The Nashville ZooLumination or otherwise known as the Chinese Lantern Festival is a massive display of colorful scenes made up of custom-made silk lanterns. Some of them are just a few inches tall. Some are … well … absolutely MASSIVE!!
Zoolumination in Nashville is a huge Chinese Lantern Festival held at the Nashville zoo. The festival is made up of over 1000 custom-made silk lanterns creating many different scenes. Some are Christmas-related, some New Years related, but they all have some form of meaning.
- Nashville zoo Chinese lantern Festival 2022 or ZooLumination
- How long does it take to walk the Chinese Lantern Festival?
- What kind of scenes do they create with the Chinese Lanterns?
- Can you bring food into the Nashville Zoo?
- Summary of the Nashville Zoolumination Chinese Lantern Festival
- Zoolumination YouTube Video
I visited this wonderful event, I can tell you firsthand that the Zoolumination Chinese lanterns are absolutely beautiful. Allow me to share some information to help you. I’ll also include a few pictures to give you a bit of a teaser of the awesomeness!!
Nashville zoo Chinese lantern Festival 2022 or ZooLumination
Each year the Nashville Zoo transforms into a massive glowing display of Chinese lanterns spanning over 60 acres of the zoo. There are small ones and very very big ones!! I’m talking like some of them are 3+ stories tall and half the length of a football field!!
The lantern company that builds these magnificent attractions also builds them in Miami and Charleston. The Nashville Zoolumination is the largest and best in the country! It is open nightly from November 18th to February 4th except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Christmas Eve.
The absolute largest Chinese Lantern festival is in Chiang Mai, Thailand and it is called The Yi Peng Festival.
Want to check out ticket prices to ZooLuminations? Be sure to prepay for parking! Click here to check.
How long does it take to walk the Chinese Lantern Festival?
Honestly, this is subjective. A straight-up walk-through will take you about an hour. Let’s be honest here, where is the fun in going to a spectacular event like ZooLumination and just simply walking through? Nope .. not going to happen. There is way too much to see to simply walk through. There are pictures and videos to take, maybe even a selfie or a dozen. Oh, there is the Soaring Eagle zipline ride that gives you an awe-inspiring view from way up high viewing all the awesome lit-up lanterns. You gotta do it!!!
Some of the animals may be still awake so you may get a peek at them. The building with all the snakes and other creepy critters was open the last time I did the Nashville Chinese Lantern Festival. I also got to see one of the exotic bears walking around as it was making its way to bed down.
What kind of scenes do they create with the Chinese Lanterns?
In the past there were only about 500 lanterns at Zoolumination, in the year 2022 (this article was written) there are over 1000!! There are massive displays of mythical beasts such as a HUGE dragon that you walk through its body like it is coiled through the ground.
There is also a North Pole Village that is a must-see. Santa will be there each night from November 25th to December 24th.
Can you bring food into the Nashville Zoo?
Based on the research I found, yes you can. They ask that you not bring glass, any type of straws, and lids. They also don’t want any balloons in the zoo. All these items can harm the animals if not disposed of correctly. Let’s just be real here, there are some people who simply will not even try to do the right thing. But, don’t worry, the Zoo has all lots of good offerings of food and drink inside.
Need to see a map where food and are? Just click here for the zoo map.
Want to check out more great things to do with kids while in Nashville? Click here to check it out.
Summary of the Nashville Zoolumination Chinese Lantern Festival
All I got to say is .. if you like art and cool lights .. you will LOVE this Nashville event! It is a show that adults and kids alike will enjoy. Arrive early so you don’t have to be rushed because you may want to walk through multiple times. My friends and I did.