LumiNature is Back at the Philadelphia Zoo With Over 1 Million Lights and Cool New Features Including a 360 Experience
The Philadelphia Zoo is lit. No, literally the zoo is lit this year with one million sparkling lights as part of the yearly LumiNature experience. The Philadelphia Zoo’s spectacular winter light show experience, LumiNature Presented by PNC, is back this holiday season popular installations as well as some new ones. wildlife and the beauty of our planet.
This is definitely an annual event that’s a must each year. However, if you’ve been before, there are a few new lluminated zones including “LumiNature 360”, where you can experience a 360-degee celebration of wildlife on the Zoo’s Impala Plaza; Beary Sweet, where you can walk through a world of gummy bears, candy and sweet treats galore; and “Polar Play”, where you’ll choose your own adventure and play through a land filled with lights and laughter.
Plus, guests won’t want to miss the return of fan favorites including Penguin Prismatic featuring a 40 ft. tall penguin glimmering with 40,000 lights, our iconic 25 ft. tall tree made entirely of 1,500 lit flamingo lawn ornaments and so much more. The adventure begins Thursday, November 21 and runs select nights through Saturday, January 4. LumiNature is a nighttime experience with timed entrance tickets available every half hour from 5:00pm to 8:00pm and closes at 9:00pm or 10:00pm depending on the visit date. Tickets for adults ages 12+ are $22 to $29, children ages 2-11 are $18 to $24, and children under 2 are no charge. Purchase Anytime Tickets ($32 for adults and $27 for children) and visit LumiNature any operating night without advance reservations. Zoo members receive a discount on all tickets. For tickets and membership information, visit philadelphiazoo.org/luminature. Philadelphia Zoo is located at 3400 W. Girard Ave. Parking is available in nearby Zoo parking lots for an additional cost.
“The holidays are such a cherished time of year, and LumiNature presented by PNC is designed for you to create lifelong memories with family, friends and those most dear to you,” said Philadelphia Zoo President & CEO Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman. “This year’s experience includes more ways for you to be a part of the show and connect to the beauty, wonder and magic of our planet.”
LumiNature presented by PNC is a full-scale, nighttime, holiday light show extravaganza that takes over the entire footprint of Philadelphia Zoo after hours. Dazzling sights, sounds and surprises throughout the Zoo will create magical illusions of hundreds of butterflies gathering on an enormous tree and hundreds of penguins hosting an outdoor party of their very own. LumiNature is designed to inspire a sense of wonder and connection as all these elements come together in this experience available nowhere else in America.
Santa will be stopping by on November 30, December 5 and December 13 from 5:30 to 8:30pm to take sELFies with guests inside the Zoo’s Treehouse! This add on is no charge to Zoo members. Guests can purchase a $10 ticket per group to enter the Zoo’s exclusive members-only space to get their photos with Santa.
Offering new and additional areas of sparkle, LumiNature presented by PNC returns with larger displays, more immersive experiences, and more wattage. A break-down of the experiences and illuminated zones is as follows.
NEW HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2024:
* At the brand-new “Polar Play” choose your own adventure and play through a land filled with lights and laughter. Visit the den of a playful (puppet) arctic fox and waddle with a roaming (puppet) penguin. Kids and kids at heart are invited to play through this space and create magical memories.
* New this year, walk into a 360-degree celebration of wildlife.At “LumiNature 360,” immerse yourself in captivating scenes of animals from around the world displayed in 100,000 twinkling lights. Become part of the show and press the button to make lights leap from the Impala Fountain. “LumiNature 360” is also your first stop to grab a warm drink and a light-up souvenir.
* New this year, walk through a world of gummy bears, candy, and sweet treats galore in a brand-new illuminated zone, Beary Sweet. Glowing with 200,000 multicolored lights and scenes that will make any sweet tooth drool, guests will delight in photo ops with shimmering bears, snowmen and more, all leading to the Sweet Shoppe, filled with treats and souvenirs for all ages.
* New this year, they say no two snowflakes have the same pattern, just like a zebra’s stripes or a cheetah’s spots. Guest will try and spot the animals and animal patterns inside giant snowflakes as they walk through “Wild Flurries,” a brand-new illuminated zone.
* New this year, strut your stuff and see how you compare to one of the flashiest birds in the world—the peacock. At Peacock Spectacular, take advantage of two new photos ops for the perfect holiday card. And—you won’t be able to miss the twirling peacock light performer.
LumiNature presented by PNC also brings back fan favorites with added excitement; including:
* Take a journey through the jungle in Shimmer River. As you travel up the river, be on the lookout for a bright orange orangutan swinging from vibrant vines, a yellow jaguar ready to pounce, a crocodile wading in the water, and a pink elephant going for a swim. NEW FOR THIS YEAR: kids are a part of the show. By playing drums, kids can change the colors on a troop of roaming monkeys. You can’t miss the enormous, sparkling waterfall and vine wall featuring 20,000 lights. Then, enter a 100-foot-long tunnel filled with 4,000 lights, creating dynamic scenes from growing vines, to blooming flowers, multicolored kaleidoscopes and more. And, don’t forget to take a photo with a gigantic 15-foot-tall tall blue gorilla wearing a glowing lei.
