ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo’s ZooLights runs nightly from November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027, 4:30 to 9 p.m. with last entry at 8 p.m., according to the zoo. The zoo says the display has more than 3 million lights and hundreds of LED animal displays, plus a Ferris wheel, carousel, live ice carving on Friday and Saturday nights, a scavenger hunt and indoor animal-house tours. Santa is on hand through December 23. Invesco and ComEd present the event.

Fixed-date tickets bought in advance cost $7 to $12 depending on the night; day-of tickets are $20, and a flexible any-night ticket is $20. Free Mondays are November 23 and 30 and December 7 and 14, with free tickets released one week ahead at 11 a.m. Central; the zoo notes December 21 and 28 are not free nights. A sensory-friendly night is scheduled for November 24.

Hot chocolate, churros and s’mores are sold on the grounds, and the zoo’s special-event nights include a jazz tribute and New Year’s programming; check the zoo’s calendar for dates.

Plan your visit

There is no L stop at the zoo; the 151 Sheridan and 156 LaSalle buses stop at Stockton and Webster near the east gate, and the 22 Clark bus runs along the west side. From the Fullerton Red and Brown Line station it is about a 15-minute walk east. The zoo’s Cannon Drive lot charges by the hour and fills by 5:30 p.m. on weekends and free Mondays, so bus or rideshare is easier. Weeknights after 7 p.m. are the calmest; free Mondays are the busiest nights of the season.