PNC Festival of Lights runs Nov. 19 through Jan. 3 at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. About 5 million LED lights cover the grounds, and it’s included with regular zoo admission. That makes it one of the easier holiday nights out to sell to the whole family.
Lights, lanterns and themed areas
- 65 larger-than-life animal lanterns along the walking route.
- Into the Cosmos, a space-themed area built around the planets and stars.
- Under the Sea, an ocean-themed area across from Manatee Springs.
- Fiona’s Fairyland, a pink-and-purple light display, plus a scavenger hunt around the zoo.
- The Wild Lights show on Swan Lake and the Madcap Puppet Show at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. nightly.
- Santa’s Village, where Santa and Mrs. Claus visit from 4 p.m. daily through Dec. 23. It also has an elf workshop, a tree farm and a sensory-friendly Santa program that requires registration.
- The North Polar Express train, which runs through a light tunnel.
- Open-fire s’mores at S’mores N’ More, next to LaRosa’s and the zebras, and hot chocolate and soft pretzels at Hot Cocoa Express by the train station.
- Carolers near the train and costumed characters starting at 4 p.m.
Dates and hours
- Thursday, Nov. 19, through Sunday, Jan. 3.
- Sunday through Thursday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Dec. 20-31: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Festival activities start at 4 p.m.
- Closed Thanksgiving (Nov. 26), Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
- Happy Zoo Year, the zoo’s New Year’s Eve party, is Dec. 31.
Tickets
Festival of Lights is included with regular zoo admission. Prices vary by date and go up on busier nights, so buying online early gets you the better rate. The North Polar Express starts at 2:30 p.m. and costs extra for nonmembers.
If you want somewhere warm to sit, the zoo rents private Nutcracker-themed igloos on the lower deck of Basecamp Café, overlooking Fiona’s Fairyland. Each igloo seats six, and you can add two more guests for $15 each. Kids 2 and under don’t count toward the total. Bookings are 90-minute slots, either 5 to 6:30 p.m. or 7 to 8:30 p.m. An igloo costs $350, or $275 for members, and includes a reserved parking spot, hot chocolate, s’mores kits and a firepit.
Parking
The zoo is at 3400 Vine St. The main lot is the Vine Lot at 3427 Vine St., which has eight EV charging ports. The Euclid Lot (3301 Euclid Ave.) is open all day, and the Dury Lot (3292 Dury Ave.) opens for overflow.
Tips for your visit
- Come in the afternoon if you want to see animals. Most head inside around 5 p.m. or earlier. A few keeper chats run into the evening, including manatees at 7 p.m. at Manatee Springs and giraffes at 8 p.m. at Giraffe Ridge.
- Indoor buildings open during the festival include Reptile House, Gorilla World, Night Hunters, Dragons!, World of the Insect, Manatee Springs, Jungle Trails West and Discovery Forest. Gorillas aren’t on habitat Mondays and Tuesdays. Wings of the World and Jungle Trails East are closed, and the goat contact yard closes at 6:30 p.m.
- Dress for it. Most of the route is outdoors and paths can be wet or icy, so bring hats, gloves and layers.
- Weeknights are less crowded than weekends, which means shorter lines for the train, s’mores and photo spots.
- Hot Hippo drinks are sold at Hot Hippo Headquarters across from the train and at Cup + Cone.
- Download the zoo’s app or grab a map to plan your route.
- Tag photos with #cincyzoopic for a chance to show up in the zoo’s marketing.
It works for most ages: toddlers in strollers, teens who want photos, and adults who mostly came for the s’mores. For more ideas, see our list of things to do in Cincinnati with kids.
Buy PNC Festival of Lights tickets on the Cincinnati Zoo website
PNC Festival of Lights is at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45220.
PNC Festival of Lights
2026 Dates, November 19, 2026-January 3, 2027 | The Cincinnati Zoo is shining bright for the 44th annual PNC Festival of Lights!…
