ZooLights Light Up the Night at Santa Barbara Zoo

Shining a light of joyous, colorful fun just in time for the holiday season, ZooLights returns to the Santa Barbara Zoo on Wednesday, November 15, with even more beautifully illuminated, larger-than-life-size critters and creatures than last year’s inaugural seasonal installation. 

“It’s almost a complete change up of all the lights,” said board chairperson Derek Shue at a preview event on November 9. The excitement in the air was palpable as we checked out the winter wonderland of thousands of handcrafted, silk-covered lanterns aglow with more than 50,000 LED bulbs alighting animals and nature scenes of wild places from around the world. It’s all quite mesmerizing, but the underwater tunnel of fish, coral, and other stunning creatures really must be seen to be believed. I couldn’t stop humming The Little Mermaid’s “Under the Sea” as I walked through. 

In addition to the light show, which features an assortment of penguins, peacocks, lions, tigers, elephants, butterflies, birds, and more, guests can also enjoy interactive areas, with special wintry snacks and drinks for purchase. 

As Zoo president & CEO Rich Block said, quite aptly, “Last year’s ZooLights was a wow, and this year’s ZooLights is a wow on steroids. Not only that, these lights are 95 percent brand new.” 

ZooLights will be open to the public from November 15 – January 14, 2024 on select dates from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.Tickets start at $22/adult and $20/child (2-12), Zoo Members get $2 off. Ticket prices vary by day. Buy tickets online here.