Glow Wild

Journey through a wonderland of illuminated larger-than-life lanterns inspired by our wild world.

This amazing festival will culminate a year of festivities celebrating the Zoo’s 100th birthday and will be held every Thursday - Sunday from September 15- November 27. The festival will showcase more than 35 large-scale illuminated displays, featuring hundreds of beautiful individual and interactive lanterns.

Spanning the width and breadth of Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s 30 acres, guests are invited to walk through glowing corridors. Displays of flora and fauna will light up the night sky, dazzling guests of all ages! The Glow Wild Lantern Festival is designed for everyone to enjoy –whether a family outing, romantic date, or coworker get-together. The festival will run from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Timed tickets should be purchased online in advance, offered in half hour increments. A small number of tickets may be available at the door, depending upon Zoo capacity.

Adult tickets (ages 12 +) are $22, and Children (11 and under) are $20. Children under three and adults over 75 are free. Wheelchairs and strollers will be available to rent. Food will not be available for purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long can you stay at the glow wild lantern festival?

The tickets are sold in half hour increments so that we can control the crowd flow, but you can stay as long as you like. It should take you an hour or so to walk through the Zoo and enjoy the lanterns.

2. How late will the animals be outside?

The animals will be put away at their normal times—at 4pm when the Zoo closes. There will not be animal viewings at night.

3. Can i use my general admission day ticket towards the glow wild lantern festival?

No. These are two separate admission tickets - one for a daytime trip to the Zoo, and one for the nighttime Glow Wild experience.

4. Is the event rain or shine?

Yes, the event is rain or shine! Dress for the weather!

5. Are the tickets non-refundable? If we purchase tickets and then need to change day/time can we reschedule?

You should select a date that you know you’re able to attend. We will make every attempt to help reschedule if there is an emergency, but our ticket system is not set up for rescheduling.

6. WIll the Zoo STIll close at 4 PM?

Yes. The Zoo will continue to be open daily from 9:00am - 4:00pm. At 4:00pm the zoo will close. Gates will reopen to guests who purchased GLOW WILD tickets at 5:30 PM.