A family of two adults and two kids pays $46 to walk through Zoo Lights on a regular night this year. The same family pays $36 on Wednesday, Dec. 23. That night also comes with gingerbread houses from local businesses on display, and Santa and Mrs. Claus are still in the building for one more evening after it. The cheapest night of the season and the busiest night of the season turn out to be the same night.
The Topeka Zoo's Zoo Lights page lists the discount calendar, the new features and the holiday hours in separate places, and Dec. 23 is where all three meet. This year's theme is "Joy to the World." It's presented by Evergy and runs November 20 through December 27, 2026, rain, shine or snow. Below, those pieces are laid side by side so you can pick your night on purpose.
The baseline, and the nights that beat it
Regular admission is $14 for adults and $9 for children ages 3 to 12 and seniors 65 and up. Kids 2 and under get in free. Gates are open 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The last ticket sells one hour before close.
Three kinds of featured nights bring that price down:
| Night | Date in 2026 | Hours | Price | Two adults + two kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular night | Most nights | 5–9 or 5–10 p.m. | $14 adult, $9 child | $46 |
| Wild Wednesday | Nov. 25; Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23 | 5–9 p.m. | $9 for everyone | $36 |
| Thanksgiving Special | Thursday, Nov. 26 | 5–9 p.m. | $12 adult, $7 child or senior | $38 |
| Christmas Night Special | Friday, Dec. 25 | 5–10 p.m. | $2 off | $38 |
Wild Wednesday pricing doesn't combine with other discounts. That rule matters to a few households. Military members get 50% off admission for themselves and up to three guests. It's available only at the gate, and it doesn't apply on Wild Wednesdays. For a military family of four, half off a regular $46 night comes to $23, which beats the $36 Wednesday price. That family's best night is any regular night, paid at the gate.
The other standing discounts are $3 off admission for Friends of the Zoo members, who also get the South Gate Member Fast Line, and discounted admission every night for Museums for All guests. School and group rates are handled by email at [email protected].
What's new this year leans toward weekends
The price calendar favors Wednesdays. Two of the three additions for 2026 favor the end of the week.
The Cube is new for Zoo Lights 2026. It turns the Ross Family Pavilion into a speakeasy-inspired holiday lounge with warm lighting, festive décor and comfortable seating, and it's open every Zoo Lights night. The specialty cocktails, beer, wine and seasonal drinks are tied to Fridays and Saturdays, though. If what you want is a holiday drink in a warm room after the walk, a Wednesday visit gets you the room but may not get you the menu.
The Glow Roll Parade is on Saturday, Nov. 21, the second night of the season. Kids 10 and under decorate bikes, wagons and strollers with lights and roll through Zoo Lights. Registration is required, and the zoo notes the parade can fill up.
The third addition is the one that makes the late-December math interesting.
Why the week of Dec. 21 stacks up
The zoo is holding its first-ever Gingerbread House Contest. Local businesses will display entries in the Kay McFarland Japanese Garden Venue from December 21 to 23 during Zoo Lights. Voting is included with your ticket, and zoo judges will also hand out special awards, including the Golden Rolling Pin.
Here is how that week lines up:
- Monday, Dec. 21: gingerbread display opens. Regular pricing. Santa and Mrs. Claus are in the Big Gage building.
- Tuesday, Dec. 22: gingerbread display continues. Regular pricing. Santa is still in.
- Wednesday, Dec. 23: last day of the gingerbread display. Wild Wednesday at $9 for everyone. Santa is still in.
- Thursday, Dec. 24: Santa's final scheduled day at Zoo Lights.
- Friday, Dec. 25: Christmas Night Special, $2 off, 5 to 10 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 27: final night.
Santa and Mrs. Claus are scheduled from November 20 through December 24, so Dec. 23 is the only night with the gingerbread entries, Santa and the $9 price all at once. Check the hours that night. The holiday-week schedule says gates stay open until 10 p.m. from Dec. 23 through 27, but the Wild Wednesday listing gives 5 to 9 p.m. for every Wednesday, Dec. 23 included. Plan around the earlier close until the zoo confirms otherwise.
If you'd rather see Santa without the holiday-week crowd, the zoo is also holding Cookies with Claus on December 5, with separate registration.
The igloo, priced out
Private igloos are the splurge, and the price looks steeper than it is once you take out what's already included. The Starlight experience costs $225 for one 1.5-hour session for six guests. That covers six Zoo Lights tickets, six drink tickets, a private fire, an igloo concierge, games and a Bluetooth speaker.
Here's how that breaks down for six adults on a regular night:
- Six adult tickets at $14 come to $84.
- Six cups of cocoa at $5 each come to $30.
- That leaves about $111 for the igloo itself: 90 minutes of private, heated seating with your own fire and a concierge.
Extra guests cost $20 each, up to 10 per igloo, and each one gets a Zoo Lights ticket and a drink ticket. A $14 ticket plus a $5 cocoa is $19, so each added guest costs about a dollar more than buying the same things separately. Renting both sessions for the whole evening adds $175. Any cup can be spiked for $7 more. Members get an automatic 10% off. Reservations are nonrefundable, and cancellation or rescheduling requests go to 785-783-4264, subject to availability.
Outside food and drink isn't allowed in the igloos. The zoo recommends pre-ordering food because café lines get busy. Pre-order options include a $25 S'mores Package for six, a $25 platter of 12 frosted sugar cookies and a $40 charcuterie tray for six.
Food on the walk
Without an igloo, food comes from three stops: Sunflower's Café, Camp Cowabunga and Gingerbread Village. Each sells cocoa at $5 for 12 ounces, or $12 in the light-up souvenir cup, plus popcorn at $3 or $6. Sunflower's Café is the only one on the menu with 12-inch cheese or pepperoni pizza at $15. Camp Cowabunga has a four-cookie decorating set for $10 and cinnamon-roasted nuts for $7. Cinnamon-sugar donuts are sold at Sunflower's and Gingerbread Village, at $5 for six, $8 for 12 or $15 for 30. Prices are pre-tax, and fountain drinks aren't available during Zoo Lights.
The 21+ bar, which requires a valid ID, serves three spiked cocoas at $12 each: the Spiked Candy Cane with peppermint schnapps, You're a Mean One with Fireball and the Penguin Express with Kahlúa. A spiked cocoa in the light-up cup is $20, domestic beer is $7 and single-serve wine is $10.
Calendar gaps to check before you buy
The zoo's own page contradicts itself on a few dates, so check these before you pick a night:
- November 23 and 24: the FAQ says Zoo Lights is closed both nights for private parties. That's the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week.
- Thanksgiving: the main schedule lists Thanksgiving on Nov. 26, which matches the 2026 calendar. The FAQ says Nov. 27.
- Final night: the main listing says Dec. 27. The FAQ says the season runs through Dec. 26.
Two more details help if your plans are loose. All ticket sales are final, but an unused ticket will still be honored on another Zoo Lights event night if weather or illness gets in the way. On Zoo Lights days, the zoo closes promptly at 4 p.m., so a daytime visit can't roll straight into the light show.
The holiday gift table also points to what's coming next at the zoo. Red pandas are planned for a new home in Discovery Forest, and the zoo is taking personalized paw-print donations for a donor wall. The zoo's master-plan page lists Discovery Forest as "Coming 2028."
If relatives are coming to Topeka for the holidays and you're putting together a December plan for them, I'm always happy to talk through local ideas with you. At Wendie Edwards and NE Kansas Homes, the conversation can be as simple as a good place for cocoa after the lights, and there's never any pressure. Schedule a consultation whenever it suits you.
