Louisville Zoo Extends Wild Lights

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 15, 2020) —The Louisville Zoo’s popular Wild Lights: Asian Lantern Festival has been extended and will be open Thursday – Sunday nights July 9 –
August 28. Wild Lights is one of the largest Chinese lantern festivals in the nation and our community’s first-ever outdoor Chinese lantern festival. The event was previously postponed due to COVID.

“Wild Lights was very popular with our guests for the two weeks of the festival that we were able to enjoy before we closed for COVID-19 measures,” said Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak. “Every day we have been asked about Wild Lights and we are delighted to be able to work with Tianyu Arts & Culture to extend the festival and allow more of our community the chance to see these beautifully illuminated lanterns and learn more about Asian culture.”

More than 2,000 intricate lanterns displayed in 65 larger-than-life scenes illuminate the Zoo with over 50,000 LED bulbs. A 1.4-mile trail alongside favorites like a 131-foot-long dragon, a color changing panda tree, a walk-­through shark tunnel, fairy forest and more are part of the collection. Interactive displays will allow guests to leap from lily pad to lily pad and pose with our glowing wings.

The 1.4-mile event route is wheelchair and stroller friendly on a paved path. The path goes one direction and guests may enjoy one loop through the route to see the beautiful lanterns. A limited menu will be available at select food stands.

Ticket info:

Guests will select tickets for the day and time they would like to enter to help manage attendance capacities. Entry will begin at 7:30 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m. The Zoo will close at 11 p.m.

All guests must purchase tickets online in advance. Tickets will not be available at the Zoo due to COVID-19 restrictions. Louisville Zoo member pricing is $15.50 per ticket. Non-members pricing is $18.50 per ticket. Children 2 and under are free. Family four-pack pricing is available for $50 for members and $60 for non-members. Family four-pack ticket buyers must enter the event together. A $5 parking fee will be included on all orders.

The Zoo will honor all Wild Lights tickets that were purchased before the event’s COVID-19 postponement. Those with previous tickets will be able to attend on any date of the festival by showing their tickets at the ticket windows. Tickets and FAQ are available at WildLightsLouisville.com.