ZooLights Returns to the San Francisco Zoo November 6 After an Eight-Year Break

ZooLights is coming back to the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. The evening light show runs November 6, 2026 through January 3, 2027, Wednesday through Sunday from 5:30 to 9pm, according to the zoo’s ZooLights page. It is the first ZooLights at the zoo since 2018, Hoodline reported.

What’s in the show

The zoo says the route covers 14 zones with more than one million lights. The listed pieces include 3D animal installations, a “frozen” zone set up for family photos, and light-up play areas. Hoodline’s rundown adds lighted tunnels, giant candy canes, a Golden Gate Bridge light display, a cable car installation, and, in the Frozen Zone, 10-foot icicles, a frozen forest, an ice throne and a photo sleigh. Admission also includes the zoo’s Dinos Rule! exhibit.

Tickets and hours

When: November 6, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 5:30 to 9pm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Cost: $30 for adults and $21 for children. Zoo members get $3 off. ZooLights is a separate evening ticket and is not covered by daytime zoo admission.

Booking: Reservations are not required. Tickets are sold online and at the gate, and each ticket is good for one visit on any night of the run.

Hoodline’s report describes the show as running nightly; the zoo’s own page lists Wednesday through Sunday only. This post follows the zoo’s schedule. Check sfzoo.org/zoolights before planning a holiday-week visit, since closures around Christmas and New Year’s Day are not listed yet.

Theme nights

Hoodline lists these special nights, all on regular ZooLights evenings:

November 13: Bingo
November 14: Silent disco
November 20: Trivia
November 21: Family techno glow rave
December 4: Star Wars Night
December 11 and 12: Santa Claus visits
December 18 and 19: Santa with Dickens carolers

Why it matters for the zoo

The relaunch comes during a tight stretch for the zoo’s finances. Hoodline reports a $6.3 million operating loss in fiscal year 2025, an audit that turned up $12 million in capital spending that had not been approved, and a $6.5 million emergency bridge loan approved by city officials. CEO Cassandra Costello, made permanent in February 2026, has to meet the loan’s conditions: quarterly financial reports, a five-year strategic plan, and keeping the zoo’s Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation.

Pricing is also different from the last run. A 2016 edition of ZooLights charged $8 for adults and $6 for children, according to Hoodline.

Getting there

The zoo is at Sloat Boulevard and the Great Highway in the Outer Sunset. The L Taraval Muni Metro line ends at the zoo, and the 18 and 23 buses also serve it, according to the zoo’s directions page. The zoo lot charges $15 on weekdays and $20 on weekends and holidays, with lot entrances off the Great Highway and off Sloat Boulevard at 47th Avenue. Free street parking is available on Sloat Boulevard.

If you’re planning holiday outings, the new Fisherman’s Wharf ice rink opens two days earlier, on November 4.

Photo: Ian Barber, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.