The holiday season begins earlier this year at the Milwaukee County Zoo as Wild Lights returns with a newly-expanded route of decorative displays and pathways throughout 28 nights in 2025.

Wild Lights will run Nov. 21-23, 28-29 and Dec. 3-31 (closed Dec. 8, 9, 15, 16, 24 and 25) from 5:30– 9 p.m. Admission gates close at 8:15 p.m. on all nights excluding drive thru and Cheers!

The festive fun kicks off with a drone show (weather dependent) on opening night, Friday Nov. 21, featuring an assortment of animals seen in Wild Lights displays. For those guests who want to take in the light displays from the comfort of their car, the Zoo is offering four nights (Nov. 29, Dec. 7, 14, 21) of a drive thru experience. This one-mile route runs along zoo pathways and lasts approximately 30-minutes. Animals will not be viewable on these nights.

On Thursday, Dec. 11 Cheers! Wild Lights, returns for guests 21 and over to enjoy a variety of entertainment, LED performances, a Holiday Hop Pass seasonal beer sampling, an outdoor watch party of the movie “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” and festive food for purchase. Cheers! is open from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.

For the first time ever, the zoo will welcome dogs at Dogs After Dark on Thursday, Dec. 17. Purchase a special ticket and bring your dog to Wild Lights. The fun includes special photo opportunities for dogs and a visit with Santa plus a gift presented by Racine Danish Kringles.

Select animal buildings will be open during Wild Lights (Wednesdays excluded) from 5:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.:

• Elephant Care Center: Nov. 22, 29, Dec. 5, 13, 20, 26

• Aquatic & Reptile Center: Nov. 22, 28, Dec. 5, 11, 12, 18, 20, 22, 27, 30, 31

• Florence Mila Borchert Big Cat Country: Nov. 21, 28, Dec. 6, 12, 19, 27

• Primates of the World: Nov. 21, 29, Dec. 6, 13, 19, 26

• Giraffe Barn: Dec. 4, 22, 23, 28, 29

Be sure to explore each of the 11 display zones:

• Polar Point illuminated by Pepsi Zero Sugar: Step into Wild Night of Lights.

• Flamingle all the Way: Like birds of a feather, flock together with friends and family down Flamingo Way past a flamboyance of lit flamingos.

• Jungle Bells: Enter the world of apes and primates with Jungle Bells. Use your imagination and dream of a faraway place where these agile animals are swinging from the trees around you.

• FantaSEA illuminated by Festival Foods: Dream of unknown places as you swim through this underwater adventure of sea creatures.

• aROARa: Here you’ll dream of beauty as you walk under the dancing waves of lights of the aurora borealis.

• Winter Woodland: Wander and weave through the evergreen forest and northern woodlands.

• ROARchestration illuminated by Prairie Farms Dairy: This kaleidoscopic landscape celebrates all the beauty of nature and the living things with which we share the earth. Celebrate with a light show every 10 minutes.

• Swans-a-Swimming: Float through a tranquil winter waterscape as you imagine graceful, glowing swans gliding across a shimmering sea of lights.

• Starry Safari illuminated by Verizon: As the sun rises over the horizon, create new dreams for a new day before imagining your very own Starry Safari adventure celebrating the zoo’s animals.

• ButterFLIGHT: As the night sky settles, some of earth’s smallest creatures twinkle in the sky and fireflies and butterflies will light your way.

• Vibrance: The ribbon of colors you’ve experienced along the way come together in this magical immersion of light.

Take in these enchanted extras, also available during Wild Lights:

• Enjoy the 28-foot Tree of Wildlife, a fully animated musical tree featuring the Wild Lights animals.

• Don’t miss the colossal 12-foot Light Wall. Grab a handful of colorful acrylic pegs and let your imagination run wild to create pictures, patterns and designs.

• Santa Claus is coming to town on Dec. 12-13, 17-20, 22-23.

• Nightly live entertainment will wow guests in the U.S. Bank Gathering Place.

• Beginning Nov. 28, take in the Fantastic Forest, sponsored by Hawks Landscape. The Zoological Society of Milwaukee brings the community together as local youth groups decorate 65 trees.

• The Zoo’s North Shore Bank Safari Train, Penzey’s Carousel and Sky Safari will be open, weather depending.

• For a more memorable experience, book an up-close and personal encounter with penguins or reticulated giraffes in a Wild Connections Tour. Additional fees and advanced registration are required.

• Play our Wild Lights, Wild Finds scavenger hunt. As you walk through the Zoo answer questions, submit photos and answer polls to complete challenges and win exciting prizes.

All Wild Lights tickets are available to purchase online now and include parking (a $15 value).

For more information about each of the Wild Lights nights, visit milwaukeezoo.org.