5/5 John C. 2 months ago on Google β’ 23 reviews New
Highly
recommend
the
Wild
Lanterns
as
one
of
your
Christmas
holiday
traditions!
They
are
a
delightful
fusion
of
oriental
lanterns
and
the
traditional
zoo
lights.
Using
illuminated
lanterns,
they
portray
animals
from
around
the
world
(and
the
zoo)
in
beautiful
and
sometimes
whimsical
displays.
For
families
with
children,
there
are
several
interactive
exhibits,
including
the
rain
cloud
display,
an
activity
center,
and,
of
course,
the
antique
carousel.
They
do
have
a
(no
touch)
animal
experience
also,
which
rotates
through
different
animals.
While
we
were
there,
it
was
a
snake
and
a
tarantula.
The
staff
were
engaging
and
informative,
keeping
it
interesting
for
kids
and
adults
alike.
Kids
will
love
the
displays,
but
having
areas
to
let
the
young
ones
interact
more
and
burn
some
energy
always
helps
to
keep
everyone
happy.
If
you
like
to
take
your
time
and
enjoy
ambience,
grab
a
cup
of
coffee,
snack,
or
a
beer
at
one
of
the
snack
stands
and
enjoy
a
leisurely
meander
through
this
magical
land.
Visibility:
Paths
are
pretty
well
lit,
but
this
is
intended
to
be
a
dark
experience.
If
you
struggle
to
see
in
the
dark,
you
may
want
to
bring
a
subtle
flashlight
that
you
can
click
on
to
help
you
feel
secure
in
darker
areas.
All
the
areas
-
but
the
kids
areas
-
are
on
paved
paths,
so
there
should
be
no
trip
hazards
to
speak
of.
I
saw
several
people
with
various
subtle
lights
(Christmas
light
necklaces,
light
up
toys,
glow
sticks,
and
little
"hello
I'm
here,
please
don't
run
into
me"
lights).
The
experience
is
about
enjoying
the
illuminated
lanterns,
but
it
is
also
quite
dark
and
sometimes
people
don't
look
where
they
are
going
or
just
don't
see
well
in
the
dark.
I
found
myself
regretting
not
bringing
some
form
of
low-level
ambient
lighting.
There
were
a
few
dark
areas
with
people
not
seeing
those
around
them,
for
me,
it
was
partly
for
that,
but
moreso
about
the
draw
to
be
more
immersed
into
the
festive
spirit
of
the
event.
(Choose
based
on
your
style,
but
the
Christmas
light
necklaces
looked
the
most
festive
to
me!!)
Parking:
There
is
parking
on
site
(which
is
~$8
after
fees
&
taxes).
There
are
displays
near
both
entrances,
so
either
the
south
or
west
lot
works.
The
west
lot
has
some
Instagram
photo
stop
displays,
but
if
you
park
at
the
south
lot,
just
ask
for
a
hand
stamp
when
you
walk
by
the
west
entrance
and
they
will
let
you
go
see
those,
take
pictures,
and
find
back
in
to
finish
the
experience.
Tickets:
Recommend
booking
in
advance
as
availability
call
sell
out.
Tickets
seem
pricey
at
$37
for
adults,
but
it
was
well
worth
the
money
and
I
intend
to
add
this
as
a
semi-annual
Christmas
tradition.
Time:
If
you
love
to
take
your
time,
wander
slowly,
stop
to
enjoy
displays,
take
pictures,
and
generally
immerse
yourself
in
the
experience,
I
recommend
giving
yourself
2-2.5
hours.
If
you
are
good
with
a
nice
walk-through
experience,
you
can
see
everything
in
an
hour.