The Memphis Zoo is a staple of the city’s experience and offers more than the typical walk-through animal viewing. When the weather gets cold and the animals stay comfortably warm inside, the trees begin to twinkle and the zoo can be seen from space. Instead of the previous holiday light show, Zoo Lights, the zoo is lighting the LED lights and turning up the music in their new Lantern Festival. 

The lights are visible everywhere, even from outside the gates. Crossing the barrier from the parking lot to the courtyard is like stepping into a scene from a holiday movie. As you walk under the glimmering lights, classic holiday tunes serenade you, blanketing you in festivities. The colors are bright and the displays seem to never end, sprawling throughout the whole zoo. Looking back at you are luminescent lions, gleaming gorillas and bright butterflies, some of which move as if they are aglow with life.

Beyond the exhibitions of fauna are flickering flora. Flowers, trees and grass are ablaze, building the environments that the radiant wildlife inhabit. Incandescent icicles dangle from above as if the ground were freshly coated with snow, transporting you to a winter wonderland.

Apart from the undulating light displays, shops sprinkle the walkways. There, you can purchase festive fuel in the form of sweets, snacks and hot cocoa or souvenirs to commemorate your visit. For the social-media-worthy spectacle, photo opportunities are set up along the path of the experience. A beloved holiday figure also waits to pose for a photo: Santa Claus waits in his workshop set up in the China exhibit.

At the end of your stroll, find one of the fire pits to warm up and sip a delicious cup of hot cocoa before leaving the zoo.

The Lantern Festival will be open on select nights until February 1st. If lights are overwhelming for you but you still want to participate in the celebration, the zoo offers sensory nights on December 10th and January 14th. I would recommend this event for a fun time for family and friends of all ages.