ZooLights is the holiday light event at Utah’s Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, where the zoo stays open after dark on select nights each winter so guests can walk through lit-up pathways, animal silhouettes, and festive decorations. It’s a low-key, cold-weather tradition built around strolling, hot cocoa, and photos rather than animal viewing, since most habitats go dark for the night so the animals can rest.
Utah’s Hogle Zoo had not announced 2026 dates, hours, or ticket prices as of this writing (mid-October 2026). The zoo typically confirms its holiday lineup in the weeks around Thanksgiving, so this page will be updated the moment new details post. Everything below marked 2025 reflects the most recently completed season and is the best guide to what to expect — including how tickets, parking, and member pricing actually work — until the new dates go live.
Quick Answer
Utah’s Hogle Zoo has not yet announced 2026 ZooLights dates, hours, or ticket prices; expect the announcement around Thanksgiving (late November 2026). The most recently completed season ran select nights from November 28, 2025 through January 4, 2026, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., with general admission around $16.95 to $19.95 and member pricing a few dollars less.
Parking at Hogle Zoo is free in the zoo’s on-site lot, and tickets are sold online by specific calendar date rather than a timed-entry window. Check the official ZooLights page for the live 2026 schedule as soon as it posts.
2026 Dates: What We Know So Far
As of this writing, Utah’s Hogle Zoo has not published dates, hours, or ticket prices for the 2026 ZooLights season. Based on past years, expect the announcement to land in the weeks before or right around Thanksgiving, with the season itself opening the Friday after Thanksgiving and running on select nights into early January.
The 2025 season is the closest guide to what’s coming: ZooLights ran select nights from November 28, 2025 through January 4, 2026, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., with a sensory-friendly ZooLights Silent Night held on December 26, 2025. Nothing specific has been confirmed for 2026 yet, so check the official ZooLights page before making plans, and bookmark this page since it will be updated as soon as 2026 details are live.
Hours and Which Nights It’s Open
ZooLights does not run every night of the season — it operates on select nights in blocks, with gaps for nights the zoo is closed. In 2025, those blocks ran in clusters of roughly four to seven nights at a time between late November and early January (for example, November 28-30, December 3-7, December 10-14, and December 17-23), with the event closed on a handful of dates around Christmas and New Year’s.
Hours in 2025 were 5:30 to 9 p.m., with last entry typically earlier than closing time. Since the schedule is not a simple “every night” run, always check the specific calendar date you want to attend rather than assuming any evening in the season window works. The official site posts the full list of open nights once the season is confirmed, so this is the first thing to check once the 2026 announcement lands.
Tickets and Pricing Tiers Explained
2026 ticket prices have not been released, but the pricing structure itself tends to repeat year to year: a child rate (ages 3-12), an adult rate (13 and up), free admission for toddlers 2 and under, a discounted member rate, and a perk for higher-tier members that includes one or more free ZooLights nights built into their membership.
For reference, 2025 general admission was $16.95 for ages 3 to 12 and $19.95 for ages 13 and up, with children 2 and under free. Zoo members saved $3 per ticket ($13.95 and $16.95), and members at the Premier Booster level and above received one free ZooLights night as part of their membership.
Tickets are sold by specific date, are non-refundable, and the event runs rain, snow, or shine, so pick the night you actually want before buying. Timed entry (a specific arrival window within the night) has not been a stated requirement in recent seasons — tickets are tied to a date, not a time slot, and are available online in advance or at the gate. Watch the official ZooLights page for 2026 on-sale dates and pricing.
Parking and Getting to Hogle Zoo
Parking at Hogle Zoo is free in the zoo’s on-site lot off Sunnyside Avenue, with no separate parking fee during ZooLights in recent seasons. The zoo is located at 2600 E. Sunnyside Avenue (840 South) in Salt Lake City, a few minutes from downtown and easily reached by car.
If you’d rather not drive and park in the dark during winter weather, check UTA’s website for bus options serving the Sunnyside/Foothill area. Because the lot fills up on busy nights (especially weekends close to Christmas), arriving close to opening time gives you the best shot at an easy spot.
