The Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild 2024-2025, Florida

Every winter, The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford transforms into a magical wonderland. The Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild illuminates the gardens during 38 nights from November well into late January, drawing crowds from Orlando and other cities.

The Asian Lantern Festival Highlights

The Asian Lantern Festival features over 30 hand-made lantern displays on a 3/4-mile path through the Zoo. Illuminated larger-than-life light sculptures depict animals, traditional Chinese characters, and plants. The exhibition is organized by the Zoo together with Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc., a company from Zigong, Sichuan, China. It takes about 1.5 hours to walk through and see the 3/4 miles (4.8/6.4 km) path display. Visitors are allowed to go around the path more than once.

You can bring your little ones to Great Santa on December 13 and 20 or join the New Year’s Eve family-friendly countdown at 7 and 8 pm. In addition to beautiful LED lanterns, guests can enjoy live music, a crafts fair as well as Asian and American foods and beverages. The Asian Lanter Festival is a perfect occasion for a family outing to celebrate Asian art and culture before the start of the annual Lunar New Year festivities.

Opening Hours and Tickets

The entry times are 6, 7, or 8 pm on select nights. It is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Visitors must buy tickets online in advance to ensure entry, as many nights will sell out. General admission is approximately $20 per person. Groups of 15 or more may receive a discount.