Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo · CC BY 2.0Zoo · Denver Zoo, City Park · Ticketed
Denver Zoo Lights 2026
More than three million lights across 80 acres of the Denver Zoo, with some animals like the elephants and mountain goats still out in the evening.
2026 dates: Select nights Nov 23, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Google 4.6 ★ · 32,195 reviews
At a glance
- 2026 dates
- Select nights Nov 23, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day (denverzoo.org, read 2026-10-16). Tickets go on sale Nov 5, members Nov 2
- Hours (2026)
- Sun–Thu 4:30–9 pm, Fri–Sat 4:30–10 pm
- Tickets (2026)
- Regular nights: adults and seniors $29.95, youth $22.95. Value nights: $25.95 / $18.95. Under 3 free; members pay about $4–5 less
- Size
- More than 3 million lights across 80 acres
- Special nights
- 21+ Adult Nights (with a drink ticket), a Sensory-Friendly Night and Scout Nights
Is it worth it?
The easy family pick in Denver.
What visitors say
A visitor called Zoo Lights eye-catching all round the zoo, with cranes, elephants and mountain goats still out. The zoo is loved generally for being flat and easy to walk.
- 3 million+ lights across the zoo
- Some animals out in the evening
- Sensory-friendly night
Getting there and getting in
- Denver Zoo in City Park. Free parking in the zoo lots; they fill on weekends.
Worth knowing
- Sensory-friendly nights offer reduced crowds, low-volume music and quiet rooms.
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Questions people ask
- When do the Denver Zoo lights start?
- According to the zoo's page, Zoo Lights runs on select nights from November 23, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and opens at 4:30 pm. It is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
- How much are Denver Zoo Lights tickets?
- For 2026 the zoo lists adults and seniors at $29.95 and youth at $22.95 on regular nights, and $25.95 and $18.95 on value nights; children 2 and under are free. Tickets go on sale November 5 (members November 2).
- Are the Denver Zoo lights worth it?
- Yes for families: over three million lights across a flat, easy-to-walk zoo, with some animals still out in the evening. Pick a value night to save money.
- Is there a sensory-friendly night?
- Yes. In 2025 the zoo ran a Sensory-Friendly Night with accommodations for visitors with sensory processing needs, plus 21+ Adult Nights.
- What time do the Denver Zoo lights start?
- At 4:30 pm, until 9 pm Sunday to Thursday and 10 pm on Friday and Saturday (2026 hours on the zoo's page).
Checked 2026-09-29. Sources: Denver Zoo — Zoo Lights (official). Last season's numbers are labelled with their year until the organizer publishes 2026.
