The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford opened its Asian Lantern Festival for the season on Friday, November 13, and this year every display on the route is new. The festival, titled Into the Wild and presented by Publix, runs on select nights through January 17, 2027, from 6 to 10 p.m., after the zoo has closed for the day.

The zoo, a nonprofit at 3755 W. Seminole Blvd. in Sanford, Seminole County, Florida, turns its grounds into a walking route of illuminated sculptures for about two months each holiday season. Tickets are sold online only, for timed entry, and there are no walk-up sales at the gate.

What is new on the path this year

The route is a three-quarter-mile loop around the zoo, lined with dozens of hand-built lantern scenes lit by LED lights. According to the zoo, the 2026 displays are organized around four themes: outer space, North American animals, a polar section and traditional Chinese lanterns drawn from folklore. The zoo lists more than 30 large-scale displays in all, covering animals, plants and traditional Chinese motifs.

The space section includes a solar system display, a new addition this year sponsored by Pro-Tech Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electric. The zoo announced that sponsorship in October and said the same company had sponsored the festival's largest display in earlier years.

The lanterns are designed and built with Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc., an event design and manufacturing company based in Zigong, in China's Sichuan province, a city with a long history of lantern making. The zoo describes the festival as the only event in Central Florida built around the tradition of Asian lantern festivals. Along with the lanterns, the evening includes live music, artisan crafts and a seasonal food and drink menu inspired by cuisines from across Asia, sold separately.

Tickets and timing

General admission is $27.99 per person, and a Family 4-Pack is $89.96. Zoo annual passholders pay $24 per ticket or $84 for a four-pack. All four tickets in a four-pack must be used on the same night and entry time. Groups of 15 or more can book a discounted rate of $22 per ticket through the zoo's events office.

Entry times are 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Guests may stay until the 10 p.m. close no matter which slot they booked, and last entry is at 9:15 p.m. The zoo estimates most groups take an hour to an hour and a half to walk the route, and visitors may walk the loop more than once. Parking is free.

A festival ticket is separate from regular zoo admission, and a daytime zoo ticket does not include the lanterns. The animals are in their night habitats during the festival, so the zoo suggests a daytime visit for anyone who wants to see them. The event is held rain or shine, and the zoo does not offer refunds or date exchanges.

Special nights on the calendar

  • Sensory nights: Tuesday, December 1, and Tuesday, January 12, with sound and lighting adjusted for guests with sensory sensitivities and their families.
  • Adults-only nights (21 and older): Thursday, December 10, and Tuesday, January 5.
  • Santa visits: December 20 through 23.
  • Family New Year's Eve countdown: December 31, with countdowns at 7, 8 and 9 p.m.

The zoo notes that nights can sell out, and a night listed as sold out online is not released at the gate. Tickets occasionally return to sale when another shopper's cart expires.

Getting around the route

The whole festival is outdoors. Manual wheelchairs rent for $12 at the admissions window, electric convenience vehicles for $35 and wagons for $14.99 plus tax, all first come, first served. ECV renters must be 18 or older and sign a waiver. Guests can bring their own mobility devices, and the zoo's accessibility coordinator can be reached at 407-323-4450, ext. 121.

How to go

The zoo sits on W. Seminole Boulevard in Sanford, just off I-4. Buy timed tickets in advance at centralfloridazoo.org/lanterns, choose a 6, 7 or 8 p.m. entry, and plan on about 90 minutes on the path. Companies and groups interested in private nights or catered packages can email events@centralfloridazoo.org.

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