LAST CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE ILLUMINIGHTS AT THE ZOO

The coming nights are the last chances to experience IllumiNights at the Zoo: A Chinese Lantern Festival, open most nights through January 16. Capacity is limited, and advance reservations are strongly recommended. Walk-ups are welcome if capacity allows, but are not guaranteed.

Zoo Atlanta partnered with Hanart Culture to present the new experience, which opened to the public on November 22, 2021. IllumiNights is presented by Georgia Power, with additional support from Beacon Sponsor PNC and Luminary Sponsor T-Mobile.

After dark, guests will explore the Zoo, transformed – full of breathtaking vistas celebrating the inspirations of nature. Located in vignettes throughout Zoo grounds, more than 80 lanterns represent mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, plants, and more. Highlights include a 100-foot-long Chinese dragon and a 23-foot-tall jellyfish. Each lantern is made and hand-painted by artisans, representing thousands of hours of work. In keeping with Zoo Atlanta’s commitment to sustainability, each lantern also features environmentally-friendly LED lights.

As this is an after-dark event, with very few exceptions, animals will not be out during IllumiNights. Instead, wildlife will light the night in the form of the lanterns as they showcase the extraordinary splendors of nature.

The Endangered Species Carousel will be open during IllumiNights. Select gift shops and food and beverage locations will also be open. Festival-inspired items, hot beverages, and snacks will be available in the Zoo’s Ford Pavilion, transformed for IllumiNights as the Dragon’s Den.

The event will be open from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Get reservations, information, and answers to frequently asked questions at zooatlanta.org/illuminights.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Rachel Davis, Director of Communications
404.624.2812 – office
404.309.2238 – cell
rdavis@zooatlanta.org

Gavin Johnson, Public Relations and Communications Specialist
404.624.5980 – office
gjohnson@zooatlanta.org

About Zoo Atlanta
A proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for animal care and welfare, Zoo Atlanta has a mission to save wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education, and engaging experiences. The Zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them endangered or critically endangered. Highlights include giant pandas, including Ya Lun and Xi Lun, the only giant panda twins in the U.S.; one of North America’s largest zoological populations of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Recent transformations include the new African Savanna, featuring new and expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, warthogs, meerkats, and rhinos; Savanna Hall, a state-of-the-art special event destination in the newly restored historic former home of the Atlanta Cyclorama; and the new Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Plaza. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.