ST. LOUIS – The Chinese lantern festival, Animals Aglow, presented by Wells Fargo, returns to illuminate the St. Louis Zoo for its second year this spring with towering lanterns and light displays from March 12 to May 11.
Animals Aglow celebrates the culture, art and beauty of traditional lantern festivals celebrated in China for centuries.
During the nighttime festival’s first year in 2024, more than 131,000 guests bought tickets to enjoy larger-than-life lanterns in the shape of plants, wildlife and mythical creatures.
Guests can enjoy more than 60 glowing displays, nightly cultural performances and specialty food and beverages available for purchase.
This year’s festival celebrates wildlife spanning three regions: Africa, South America and The Arctic. It also plans to feature a section dedicated to traditional Chinese lanterns and folklore.
Displays this year include:
- A nearly 100-foot-long tunnel made up of traditional Chinese lanterns
- A towering interactive beehive lantern topped with giant hummingbirds
- Lanterns depicting the 12 Chinese Zodiac signs
- Interactive displays include glowing xylophones, light-up see-saws and a “starry night” walk-through tunnel in the style of Vincent Van Gogh.
Animals Aglow will be open from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays from March 12 to May 11.
Hours are extended to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, April 18-May 10. The festival will be closed on Sunday, April 6.
Tickets can be found here.