Pittsburgh Zoo goes wild with new holiday lantern displays

The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, in previous years, left visitors awe-struck with its Asian Lantern Festival, an event showcasing colorful, glowing sculptures of animals, mythical creatures, and other delights. This year, the zoo eschewed that event and instead translated it into Wild Illuminations, a nighttime, holiday-themed visual feast that mixes Asian iconography with Christmas and Hanukkah symbols. An exclusive preview on Nov. 20 revealed silk-and-steel lanterns crafted into giant luminescent floral, a tunnel of Chinese opera masks, and towering animated figures, as well as fauna ranging from playful panda bears to fierce big cats.

Wild Illuminations, on view from Sat., Nov. 22 through Jan. 11, 2026, comes with regularly scheduled activities, including “performances by Chinese acrobats, rides on the Zoo train and carousel, and the opportunity to meet Santa.”