* Stop and marvel at the magical Penguin Prismatic show, featuring a 40 ft. tall penguin glowing with 40,000 lights that unveil surprising designs in a stunning fashion. The classic show includes the animals featured around LumiNature, like snakes, flamingos and animals on the African savanna, but also a scene dedicated to the city of Philadelphia, featuring the Liberty Bell, Love Park, the Rocky Statue and more. A second, brand-new animated show highlights how much fun it is to be a penguin. Watch them as they romp through a winter wonderland, dancing, ice skating and so much more. More than 100 penguins on Bird Lake will illuminate different colors in tandem with the performance. The red carpet, shining disco balls and chandeliers take you to this can’t miss light display.
* Flamingo Fancy, featuring 150,000 sparkling pink and aquamarine lights, is back along the main path, guiding guests to Winter of Love, featuring the Zoo’s iconic 25 ft. tall pink flamingo tree made entirely of 1500 lit lawn flamingos. Guests will feel the groovy vibes with a funky light display and 70s Volkswagen photo op. The pink flamingo tree made its debut at our inaugural LumiNature in 2019 and quickly became internet famous.
* Seasonbration comes to life via an oversized, Earth- shaped 3D screen showing programmed lights, music, sound effects and color, all under a canopy of glowing lights, celebrating the 4 seasons on our planet. NEW THIS YEAR: Hitch a ride on the SEPTA PZ Express Train and travel through the seasons. More than 400 glow globes add whimsy and wonder to the show.
* Flutter Flair features a stunning 22-feet-tall tree covered in 4,000 butterflies that welcomes visitors through the magical land of the butterfly. Featuring beautifully-winged artistic performers, Flutter Flair offers guests the opportunity to snap a beautiful photo and offers wishes for a tremendous holiday season.
* At Tis the SEAson, dive under the sea and float among more than a dozen giant jellyfish in hues of orange, pink and blue, reaching up to 5 ft. wide and 12 ft. long. A friendly sea turtle, with a flipper span of 16 ft., is the star of a 20 ft. tall custom holiday tree that brings the beauty of the coral reef to light.
* At Camp Starfire, make your own s’mores over an open fire underneath brilliantly lit orbs and sparkling trees. Snack on other sweet treats and hot cocoa, too.
* Step into the heart of Africa as you wander Twilight Savanna and witness animals roaming, running, and soaring through an imaginative video projection on striking rock walls. The projection captures the beauty of sunrises and sunsets on the African plains.
* Snake Awake invites visitors to slither through brilliant purples, blues and greens as a giant snake moves alongside them. The giant snake features more than 5,000 twinkling lights.
* In Our Neck of the Woods, help celebrate our neighborhood and cast a vote for your favorite tree decorated by our community partners.
LumiNature presented by PNC by the numbers will feature:
* Over a million lights and 10+ miles of power cord
* 20 ft. tall coral reef and under the sea-inspired holiday tree featuring a giant sea turtle
* Enormous, sparkling waterfall and vine wall featuring 20,000 lights
* 150,000 sparkling pink and aquamarine lights
* 400 glow globes shining above the Septa PZ Express Train
* 40 ft. tall penguin glowing with 40,000 lights
* Over 1500 illuminated flamingos and 200 illuminated penguins
* Pretty in pink 25 ft. tall flamingo holiday tree
* 100 ft. long jungle tunnel shining with 4,000 lights
* 22 ft. tall butterfly tree covered in 4,000 butterflies
* 20 ft. tall snake shimmering with 5,000 lights
* 15 ft. tall blue gorilla wearing a glowing lei
* 20 giant, floating jellyfish
SWEETS AND TREATS
LumiNature will feature local craft beer, spiked and non-spiked hot cocoa, bourbon apple cider, mulled wine, hot apple cider, gourmet popcorn, cookies, hot dogs, soft pretzels, cookie decorating, ornament painting, s’mores kits and more to be announced.
TICKETS AND GENERAL INFORMATION
Tickets are on sale now. Guests should pre-purchase timed-tickets and make their reservations at philadelpihazoo dot org. Advance tickets for adults ages 12+ are $22 to $29, children ages 2-11 are $18 to $24, and children under 2 years old are no charge for Philadelphia Zoo Members. Guests can also purchase Anytime Tickets on any operating night without advance reservations, only available through November 15, for adults ages 12 and up for $32, and children’s 2-11 for $27. For tickets and membership information, visit philadelphiazoo dot org/luminature.
