Woodland Park Zoo's WildLanterns Returns With Bigger Lanterns, Early Discounts

Tickets are officially on sale for Woodland Park Zoo's WildLanterns, the illuminated winter walking trail that returns to the Phinney Ridge grounds for a run stretching from November 13 through January 17. Organizers describe this year's display as bigger and brighter than before, with new snow leopard, orca, penguin, giraffe, zebra, and lion lanterns joining the immersive landscapes that have made the event a Seattle holiday staple.

As reported by KIRO 7 News, zoo staff shared that “every turn reveals breathtaking wildlife, immersive landscapes, and larger-than-life lantern artistry.” The station notes that tickets are already discounted 30% through September 30, with a smaller 10% discount kicking in from October 1 through October 31. Zoo staff also point out that every WildLanterns ticket sold helps fund care for hundreds of zoo animals, more than 30 wildlife conservation projects across the Pacific Northwest and around the world, and the zoo's science learning programs.

Who's Building These Glowing Creatures

The elaborate sculptures aren't built in-house. Woodland Park Zoo partners with international producer Tianyu Arts & Culture to design and hand-craft the displays, including animated pieces like a 20-foot biomimetic centipede with moving legs and smoke effects, according to the company's own event footage. The partnership has helped push WildLanterns well past its origins as a stopgap program: the zoo first launched the event in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a replacement for its traditional holiday string-light show, WildLights, pivoting instead toward large-scale illuminated animal and plant sculptures, per Seattle's Child.

This year's lantern trail also doubles as a preview of the zoo's newest permanent exhibit. Seattle's Child reports that the displays give visitors a sneak peek at animals featured in the zoo's new 12,000-square-foot Forest Trailhead exhibit, which officially opened on May 1 and is now home to tree kangaroos, red pandas, and kea parrots. Hoodline previously covered that elevated trail's debut, which the zoo positioned as a major conservation-focused investment ahead of this winter's lantern season.

Themed Nights and Accessibility Options

WildLanterns organizers have built a calendar of specialty nights into this year's run, per KIRO 7. A Holiday Senior Stroll on November 22 will offer 40% off admission for adults 65 and older, while Night Owls 21+ evenings are set for November 20, December 18, and January 2. A Pop Star Night is scheduled for December 13, and Seattle Sports Night closes out the run on January 16, the outlet reports.

Families with sensory sensitivities have several dates to choose from, with Low Sensory Nights scheduled for November 15, December 1, and January 10, according to the same report. On those nights, the zoo converts its indoor play facility into what it calls Zoomazium Nightlights, featuring dimmed lighting, gentle ambient nature sounds, reduced flashing, and sensory checkout kits available on request.

What Else Is Included With Admission

Beyond the lantern trail itself, WildLanterns includes nightly indoor performances at the zoo's PACCAR Auditorium showcasing traditional Chinese folk arts, acrobatic routines, lion dances, and face-changing acts. Adults looking for a warmer night out can rent private heated Snow Globes on the grounds, equipped with fire pits, seating, and food service, or grab a holiday cocktail at The Frosted Glass lounge.

Standard single-day admission outside the early discount windows typically ranges from $32.45 to $40.95 for adults and $28.45 to $35.95 for children ages 3 to 12, with kids 2 and under admitted free, according to The Ticket Seattle. Evening parking during the event runs $10 to $15 plus fees after 3:30 p.m. in designated zoo lots, and standard member parking discounts do not apply during the special evening hours. This year's WildLanterns is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and Western Washington Toyota Dealers.

A Major Draw for a Seattle Landmark

Woodland Park Zoo occupies 92 acres in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood and draws more than 1 million visitors each year, making seasonal evening programming like WildLanterns a significant driver for its ongoing operations, according to Greater Seattle on the Cheap. The zoo has had an eventful year beyond the holiday lights: it opened a new farm-style animal playground in February, welcomed twin lion cubs the same month, and weathered a bomb threat that emptied the grounds in July, just weeks before this year's WildLanterns tickets went on sale. Tickets and full scheduling details for the 2026-2027 run are available at zoo.org/wildlanterns.