Asian Lantern Festival: Wildlife Wonderland at the Chattanooga Zoo

The Chattanooga Zoo's Asian Lantern Festival returns with a new theme, Wildlife Wonderland, from November 18, 2026 to January 23, 2027. The zoo says hundreds of handmade silk lanterns, some up to 16 feet tall, make up nearly 50 scenes around the grounds, from leopards and elephants to koalas, pandas and a few dinosaurs, with swings, seesaws and other hands-on pieces mixed in.

It runs 5:30 to 9:30 PM Wednesday through Sunday, plus extra nights around the holidays: Thanksgiving week (November 22 to 28), Christmas week (December 20 to 26, closed Christmas Day) and New Year's week (December 27 to January 2). The zoo notes that most of its resident animals will not be on view during the festival.

Tickets, per the zoo: non-members $23.50 for adults and $17.50 for ages 3 to 12, members $19 and $14, and children 2 and under free with a reserved ticket. Groups of 15 or more pay $16.50 each. Book on the zoo's festival page.