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Holiday Magic

Festival Zoo & Animals Christmas

What’s Happening?

Bundle up, grab some cocoa and get ready to glow! Chicagoland’s longest-running holiday lights festival has been lighting up the night for 45 years, and this season 3.5 million twinkling lights are taking over Brookfield Zoo Chicago.

Find your way through a giant 90-by-60-foot maze of lights, stroll through candy-striped tunnels on Candy Cane Lane, and wander among pink flamingos in the Flamin-glow Forest. Watch the Glowing Tree light up to holiday music, strike a pose at the Gingerbread Cottage, and dance the night away at the Retro Christmas dance area.

Tell Santa your wish list on select nights, catch the dolphins making a splash in Holiday Magic Dolphin Discovery with Buddy the Elf on the big screen, and roast s’mores by the fire. When your toes need a break, warm up inside with the penguins and more in the Zoo’s cozy animal buildings. Then take a spin on the carousel and pick up gifts at the Holiday Market before you head home.

Want to make it extra special? Rent a heated Holiday Igloo for your crew, complete with s’mores and hot chocolate.


Dates:

November 21-25 and 27-29, 2026
December 3-6, 10-13, 17-23 and 26-31, 2026
January 1-3, 2027


Time: 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: Tickets starting at $29.95, free for zoo members

All ages welcome. A Sensory Friendly night is on December 3.

Bundle up, grab some cocoa and get ready to glow! Chicagoland’s longest-running holiday lights festival has been lighting up the night for 45 years, and this season 3.5 million twinkling lights are taking over Brookfield Zoo Chicago.

Find your way through a giant 90-by-60-foot maze of lights, stroll through candy-striped tunnels on Candy Cane Lane, and wander among pink flamingos in the Flamin-glow Forest. Watch the Glowing Tree light up to holiday music, strike a pose at the Gingerbread Cottage, and dance the night away at the Retro Christmas dance area.

Tell Santa your wish list on select nights, catch the dolphins making a splash in Holiday Magic Dolphin Discovery with Buddy the Elf on the big screen, and roast s’mores by the fire. When your toes need a break, warm up inside with the penguins and more in the Zoo’s cozy animal buildings. Then take a spin on the carousel and pick up gifts at the Holiday Market before you head home.

Want to make it extra special? Rent a heated Holiday Igloo for your crew, complete with s’mores and hot chocolate.


Dates:

November 21-25 and 27-29, 2026
December 3-6, 10-13, 17-23 and 26-31, 2026
January 1-3, 2027


Time: 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: Tickets starting at $29.95, free for zoo members

All ages welcome. A Sensory Friendly night is on December 3.

More about Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Enter a world of adventure at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. Connect with over 3,000 animals, each with their own story. Come closer to wildlife than you've ever imagined and create memories that roar. Wonder Awaits at Brookfield Zoo Chicago.
When & Where
Multiple Dates
  • Nov 21, 2026, 3:00pm to
    Nov 25, 2026, 9:00pm Timezone: CST
  • Nov 27, 2026, 3:00pm to
    Nov 29, 2026, 9:00pm Timezone: CST
  • Dec 3, 2026, 3:00pm to
    Dec 6, 2026, 9:00pm Timezone: CST
  • Dec 10, 2026, 3:00pm to
    Dec 13, 2026, 9:00pm Timezone: CST
  • Dec 17, 2026, 3:00pm to
    Dec 23, 2026, 9:00pm Timezone: CST
  • Dec 26, 2026, 3:00pm to
    Jan 3, 2027, 9:00pm Timezone: CST
$29.95


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