Accessibility and the Walking Route
Wheelchair and stroller rentals were available in 2025 for guests who need them, and the paths used for ZooLights are the same walkways used during regular daytime visits. Because the event runs after dark in winter, those walkways can be icy or uneven in spots, so wear sturdy, weather-appropriate shoes and consider bringing a flashlight or using a phone light between brightly lit display areas.
The Lights, Displays, Santa and the Carousel
ZooLights fills the zoo’s walkways with holiday light displays, lit animal figures, and seasonal decorations set up specifically for nighttime viewing, along with spots designed for holiday photos. Because most animal habitats are kept dark during the event so the animals can rest, this is primarily a lights-and-atmosphere visit rather than a chance to see the zoo’s animals active.
In 2025, guests could also visit Santa at the Wild Zootique Gift Shop through December 23 and take a nighttime ride on the Conservation Carousel in Oasis Plaza for an extra $3 per person. Whether Santa visits and the carousel return on the same schedule for 2026 has not been confirmed, but both have been recurring parts of the event in recent years.
ZooLights Silent Night and Food Extras
ZooLights Silent Night offered a sensory-friendly version of the event on December 26, 2025, with adjustments to sound, flashing lights, and smells while keeping the same light displays and holiday atmosphere — a good option for guests who find typical crowd noise and strobing lights overwhelming.
In 2025, seasonal treats were available at the zoo’s Beastro, including hot chocolate, s’mores, and other holiday sweets. Members received a complimentary festive fudge tin with their membership ID. Whether these extras return unchanged for 2026 has not been confirmed.
Tips for Your Visit
Dress warm since the event runs outdoors after dark in Utah’s winter weather, and the 2025 season ran snow or shine with non-refundable tickets, so check the forecast before you head out rather than counting on a weather-related refund. Plan on at least 90 minutes to see the lights, visit Santa, and grab a treat, and more if you also want a carousel ride.
Because the schedule runs in clusters of open nights rather than straight through the season, pick your date and buy tickets for that specific night as soon as the calendar posts — popular nights near Christmas and New Year’s tend to sell out first in past seasons.
Photos
Planning more than one? See every zoo and garden holiday light show for 2026, by state.
Over 3,700 pieces, a real vertical loop and a working chain lift. Display it on a shelf in the coaster room.
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Folds into its own pocket. Pop it on when the storm rolls in and the rides reopen to short lines.
Hogle Zoo ZooLights 2026 FAQs
When will Hogle Zoo announce 2026 ZooLights dates?
As of mid-October 2026, dates haven’t been announced. Hogle Zoo has typically confirmed its ZooLights schedule in the weeks around Thanksgiving, with the season opening the Friday after Thanksgiving.
How much are Hogle Zoo ZooLights tickets?
2026 prices haven’t been released. Last season (2025), general admission was $16.95 for ages 3-12 and $19.95 for ages 13+, with kids 2 and under free; zoo members paid $3 less per ticket.
Is parking free at Hogle Zoo during ZooLights?
Yes. Parking is free in the zoo’s on-site lot off Sunnyside Avenue, with no separate ZooLights parking fee in recent seasons.
Are ZooLights tickets timed entry?
No. Tickets are sold for a specific calendar date rather than a specific arrival time slot, and are available online in advance or at the gate.
Can I see animals during ZooLights?
Mostly no. Most habitats are kept dark at night so animals can rest, so ZooLights is primarily a walk-through light display rather than an animal-viewing visit.
Does Santa visit ZooLights?
In 2025, Santa was available at the Wild Zootique Gift Shop through December 23. Whether this returns for 2026 hasn’t been confirmed, but Santa has been a recurring part of the event in recent years.
Is the carousel open during ZooLights?
In 2025, the Conservation Carousel in Oasis Plaza ran at night for an extra $3 per rider. This has been a recurring extra but isn’t confirmed for 2026 yet.
What is ZooLights Silent Night?
It’s a sensory-friendly version of ZooLights with reduced sound, flashing lights, and strong smells, held on one designated night (December 26 in 2025) while keeping the same displays.
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