All images courtesy Kyle Lanzer/Cleveland Metroparks.
To borrow an industry term, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is “wild.”
With 183 acres of indoor and outdoor exhibits, along with more than 3,000 animals representing over 600 species, the Zoo is a point of pride for all in The Land.
This place is amazing for trips with the family during the daylight hours, but the real magic happens when the sun goes down and you get down with all your favorite furry, feathered or scaled friends at night. There’s nothing like a nighttime event at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and none more beautiful than the Asian Lantern Festival, just announced to return for 2021 beginning July 14.
Light up the Night
The festival has broken U.S. and international attendance records for a lighting event of its kind, and has become a summer staple in Northeast Ohio, drawing in over 150,000 guests each year. The Zoo has once again outdone themselves, with over 70 large-scale illuminated displays featuring more than a thousand individual lanterns and including giant lanterns like the four-story Taj Mahal and walk-through experiences like the Python Tunnel, Chinese Dragon and Wisteria Corridor. The Butterfly Garden and Star Pad are new interactive lanterns allowing guests to light up displays on their own.
There will also be a limited number of drive-through opportunities on Wednesday nights for individuals and families that wish to experience the event from the comfort of their personal vehicles.
If all the glowing gloriousness wasn’t enough, there’s even more festival fun on tap:
- Hourly live performances on the Fifth Third Bank Stage featuring foot jugglers, contortionists and martial artists
- Asian craft market
- Culturally inspired cuisine featuring local partners Li Wah, King Wah and more.
Follow the Glow
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Asian Lantern Festival, presented by Meijer, runs Thursday through Sunday evenings, 6:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m., from July 14 – Sept. 5.
Advance Tickets: $20 or $60 for a 4-pack for non-members, $18 or $54 4-pack for Zoo members.
Same Day Tickets: $22 each or $66 for a 4-pack.
Children under 2 are admitted for free.
Single night tickets and family four-packs are on sale now at futureforwildlife.org/lanterns.