San Francisco Zoo Brings Back ZooLights Nov. 6 With $30 Tickets

The San Francisco Zoo is bringing back ZooLights, its holiday light event, from Friday 6 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, with tickets at $30 for adults and $21 for children. The zoo lists the dates, prices and evening hours on its official ZooLights page, and the event runs Wednesday to Sunday evenings from 5:30pm to 9pm.

ZooLights is a separate evening ticket, not part of daytime zoo admission, so plan it as its own outing. For more to do in the city, our things to do in San Francisco guide ranks the top sights.

Dates, Hours and Tickets

ZooLights opens on 6 November and runs until 3 January, the zoo says. It operates Wednesday through Sunday evenings from 5:30pm to 9pm and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Tickets cost $30 for adults and $21 for children, with a $3 discount for zoo members. Local news site Hoodline reports that the child price applies to children under 11.

Reservations are not required. Tickets can be bought in person or online and are valid for one visit on any date during the run, which gives you flexibility if the weather changes.

The ZooLights ticket is separate from a general admission daytime zoo ticket, the zoo says, so a daytime visit and an evening visit need two tickets.

What Is Included

The zoo describes more than one million lights across 14 zones. They include glowing 3D animal installations, an immersive frozen zone set up for family photos and interactive light up playgrounds.

The ticket also includes the zoo’s Dinos Rule! exhibition. The zoo plans special themed nights, including appearances by Santa in December.

Back After Eight Years

The event last ran in 2018, Hoodline reports, and a 2016 edition charged $8 for adults and $6 for children. This year’s adult ticket costs almost four times as much.

The return means visitors can explore the zoo after dark for the first time since 2018, with the light zones spread across the grounds.

Hoodline reports that the zoo posted a $6.3 million operating loss in fiscal year 2025 and that the city approved an emergency bridge loan earlier in 2026. The nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society has run the city owned zoo since 1993, and Cassandra Costello became its permanent chief executive in February 2026. Costello told KRON4 the effect would be “magical,” according to Hoodline.

Planning Your Evening

The zoo is at Sloat Boulevard and the Great Highway, near Ocean Beach on the western edge of the city. Evenings by the coast are often cool and windy, so bring layers, especially in December.

Getting There

If you are not driving, Muni’s L Taraval line runs out to the zoo area from downtown, which avoids hunting for parking on busy nights. Check Muni’s current service before you travel.

Weekends and the days around Christmas are likely to be the busiest nights. If your dates are flexible, a Wednesday or Thursday early in the run should be quieter.

With no timed entry, arriving soon after opening at 5:30pm gives you the most time to walk the zones before the 9pm close. Allow at least an hour and a half to see all 14 zones at an easy pace.

Food and drink options at the event were not detailed on the ZooLights page, so it is worth eating before or after your visit if you have dietary needs.

Check the zoo’s visitor information page for parking and accessibility details before you go, as the ZooLights page does not cover them.