Photos by Lauren Allen.
The Dallas Zoo’s latest after-hours experience Illuminature is now on display, lighting up the zoo with glowing lanterns and sculptures, unique experiences and cultural performances.
Kari Streiber, vice president of marketing and communications for the zoo, said that this installation is the first time the Dallas Zoo has had something of this scale.
“This is a completely different level in terms of the number of lanterns,” she said. “We have our Dallas Zoo Lights holiday event which is beautiful, very kind of animal focused and we took this a little bit broader.”
Working with the event company Tianyu, the zoo selected from several themed options to bring together aquatic scenes, botanicals, insects, fruits, vegetables and animals spanning a mile long across the grounds.
Beyond the wildlife focus of the installation, the zoo has a dedicated fan zone to showcase soccer ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to Dallas this summer.
“We have our Goal Wild! area that’s sponsored by Reliant, and it’s all very soccer themed. We actually worked with them to create custom soccer lanterns for us,” she said.
Photos by Lauren Allen.
In addition to the visual displays throughout the zoo, interactive features are also available. These include a dance floor, a video screen where visitors can play a soccer game, a lantern display that allows visitors to speak into a microphone and the birds will chirp back those words, plus various skill tests that challenge participants.
Each night at the Wonders of the Wild stage, three performances occur that provide a combination of artistry, acrobatic moves and juggling, Streiber said.
“There’s a really amazing face changing performer that is similar to what they do in some Chinese operas,” she said. “And so people who’ve seen it have been incredibly thrilled with it because it is so different, but very tied to the culture of the group from Tianyu.”
Illuminature is available on select dates through June 28. Tickets range from $16-24 per person, with a combo ticket available as well to see both the animals and the after hours experience.
