Zoo Lights

Our annual CyberMonday one-day sale has closed. Thank you to everyone who purchased the $12 tickets! Look for another sale on CyberMonday 2025!

Zoo Lights is the Alaska Zoo’s annual festival of custom light displays which brightens the dark winter nights. We also have opportunities for companies and schools to book Private Night Zoo Lights. We thank sponsors ConocoPhillips Alaska, GCI and Lowe’s for their generous sponsorship of Zoo Lights for the community during Alaska’s long, dark winter nights.

Zoo Lights:

Zoo Lights tickets purchased this season including those purchased during the CyberMonday Sale will be valid for one use on any of the following open dates (last entry is always 30 minutes before closing).

  • All Zoo Lights openings listed below are 5-8pm

  • November 29th (Black Friday): OPENING

  • CyberMonday online ticket sale - special one-day sale $12/ticket (plus service fee)

  • Open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays from November 29th - January 5th

  • ASD Winter Break: Zoo Lights nightly December 20th - January 5th

  • One exception over ASD Winter Break is December 25th - Zoo closed

  • Encore: January 31st, February 1st, 2nd

  • Valentines: February 14th, 15th, 16th

NEW! Dino Lights

Don’t miss the Alaska Zoo’s brand new event during ASD Spring Break - Dino Lights! Learn about Alaska’s dinosaurs through new custom light displays, fun fact signs, dinosaur artifacts to see and explore on loan from the UAF Museum of the North, a kid’s dinosaur dig in the greenhouse and more.

  • March 7th - March 16th, 6-9pm nightly

Rates for Zoo Lights and Dino Lights

Entry is paid at the gate or tickets may be purchased online. Daytime entry to the zoo is sold separately. Zoo Lights and Dino Lights tickets are separate purchases with different rates. Small service fees apply for online purchases. If you want to avoid the fees, pay at the gate. Tickets are non-refundable and are not applicable to membership purchases.

Regular Zoo Lights:

  • $15 per member age 3+

  • $20 per non-member age 3+

  • CyberMonday Zoo Lights Sale - $12 per ticket (for members and non-members, plus service fee) during this one-day online only sale on December 2nd.

Dino Lights:

  • $15 per member age 3+

  • $25 per non-member age 3+

Additional Info:

  • Ages 2 and under are FREE

  • Tickets are non-refundable.

  • Tickets are valid for one use within the date range specified.

Services: The Zoo Gift Shop and Kape Espresso Tayo Zoo Coffee Shop will be open for business during Zoo Lights. Shop, drink and eat to support the zoo's operations and animals.

Visitor Ratios: Visitors must be within the adult to youth ratio. Minimum of 1 adult per 5 youth (12 and under).

Private Zoo Lights

Perfect for businesses, holiday parties, schools, PTA events, reunions, etc. Here is our base package with larger offerings available upon request:

  • Base rate: $3,500 for a 3-hour Private Zoo Lights for 250 people. We have larger group options.

  • Contact Events Manager at rentalevents@alaskazoo.org for scheduling and options. We are happy to work with your group!

All images above are courtesy of Zoo Photographer John Gomes. See more of John’s work from the zoo and around Alaska, click here!