Glowfari is a mile-long beautiful, artistic expression of wildly illuminating lanterns craftly placed throughout the Oakland Zoo that brings a night-time light show experience for all to enjoy during select evenings between November and January. Our family had a magical time! We especially loved the lit lanterns–they had such exquisite details and were larger than life. Our family talked about the colors, shapes, and textures, and how we wish we could stay there forever!
Tickets are now on sale for Glowfari 2023-24 and are available for purchase 28 days in advance beginning at 9 a.m. each day, with entrance times available at 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. Check out our review below and top tips to make the most of your visit.
What's New for Glowfari 2023-24
Great winter outdoor activity for all ages, including adult date-nights.
Glowfari looks a little different every year, which makes it an exciting winter tradition to enjoy year after year. We overheard one adult say about Glowfari, “It’s like Burning Man, for kids,” and we can see why—the huge artistic sculptures and glow-in-the-dark everythings make for a one-of-a-kind experience.
New exhibits this year include The Bayou, Deep Sea, and The Arctic in the upper section of the zoo. Our kids especially loved the playground area where they jumped on light-up paths, swung on the glowing swings, danced in the kaleidoscope room, and made fun imprints on the pinscreens.
Before you go
- Reserve your tickets in advance; timed reservations are required and tickets have sold out previously. See our tips for buying tickets below.
- Plan ahead by checking the weather, traffic, etc.
- Feed your family an early dinner or pack food and warm beverages to enjoy on the grounds.
- Talk to your kids about safety in advance; have a plan in case someone gets separated from the group (see tips below).
Want to hear more about visiting the Oakland Zoo in the daytime? Check out our guide to the Oakland Zoo!
What we packed
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Layers of warm clothing (jackets, beanies, gloves, sweaters, masks)
- Light-up shoes + light-up necklaces for the kids and adults
- Snacks, dinner, drinks, and treats (a thermos of hot cocoa is clutch!)
- Stroller, wagon, or baby carrier
- Noise-cancelling headphones if anyone in your party is sensitive to noise
| Tickets | $26 for ages 15-64 $22 for ages 2-14, 65-75 Free for ages under 2 and 76+ Zoo members are entitled to a 10% discount (family memberships cost $174 annually) |
| Parking | Free |
| Adventure Landing ride tickets | $3+ |
| Additional food or light-up souvenirs | $20+ |
Tips & tricks to get the most out of your trip
1. Buy tickets early, and for early slots
We recommend you purchase tickets for the 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. entry times.
This allows you ample time to stroll through the exhibits, ride the gondola before the line closes at 7:45 p.m. (see tips below), and still get home at a decent hour.
The zoo is open until 9 p.m. for Glowfari. Weekdays are often less crowded, but with the holiday season upon us it can be a bit of a toss-up regardless of what day of the week you go.
2. Arrive early
Parking is free during Glowfari. It’s less stressful to park closer to the entrance rather than walking through a dark parking lot with littles. If you arrive early, you have a greater chance of parking where you want.
There might be such a thing as arriving too early; for some reason the upper parking lot was closed when we arrived at 5:15 p.m., so we were routed by staff to the lower parking lot. Once we noticed that cars were being led to the upper parking lot, we hopped back in the car to repark closer to the zoo entrance.
3. Dress the part
Not only should you dress in layers to keep warm during the chilly winter evenings, but dress your kids in light-up shoes, glow sticks, and anything that can make them glow in the dark! We used light-up necklaces from Halloween and some cool Paw Patrol shoes.
Don’t forget to also wear good walking shoes and pack light. Walking the entirety of the zoo can be over one mile long lined with beautiful lanterns that light up the pathways, and you don’t want to be lugging around any unnecessary baggage.
4. Bring a stroller or a wagon
Yes, even if you think your children will walk the entire time, chances are their little legs will get extra sleepy towards the end. Walking uphill carrying a sleeping toddler in the darkness is just not as much fun as rolling them in a stroller.
