The Palm Beach Zoo turns its grounds into a holiday night walk again this season. Zoo Lights opens Friday, Nov. 20, and runs through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, at the zoo on Summit Boulevard in West Palm Beach.

This year the zoo is building the route around bioluminescence. The two features it highlights for the 2026 season are a bioluminescent pathway on the walk's final stretch and a projection area filled with polar wildlife.

Three chapters, one loop

The zoo has organized the evening as a story told in three parts, and guests move through them in order.

Chapter One, the welcome. The walk opens at a glowing fountain and a tall Christmas tree. A light show plays on the tree every 20 minutes, so there is no need to time an arrival around it. The same area holds a space for the Hanukkah menorah lighting and the Santa activities.

Chapter Two, discovery. The middle of the route passes African stone sculptures, a clay sculpting station and the immersive polar wildlife projections.

Chapter Three, the finale. The last section is the bioluminescent pathway, followed by s'mores and a holiday activity for kids.

What is free once you are inside

A ticket covers a long list of extras that cost nothing more: photos with Santa, letters to Santa, ornament decorating, cookie decorating, clay sculpting, bubble play and glow-in-the-dark chalk drawing. Food and drinks are sold on site.

Family nights and 21+ nights

The season runs on two kinds of evenings. Zoo Lights Nights are open to all ages. A separate set of 21+ Nights is for adults only, and the zoo does not admit anyone under 21 on those dates. The zoo's online calendar marks which nights are which, and it also flags evenings that have sold out, which is the thing to check before planning a visit around a school break.

Entry times are chosen at checkout. The event goes ahead rain or shine; in severe weather the zoo posts updates on its website and social channels. Tickets are not refundable and cannot be transferred.

Groups and parking

Groups buying 15 or more tickets in one transaction pay $19.25 per adult and $15.25 per child. Parking is free in the lot just steps from the entrance, and the zoo asks guests to read any arrival notes that come with their tickets.

Guests who need accessibility accommodations can call the zoo at 561-547-9453 ahead of their visit.

How to go

Zoo Lights runs Nov. 20, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027, at the Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach. Tickets, entry times and the calendar of family and 21+ nights are on the zoo's Zoo Lights page.

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