Los Angeles Zoo and Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association announces the return of Animals Aglow, now in its 10th year. This year’s celebration will include even more displays, festive holiday elements, Santa and more.
Running Nov. 15–Jan. 5, 2025, this event invites families to wander through landscapes of lush rain forests, alpine forests and serene rivers while taking in beautiful, sculptural lights showcasing a wide variety of animals and plants. From sea creatures to colorful pollinators, kids will love seeing these animals and insects lit up.
And, this year, the zoo will add two festive holiday sections featuring dazzling displays, immersive lights and festive photo opportunities. For an additional fee, capture the joy with Santa.
For guests who prefer a sensory-supportive environment, L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow opens for a special evening, Dec. 3, with some modifications to make the event more inclusive. This one-night-only special event includes smaller crowds, quiet music volume throughout the experience, Santa photos with no flash photography available, sensory bags available to check out (complete with noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards and weighted lap pads), the opportunity to exit and reenter the zoo, and an online Social Story providing a preview of what to expect.
On Dec. 31, the zoo hosts Family New Year’s Eve, featuring a buffet dinner with dessert, dancing, a live broadcast of the Times Square ball drop, New Year toast and more.
Tickets for children start at $18, and adult tickets (ages 13 and up) start at $29.
Read This Next
#WhereverFamily
Insta FeedTravel Tips
Jan 9, 2026What’s the Right Age to Start Kids Skiing?
If you ski, you’ll likely hope your kids join you on the slopes and feel the same thrill you do as they glide down a snow-covered mountainside. Especially if skiing means traveling some distance and you are make the ski trip a family vacation, you’ll want everyone to enjoy all the activities.
Sponsored Content
Board a Nile River Cruise with A&K Sanctuary
If Agatha Christie took a Nile voyage today, we like to think she would do it aboard one of our A&K Sanctuary riverboats — consistently voted the best on the river, from boutique cruisers to a handsome six-suite dahabiya.
Hotels
Jan 9, 20262 Hawaiian Hotels Launch Special Savings This Season
This winter, two Hawaiian hotels launch limited-time offers for family travelers to enjoy Hawaiian hospitality, amenities and culture.
Travel Tips
Jan 8, 2026What is a Salvaged Stay and How to Plan One
Salvaged stays are an emerging trend in travel that let family travelers enjoy a unique way to experience a destination. Rather than staying in a destination’s big-ticket resort hotel or a cookie-cutter vacation rental, travelers look to the world’s repurposed properties, like abandoned mills and defunct train stations-turned-hotels that have found new life. These renovated properties are a lesson in sustainability and give families a chance to discover a unique view of the history of a destination.
Sponsored Content
TAP Air Portugal: A Milestone Year
From small airline to global success, TAP Air Portugal turns 80 and better than ever.
Cruises
Jan 6, 2026“MSC Grandiosa” Arrives at Port Canaveral
MSC Cruises’ MSC Grandiosa recently arrived at Port Canaveral to begin week-long sailings to the Caribbean and Bahamas from the Central Florida port. As the second of the family travel favorite’s ships based at Port Canaveral, MSC Grandiosa joins MSC Seashore, which shifts to three- and four-day cruises.
ShareThis