5. Talk to your kids about safety in advance
Plan out and discuss what to do if someone gets lost. Again–it’s super dark and crowded so it’s always a good idea to have an emergency plan in place! My elementary schooler knows to find an adult and tell them her parents’ full names so they can contact security immediately. ID bracelets are a good idea, too!
6. Visit The Bayou first
For the most part, we recommend visiting in the lower part of the zoo first, since that requires the most walking. The lower level of the zoo has an incredible Bayou experience filled with a wide variety of lit-up swampland animals. Walk through a larger-than-life crocodile, see the fireflies dance through the evening sky, and enjoy a special playground area.
Our kids happily spent at least half an hour jumping on the light-up stepping stones, swinging together on the swingsets, dancing in a kaleidoscope room, and playing whack-a-mole and making imprints on the pinscreens. It can be a crowded and intense sensory experience, but really fun!
7. Take the Gondola up to visit The Arctic
Save the Gondola ride (free with admission) up the hill for the end so the children can wind down after a fun night of walking. Our only exception to this would be if you are visiting in the latter part of January, when the sun sets a little later and gives you a greater chance of catching a ride during golden hour—it’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity in Oakland, and you’ll see beautiful Bay views on the ride. You might even be able to see the bison in the upper part of the zoo before the sun sets!
In any case, it’s a magical experience riding the gondola in the dark and taking in the city lights—this was our kids’ favorite part of the night. It was super exciting and they were so brave!
Note that the Gondola line from the lower part of the zoo closes at about 7:45 p.m., so try to be in line by 7:30 p.m. at the latest.
Once you get to the top of the hill you literally walk into a world full of Arctic animals, such as narwhals, polar bears, and wolves.
The last ride down the Gondola is scheduled for 8 p.m., but it’s more a suggestion rather than a hard-and-fast rule. I’m sure the zoo staff would appreciate closing up early, but they also assured us that they wouldn’t leave us stranded up there if we weren’t on the Gondola exactly at 8 p.m.!
8. Finish off the night at Adventure Landing with Santa and a train ride
After completing the formal Glowfari experience, you can opt to visit the Adventure Landing area outside of the zoo exit. Adventure Landing features a carousel and other rides for which you can purchase tickets (~$3 per ride) at a kiosk. The kids can ride the Outback Express Train (free with Glowfari admission) which travels through the Winter Wonderland. There is also an option to visit Santa (free) during the entire month of December.
Glowfari is such a fun family experience that appeals to the whimsical inner child as much as the excited children tugging on your legs saying hurry up let’s gooooo! Hopefully the super-charged and stimulating event will tire everyone out so that you can all enjoy a peaceful night of sleep with thoughts of magical animal lanterns filling your dreams.
We also loved the diverse array of families and age groups enjoying the exhibits. There were numerous families of color in attendance when we visited on a December weekday, and we hope that Glowfari’s attendance is a good representation of the diversity of Oakland and the surrounding East Bay. We even brought our kids’ grandparents along and they had just as much fun as the littles!
Overall it was a wonderful experience and worth every penny. We certainly will be adding this event to our annual rotation!
Want to hear more about visiting the Oakland Zoo in the daytime? Check out our guide to the Oakland Zoo!
Let us know about your own family’s Glowfari experience in the comments below.
Pricilla H.
You might also enjoy
How to Visit the Oakland Zoo with Kids – 8 Tips for Surviving in the Wild
A Portugal Family Road Trip: 14-Day Itinerary of Kid-Friendly Wonders and Cultural Delights!
Ultimate Guide: Exploring Grouse Mountain with Kids in Vancouver – An Adventurous Experience!
How to Visit Sintra with Kids – Family-Friendly Adventures in Portugal
How to Visit Lisbon – Best Kid-Friendly Activities
Thank you for the input about Glowfari! We are going tonight. It helps to know what possibly to expect. My kids are very excited!
So glad you found it useful and hope you all had an awesome time!