Six weeks, one price band
ZooLights runs Nov. 20, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027 at the Oregon Zoo. The gate opens nightly at 4:30 p.m.
The zoo publishes a band. Adult tickets run $13 to $35. Youth tickets run $13 to $30. The event page states that prices and times vary throughout the season.
The run covers 45 dates. The adult band spans $22, and that spread is the first lever a buyer controls.
The night sets the price
The zoo names Value Nights in its member terms. Members receive 20 percent off regularly priced tickets, and the same line states that no additional discounts apply on Value Nights.
The event page does not list which nights carry the low price. Read the date grid before choosing a date. The floor is $13.
Two adults at the floor cost $26. The same two at the ceiling cost $70. The zoo ties the difference to the date.
Where discounts stack and where they stop
Membership returns 20 percent off regularly priced tickets. At the top of the adult band, that takes $35 to $28. The Value Night line closes the stack on the cheapest nights.
Income assistance runs deeper. Oregon and Washington households on an eligible program can buy up to four tickets at $13 each. The eligible programs are the Oregon Trail card, the Washington Quest card, the Oregon Health Plan or Apple Health, Oregon or Washington WIC with an eWIC card, and TANF.
The zoo asks for proof of benefits and residency at the visit. It publishes a separate ZooLights income-assistance booking link, and the discount rows appear after the visit date and time are chosen.
Thirty days is the booking window
The hours and tickets page states that tickets are available up to 30 days in advance. Every guest needs a place in the reservation, including children under 2.
A guest may enter up to 30 minutes after the scheduled time. A later arrival waits for the next open entry.
Thirty days is a short runway for a holiday visit. A family that wants Saturday, Dec. 19 has a booking date of Nov. 19.
Any Night tickets cover the gift case
The zoo sells ZooLights Any Night tickets. A buyer purchases in advance and uses the ticket on any night from Nov. 20 to Dec. 31, 2026.
That product moves the decision off the date and onto the recipient. A buyer who needs a specific night should price both products before paying.
Closed dates and separate nights
The zoo lists ZooLights closed Nov. 17-19 and Nov. 24-26, as well as Dec. 25.
Five dates run on separate tickets. BrewLights takes Nov. 13 and 14 at $65 for general admission and $75 for early entry at 4:30 p.m. Taps close at 9 p.m. and the zoo closes at 9:30 p.m.
Member Preview runs Nov. 15. Sensory Friendly Night runs Nov. 16. The 21 and over nights are Jan. 1 and 2, and they carry their own ticket.
The ticket rides the train
A ZooLights ticket works as a TriMet fare on the admission date. It covers bus, MAX, WES, LIFT and the Portland Streetcar. It does not cover C-TRAN.
Park and Ride is free at the Sunset Transit Center, two exits west and eight minutes away, with 600 or more spaces. MAX trains arrive every 10 minutes or less.
Washington Park charges $2.52 an hour with a $15.12 daily cap, and the cap arrives at six hours.
Parking at the park
Washington Park runs pay-by-plate. A driver enters the plate number at a pay station or in the Parking Kitty app. Pay stations take coins, Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
Parking hours run 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Spaces fill on weekends and clear days. A free overflow shuttle runs from off-site lots on busy days, and the park entrance board shows the location.
A disabled placard does not waive the fee. Overnight parking is allowed for one night only in Lots A, B and C, and camping is prohibited.
The Snow Globe math
A private Snow Globe costs $300 for a 60-minute session. It holds up to six guests and includes fast-pass train tickets, hot cocoa in a souvenir cup and a shared fire pit.
Six adult admissions at the top of the band come to $210. The inclusion list names no admission, so price the session beside six ZooLights tickets and confirm the entry question in writing.
Rules at the gate
The zoo takes credit and debit cards only. Cash-to-card machines inside the zoo are free to use.
Tickets are generally non-refundable and non-transferable. The FAQ allows an exchange or refund request by email with the order information and the reason.
Most animals are not on view during ZooLights. Daytime admission does not include the event, and daytime guests leave the grounds before it starts.
The route runs a little over one mile. Most guests spend about 90 minutes on it.
Where to sleep after a late night
The zoo publishes no partner property, no group code and no room rate for the run. The private event page carries no rate either.
The gate opens at 4:30 p.m., and a 90-minute path puts the drive home after 6 p.m. A room near Washington Park removes that drive and the parking cap.
Oregon sits outside the four states that restrict name-your-price bookings. hotelhaggle sends an offer to qualified hotels in the destination, and hotels answer with a confirmed booking offer, a counter or a decline.
