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Final Days: Zoolumination at The Virginia Zoo

This post is sponsored by the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk.

Virginia Zoo - Zoolumination

UPDATE – The last day of Zoolumination is January 9, 2022! Don’t miss the walk-thru event now available on Friday, January 7th and if you still would like to drive-thru, you can at a discounted rate for the rest of the exhibit – Ride for just $25! Enjoy this discounted rate for any remaining ZooLumination nighttime drive-through. No coupon code is required, but online reservations must be made in advance.

Find out more about Zoolumination and reserve your tickets by Clicking HERE!

There is something BIG on display at The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk! The Virginia Zoo – Zoolumination exhibit brings attention to your favorite animals in a huge way – with inflatables!

There are 29 of these magical displays – ranging from six feet to thirty-six feet tall – throughout the Zoo from November 19, 2021 – January 9, 2022.

Virginia Zoo Members receive unlimited free admission to the daytime walk-thru and $10 off the nightly drive-thru price.

Daytime Visits: During the day you can walk the Zoo grounds to get an up-close view of these giants that range from Asia, Africa and across the world. Plus, learn interesting ways to save their counterparts in the wild.

Daytime Cost: Zoolumination is included with General Admission, adults $17.95, children $14.95. Zoo Members FREE. Advance registration is required. 

Evening Visits: Enjoy the displays after dark, on Zoo grounds, from the comfort of your own car. Watch the inflatable animal sculptures come to life with light in a spectacular visual experience and hear their compelling conservation audio story in this magical display.

Time & Cost: (see discounts below)

  • Nighttime Weekday (Sun–Thurs), 5 – 9pm: Members: $35 per vehicle, Non-members: $45 per vehicle
  • Nighttime Weekend (Fri–Sat), 5 – 10pm: Members: $40 per vehicle, Non-members: $50 per vehicleS
Virginia Zoo - Zoolumination

A meerkat inflatable stands 6 feet tall and is just one of the 29 inflatables that will appear in the Virginia Zoo’s new ZooLumination event beginning November 19, 2021.

Sunday Discounts: Admission is just $25 The Virginia Zoo wants ZooLumination to be your new holiday tradition and is now offering a Sunday savings ticket of only $25 per vehicle. The $25 discounted admission is available only on December 12, 19, 26 and January 2 and 9. Regular ZooLumination admission applies other days.

Community Access Days Discount: (November 24 & December 22, 2021): The Virginia Zoo is committed to providing experiences that inspire and motivate the community to care for animals, the world, and the conservation of natural resources. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to connect with nature and wildlife regardless of economic status. Through these Community Access Days, the Virginia Zoo is making the facility more accessible to low-income and/or underserved children and families. Only daytime Zoolumination tickets are available these days for $4.95 each (plus applicable fees).

Virginia Zoo - Zoolumination

Included in the Zoo’s Africa section of ZooLumination will be a radiated tortoise which is considered critically endangered in the wild. ZooLumination will bring to light the dangers this species and many others face in the wild and what we can do to help save them.

Special Event: Walk through Night – Tuesday, December 14 – Adult Night, 5 to 8 pm

Grab your bestie, or make it a date night for this ZooLumination Adult Night. Enjoy spirited beverages and fun food menu including cheesesteaks, sliders, pretzel bites with beer cheese, and your favorite cold-weather dessert treats! This is a 21+ event; IDs will be checked at the gate. 

  • Member Adults (21+): $9.95 per person. Non-Member Adults (21+): $13.95 per person

Special Event: Walk through night – Friday, January 7 – Family Night, 5 to 8 pm  

Celebrate surviving the holidays and welcome the new year with a Family Night afterhours at the Zoo. Grab dinner at the Africa Restaurant, bring your flashlights and headlamps and meet the gang of ZooLumination.

  • Non-Members: $13.95 for adults, $9.95 for children (2-17). Zoo Members: $9.95 for adults, $5.95 for children (2-17). Free for children under 2, no tickets required
Virginia Zoo - Zoolumination

Virginia Zoo Members will receive access to a special Member Preview Walk-Thru night before ZooLumination opens to the public.

About Zoolumination: The custom-designed inflatable sculptures are made of durable materials including polyester, nylon, and vinyl. One of the smaller animals, like the meerkat which stands 6 feet tall, uses about 12 yards of fabric. A medium-sized animal, like the tiger, takes 50 yards. The largest of the inflatables, the giraffe with a calf that stands 30 feet tall, used 280 yards of material.

All the inflatable sculptures are internally lit with LED lights. In addition to that, more than 200 light fixtures containing over 3,000 individual LED lights will create a spectacular visual backdrop for the animals that bring their surroundings to life. Some of the individual light fixtures will illuminate lighting as bright as 18,000 lumens with hundreds of colorful combinations.

Virginia Zoo - Zoolumination

A male orangutan inflatable sculpture stands 15 feet tall and is made of durable materials including polyester, nylon, and vinyl. All the inflatable sculptures include internal LED lights as well.

Find out more about Zoolumination and reserve your tickets by Clicking HERE!

Zoolumination the the Virginia Zoo