Holiday lantern festival with more than a hundred handcrafted wildlife lanterns, hot cocoa, fire pits and the Endangered Species Carousel at Zoo Atlanta.
IllumiNights returns to Zoo Atlanta starting November 21, 2026, for another run of the city's holiday lights tradition. It's presented by Georgia Power, with Huntington Bank as the beacon sponsor, and it runs on select nights through January 17, 2027. If you want to get in early, there are preview nights on Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22.
The main draw is a mile-long stroll lit by more than a hundred artisan-crafted lanterns, each one hand-crafted and hand-painted by Chinese artisans and powered by environmentally friendly LED bulbs. They celebrate the pageantry, biodiversity, and flora and fauna of the natural world, with new designs introduced every year. The lanterns are stationary displays of illuminated wildlife and scenes from around the globe, not meant to be touched or lit by guests. Beyond the trail, the nights include warm beverages like cocoa, signature holiday cocktails for guests 21 and older, fire pits with marshmallow roasts, photo ops, and rides on the Endangered Species Carousel. Since most of the animals go inside before dark, the zoo suggests visiting the living animal population during the day.
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Tickets run from $20.99 to $24.99 for adults (12+) and $17.99 to $19.99 for children (3-11), with children 2 and under free. Zoo members get a discount: $16.99 to $20.99 for adults and $14.99 to $16.99 for children (3-11), with children 2 and under still free. There's a group rate of $16.99 to $18.99 for groups of 15 or more. Keep in mind that SNAP tickets, CityPASS, and discounted military admission aren't accepted. Paid public parking is available at the Cherokee Avenue lot for a $6 flat rate during IllumiNights, and at the Grant Park Gateway facility. The event runs from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM, with the last entry at 8:00 PM, at Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Ave.
