ZooLights returns to the Smithsonian's National Zoo on Friday, Nov. 20, for its 18th season. Tickets went up a dollar from last year, every night ends 30 minutes earlier, and parking now costs more if you buy it at the gate.
A household that walks to the Zoo from a Woodley Park side street pays the extra dollar and loses the half hour like everyone else, but it skips the steepest increase, the $40 gate price for parking. For that household, the bigger change this month is on Connecticut Avenue, where one restaurant space has gone dark and another, a few doors away, is scheduled to open the night before the lights come on.
Three Smithsonian releases, side by side
The Zoo announces ZooLights in a press release every fall. The 2023, 2025 and 2026 releases, read together, show how the event has changed.
| 2023 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket price | $6, first paid year | $9 | $10 |
| Weeknight closing | 9 p.m., Thu–Sat | 9:30 p.m. Mon–Sat, last entry 9 | 9 p.m. Mon–Sat, last entry 8:30 |
| Sunday closing | 8 p.m. | 8:30 p.m., last entry 8 | 8 p.m., last entry 7:30 |
| Parking | $30, pre-purchase | $30 online or on-site | $30 advance, $40 day-of |
| Weather policy | rain or shine | weather-dependent | rain or shine |
| Lights and lanterns | half a million lights, 130 lanterns | a million lights, 100+ lanterns | a million lights, 100+ lanterns |
The 2023 release explained why tickets started. In its words, "Paid tickets are a change from past years when this special event was free to attend," and the fee was needed "to offset the significant increase in costs associated with running this event." In the three seasons since, the price has gone from $6 to $10. Every attendee age 3 and older needs a ticket, and children 2 and under get in free.
The new costs fall on the car and the late decision
Two of this year's changes hit a specific kind of visitor. Last season a parking pass cost $30 whether you bought it online or at the Zoo. This season it's $30 in advance and $40 day-of, subject to availability. The surcharge only applies to people who drive and decide on the night.
ZooLights also goes ahead in any weather this year. It ran rain or shine in 2023, was a weather-dependent event in 2025, and is back to rain or shine for 2026. A ticket bought for a drizzly December Saturday is now a ticket for that Saturday, so committing to a date in advance carries a little more risk. Someone who lives a short walk from the gate can wait to see the sky before buying. A family driving in from the suburbs who wants to avoid the $40 gate price has to pick a date ahead of time.
All proceeds from tickets, concessions and parking go to animal care and conservation science at the Zoo.
A 9 p.m. close puts dinner before the lights
The earlier closing time changes how an evening fits together. The Zoo closes to everyone at 4 p.m. on ZooLights days and reopens at 5 for ticket holders. With last entry at 8:30 Monday through Saturday and 7:30 on Sunday, the lights now fit inside the dinner hour. Last year you could walk in at 9.
That timing meets Pastiamo Osteria, which Eater DC reports is scheduled to open Thursday, Nov. 19, at 2614 Connecticut Avenue NW. That's one night before ZooLights begins. Owner Mehdi Zorgani spent 16 years in management at Sette Osteria in Dupont and Logan Circle. He told Eater he wanted Pastiamo to stay casual, in the way an osteria traditionally is.
The numbers Eater published line up with the ZooLights schedule:
- Happy hour runs 3 to 7 p.m. daily and all day Sunday. On a weekday, that covers the two hours before the gates reopen at 5. On Sunday, when ZooLights closes at 8, the discount lasts the whole evening.
- Pizzas cost $17 to $24, and pastas average around $20. Cocktails are $14, and wine by the glass starts at $12.
- Most bottles sit at $55 to $65, and many drop to $27 during happy hour.
- Weekend bottomless brunch is $20 for unlimited cocktails with an entree.
The menu includes Neapolitan-style pies such as a Margherita and a Diavola with Calabrian chile. The cacio e pepe is finished tableside in an aged cheese wheel, along with pumpkin-and-amaretti ravioli in butter-sage sauce and pappardelle with slow-braised lamb ragu. The 110-seat dining room has a 16-seat bar, and patios in front and back add room for 60.
Zorgani's own explanation for opening here could just as well describe a neighborhood ZooLights night. Talking about new restaurants across upper Northwest, he told Eater DC, "They're tired of the traffic and traveling across the city to have a good meal."
The block outside the gate is changing hands
Pastiamo moves into a space that has already been through one restaurant. Zorgani did a complete gut renovation, and Eater notes that the original tin ceiling is about the only thing left from the room's earlier life.
Across the avenue at 2621 Connecticut, Tavern 18 closed in September after about a year, according to Eater DC's September closures roundup. The roundup notes that the address was Macintyre's Pub before that and Taste of India before that. That's three concepts at one Woodley Park address. This holiday season, the ZooLights crowd walking up Connecticut Avenue will pass one restaurant that has just opened and one space that is empty.
The Zoo has the same kind of churn on a smaller scale. Indoor animal exhibits stay closed on general-admission nights so the animals can rest. Three nights on the calendar break that rule, and only some visitors can get in.
The three nights the animal houses open
Member Nights, Tuesday, Dec. 8, and Wednesday, Dec. 9, 5 to 9 p.m. Zoo members can reserve up to six free tickets and buy extras at $10. These nights include after-hours access to select animal houses, and reservations are required. Members also get their standard 15% discount on food and retail any night of ZooLights by showing a membership card and photo ID.
Adults-Only Night, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 5 to 9 p.m. This night is for ages 21 and up. Tickets are $19 and include one complimentary adult beverage, seasonal treats, games and after-hours access to select animal houses. Last year's version was a Date Night on Dec. 17.
The general-admission calendar runs:
- Nov. 20–22 and Nov. 27–29
- Dec. 4–6 and Dec. 11–13
- Dec. 18–23
- Dec. 26–30
- Jan. 2–3, 2027
Inside, the add-ons are priced separately. The winter maze is $6, up from $5 last season, the train is $6, the carousel is $6 when weather permits, and festive glasses are $3, or $1 when bought with an attraction. Tickets and parking passes are sold through the Zoo's ZooLights page.
The crosswalk at the gate is still in design
ZooLights crowds walking in from Woodley Park will be crossing at an intersection DDOT hasn't reached yet. In the District's Connecticut Avenue Multimodal Safety Improvements project, each intersection between Calvert Street and Oliver Street gets its own treatment. Construction began in summer 2026, and DDOT expects to finish over the next two years. On the project's status table, Tilden Street is under construction, while the Zoo Crosswalk, Cathedral Avenue and Devonshire Place are all still listed in design. This season's walk to the lights uses the crossing as it is today.
Ethan Carson follows these Connecticut Avenue blocks the way he follows a house's history: who was at the address before, what changed, and what moved in next. If you live near the Zoo and want to talk about your own block, the portfolio is a good place to start. Explore the Portfolio.
