Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights 2026: Dates, Hours & What's New

2026-11-12 · The Hanaduul team

Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights runs on select nights from November 21, 2026 through January 3, 2027. This year the zoo is opening three animal exhibits after dark for the first time during the festival, and tickets also let you come in at 1 p.m. and stay for the lights. Here's everything you need to plan your night, plus a few tips for better photos of glowing lanterns.

At a glance

• Name: Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo
• Dates: select nights, November 21, 2026 – January 3, 2027
• Member previews: November 19 & 20 (sold out)
• Hours: lights turn on at 4:30 p.m., final entry at 8:00 p.m.
• Tickets: required and must be reserved in advance; an Any-Night ticket is also offered
• New for 2026: Children's Zoo Farmyard, World of Darkness and World of Reptiles open at night
• Sensory inclusive night: December 3

What's new at Holiday Lights this year

The big change for 2026 is nighttime access to three exhibits. The Children's Zoo Farmyard opens during Holiday Lights for the first time, and World of Darkness and World of Reptiles are open too, so you can see nocturnal animals like sloths and crocodiles on a festival night.

Tickets also work as a two-in-one day. You can arrive at 1 p.m., spend the afternoon with the animals, and stay on once the lights come on at 4:30 p.m. That makes it an easy full-day plan for friends visiting from out of town.

• Tip: if you plan to see the animals first, arrive early in the afternoon so you're not rushing to the lantern trail at sunset

Lanterns, light shows and treats

The festival features more than 400 glowing wildlife lanterns, synchronized light shows, holiday train rides, ice tube slides and live ice carving. There are s'mores stations along the way and illuminated animal-themed performers walking the paths.

Lanterns look their best right after dark, when there's still a little blue left in the sky. If you want photos with that deep blue background, aim to be on the trail shortly after the lights turn on.

• Tip: wear one bright layer (a red beanie or a cream scarf) so you don't disappear into the dark in night photos
• Tip: gloves with touchscreen fingertips make it easier to keep shooting in the cold

Booking: reserve before you go

Holiday Lights tickets must be reserved in advance, and the member previews on November 19 and 20 are already sold out. If your group's schedule is still up in the air, the Any-Night ticket lets you pick the night that works best later.

The festival runs on select nights, not every night, between November 21 and January 3. Pick your date on the ticket calendar first, then plan the rest of the day around it. Final entry is 8:00 p.m., so a late dinner plan should come after the zoo, not before.

• Weeknights tend to be calmer than weekends, if your schedule is flexible

Turn your lantern photos into film-style keepsakes

Night lights are fun to shoot but tricky to edit. Phone photos of lanterns can come out flat or too sharp, and a soft film look often fits the mood much better.

In Hanaduul, open [Playground] from the bottom tab and pick [Film]. You can give any photo from your camera roll a film look, with 20 films to choose from, plus strength, grain-style texture, a [Date stamp], 8 frame styles and [Crop]. There's a new [Today's film] every day, and settings you like are saved in [My films]. It all happens on your phone, it's free, and it isn't AI.

Took a lot of shots? [Decorate] lets you pick 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 9 photos from your album and turn them into one image, like a long strip or a nine-photo grid. Hanaduul is on iPhone for now.

• Try a [Date stamp] on your favorite lantern photo for a classic holiday-card feel
• Use a nine-photo layout to tell the whole night in one post