JOIN US for the BRIGHTEST, NEW Light Show in Wisconsin!  

Zoo Lights at Henry Vilas Zoo is back with a newly designed, spectacular winter light show that features unlimited carousel rides and pictures with Santa for all ticket holders. NEW for 2025, you can customize your experience by joining us for one of our theme nights! You can see a full schedule of themes below! 

You’re Invited to join our mascot, Henry the Lion, for his first Holiday PJ Party! Enjoy an earlier look at the lights of Zoo Lights, unlimited carousel rides, and meet and greets with Santa like a usual. On top of the normal Zoo Lights fun, guests are encouraged to try our specialty menu at the Glacier Grille featuring toddler-friendly treats and smaller portions of some of our favorite Zoo Lights foods (Full Menu to Come). Additionally, guests can enjoy one of Henry the Lion’s favorite activities at Henry’s Sleepy Storytime Station! Henry and his pals will alternate between reading animal themed stories at special times and doing meet and greets with his friends before tucking himself into bed!

Guests can participate in storytime at 5:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Enjoy CLASSIC ZOO LIGHTS? Join us during our Opening Weekend for the first look at our BRAND NEW show and an opportunity to enjoy our traditional Zoo Lights favorite experiences!

2025 ZOO LIGHTS SCHEDULE

Please read this schedule and all instructions carefully before purchasing your Zoo Lights tickets! Zoo Lights tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.

Saturday, Nov. 22 - Opening Night - Classic Lights

Sunday, Nov. 23 - Opening Weekend - Classic Lights

Friday, Nov. 28 - Classic Lights

Saturday, Nov. 29 - Classic Lights

Sunday, Nov. 30 - Classic Lights

Friday, Dec. 5 - Classic Lights

Saturday, Dec. 6 - Classic Lights

Sunday, Dec. 7 - Henry's Holiday Pajama Party

Wednesday, Dec. 10 - Sensory Friendly Night 

Thursday, Dec. 11 - Classic Lights

Friday, Dec. 12 - Classic Lights

Saturday, Dec. 13 - Classic Lights

Sunday, Dec. 14 - Classic Lights

Tuesday, Dec. 16 - Classic Lights

Wednesday, Dec. 17 - Classic Lights

Thursday, Dec. 18 - Classic Lights

Friday, Dec. 19 - Classic Lights

Saturday, Dec. 20 - Classic Lights

Sunday, Dec. 21 - Classic Lights

Monday, Dec. 22 - Classic Lights

Tuesday, Dec. 23 - Classic Lights

All tickets include a TIMED ENTRY. Please select an entry window. You are welcome to stay for as long as you like once you are inside the Zoo! Guests who arrive outside of their arrival window (early or late) will be allowed entry, but may experience additional wait time to prioritize guests that arrived at their designated window. If you have any questions about ticketing policies or purchasing tickets, then please reach out to our Guest Services team at zoo@henryvilaszoo.gov.

F.A.Q.

Which animals will be on exhibit? We give our animals the choice of whether they would like to be in their outdoor or indoor exhibit each day, and there may be times certain animals are not on display or certain animal buildings that are closed to the public. All of our animals who can be on exhibit will have indoor and outdoor access.

Please note that many of our animals prefer to sleep at night/in the early evening. We suggest taking a walk down to Arctic Passage to see animals that are somewhat reliably on exhibit at this time of year.

Is this event accessible? Henry Vilas Zoo has made great strides in building accessibility tools into the Zoo experience. We offer wheelchairs for rental and free sensory bag rentals with noise cancelling headphones for any guests who need those tools. All of our event paths are wheelchair accessible and have automatic doors. Some paths utilize hills and feature some uneven ground that can prove difficult for some mobility aid users.

If you have specific concerns that we have not addressed or would like to discuss additional accommodation options, then please reach out to our Guest Services department at zoo@henryvilaszoo.gov.

Can I purchase tickets at the gate? We highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance. Tickets for our earlier time slots often sell out before the event starts. If tickets are available when the gate opens, we will put them on sale. Gate sales are credit card only.  

How to redeem your tickets:

Zoo Lights tickets will be scanned at the gates. ALL GUESTS require a ticket, discounts on groups of 4 or more general admission tickets are automatically applied at purchase.

There are two ways to show us your tickets:

• Via a mobile phone - you can pull up your receipt in your email and CLICK ON THE TICKET LINK or save your tickets to your phone wallet. 
• Print your tickets at home

We do not have a will call option for tickets this year. 

Please note: the bar code in your email receipt is not your ticket. Please scroll to the end of your email to find the QR code. That is your ticket. Each ticket has a unique QR code that will be scanned.

WEATHER AND CANCELLATION POLICY

TICKETS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE/NON-TRANSFERABLE. This event will run rain, snow, or shine. Please dress accordingly.

In the event of severe weather, Henry Vilas Zoo may cancel this event. You will be notified by email if the event is cancelled. Tickets for cancelled dates will be refunded in 3-5 business days.

Did you know your participation makes an impact? Every ticket purchase helps the zoo stay free, open, and accessible for all, 365 days a year! Thank you for making a difference!