typically takes approximately 45-­90 minutes to see the whole Zoo Lights display.

Yes, but keep in mind that the paths may be icy in spots. Please use caution. Wheelchair-accessible parking is available.

Starting at 5:00 p.m., a limited quantity of wheelchairs and strollers can be rented on a first­-come, first­-served basis. No reservations are accepted.

For your safety, your Zoo Lights visit will involve traveling along the safe one-way path we created earlier this year—and you can still choose from two loops, depending upon how long you'd like to stay. Do keep in mind that many animals are not visible in the dark—and that some animal buildings may be closed, or open at a reduced capacity. For more information, email guestcare@denverzoo.org.

No. For the safety of our guests and animals, no pets of any kind are allowed on Denver Zoo grounds.  Assistance animals are allowed, with some restrictions. Please check in with security at the main gate if you plan on bringing a service animal into the Zoo.