LA Zoo Lights
Los Angeles, CA
Giant glowing animal lanterns light up the Los Angeles Zoo — elephants, butterflies, peacocks, and dragons — across an after-hours holiday walk-through that runs from November through early January.
Giant glowing animal lanterns light up the Los Angeles Zoo — elephants, butterflies, peacocks, and dragons — across an after-hours holiday walk-through that runs from November through early January.
L.A. Zoo Lights (recently branded Animals Aglow) is a ticketed after-hours holiday experience at the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Griffith Park. Sculptural lantern installations and immersive light environments transform the zoo into a glowing wonderland — larger-than-life birds, butterflies, insects and flowers in the pollinator zone; lanterns depicting wildlife of Southeast Asia; an African landscape with iconic regional wildlife.
Animated and interactive displays have included glowing ring swings, walk-through snow globes, and luminous multicolored wings.
The event runs from mid-November through early January (closed most Mondays and Tuesdays, plus major holidays). Live animals are not part of the after-hours experience — this is about the lanterns and the zoo grounds illuminated at night. Confirm this season’s confirmed dates, themes, and ticketing at lazoo.org.
L.A. Zoo Lights is ticketed timed-entry — buy in advance, as weekend slots sell out. Children’s tickets are priced below adult tickets, Zoo members receive a discount, and children under 2 are free.
No — the Zoo’s regular animals are not viewable during L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow. The after-hours experience features lantern sculptures and immersive light installations only.
Plan 90 minutes for an unhurried walk through the full path. It’s a comfortable walk with rest spots along the way; you can take longer if you stop at the interactive installations.
Yes — the glowing lanterns delight young children, and the interactive features (ring swings, snow globes, multicolored wings) are big kid favorites. Strollers are welcome throughout.
L.A. Zoo Lights is fully ticketed. If a free outing is the priority, Griffith Park itself surrounds the zoo and is free to wander year-round; off-park, Holidays at Union Station, Las Posadas at Olvera Street, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade (curbside viewing) are free downtown-LA alternatives during the same window.
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens opened on November 28, 1966, in Griffith Park, on a site near the city’s earlier Griffith Park Zoo. Its 133-acre campus is home to more than 1,700 mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, and reptiles representing over 270 species, dozens of them endangered. A working botanical collection of roughly 7,000 plants from around the world shapes the zoo’s habitats and gardens, earning the institution its full “and Botanical Gardens” name.
Caruso’s Americana at Brand turns Glendale into a holiday wonderland — a Mt. Shasta white fir more than 80 feet tall, thousands of lights and ornaments, nightly snowfall, Santa visits, and a glowing shopping district, all free for families. Confirm this season’s program at americanaatbrand.com.
Brian J. Cook
The Glendale Galleria — Glendale’s three-story regional mall — is fully decorated for the holiday season each year, with a free Santa visit setup near the lower-level Apple store, decked corridors across all three levels, festive music, and extended hours through the season. Free to walk, free to visit Santa, free family atmosphere — paid photo packages optional.
Brian J. Cook
The annual Burbank Town Center tree-lighting evening on the mall’s dining terrace — the holiday tree sparks to life, costumed characters greet families, hot festive beverages and ornament-decorating stations spread across the terrace, and the indoor mall transforms into a winter wonderland with photo ops throughout. Free, family-friendly, indoor-friendly weather backup.
Brian J. Cook
The City of Burbank’s official outdoor holiday decorating contest — residents enter their decorated homes, the city publishes an annual OurBurbank Holiday Destination Guide with about 30 routed addresses, and families drive a curated route from one side of Burbank to the other to see the entries. Free, self-paced, and runs the full holiday season.
Brian J. Cook
Southern California’s holiday lights and festive outings are pure magic — but nothing compares to Santa Claus himself stepping through your own front door. House of Kringle brings a real-bearded, professionally trained Santa to homes and gatherings across SoCal for an intimate live visit your family will treasure for years.
Check Availability
Have a date in mind? Tell us when and where, and we’ll let you know whether Santa is open. House of Kringle brings a real-bearded Santa Claus to Live Visits and Group Experiences across Southern California, and December fills quickly, so the sooner you check, the better your odds of locking in your first choice.
This is a quick availability check, not a booking. Nothing is reserved and nothing is owed until we’ve confirmed your date and you’ve placed your retainer.