Christmas in the Wild

LIGHTS, LIGHTS, & MORE LIGHTS

A FLURRY OF FUN FOR EVERYONE

Select Nights in November & December

String of Christmas lights

It’s the most wonderful time of the year at ZooTampa with the return of Christmas in the Wild, featuring one of Tampa Bay’s largest light displays, delectable holiday treats, amazing wildlife and new festive adventures. This year is BIGGER, better, and brighter than ever, with festive entertainment that the whole family will enjoy.

ZooTampa Members and Pay For A Day ticket holders get free admission to seasonal events like Christmas in the Wild.

String of Christmas lights

CHRISTMAS IN THE WILD ADMISSION

Member admission to Christmas in the Wild
FREE*
Admission for ZooTampa Members-Only Night
FREE*
Member admission to Christmas in the Wild
FREE*
Pay for a Day Ticket holder Admission
FREE*
General Admission Event tickets
$29.95 after 4PM

*To guarantee entry to select seasonal events with limited capacity, members and Pay For A Day ticketholders are encouraged to secure reservations in advance.  A $5 reservation fee per member or Pay For A Day ticketholder would be reimbursed in the form of a voucher for use in the park at select dining and retail locations.

Pay for Day, Come Back All Year” tickets holders may only purchase reservations for themselves. Members can only purchase the same number of tickets as individuals listed on their membership.


Click here to make changes to an existing reservation

Personalized Experiences

Holiday Photo Mini Sessions

Put a WILD twist on your holiday cards this year! Each 30-minute session includes two locations – one with one of our iconic animal ambassadors and a second location at one of the Zoo’s scenic spots. Animal options include African penguin, macaw, Indian rhino, orangutan, giraffe, and African elephant*. Packages include a digital gallery with 10-20 professionally edited images. The best gift of all – you are helping support ZooTampa and our conservation efforts.

Member – $315
Non-member – $350

Limited spots for each animal are available.

Photo sessions are available with our Masai giraffe, Bornean orangutan, African penguin, African elephant, and Indian rhinos. Each animal session is available on select dates and times, so please make note of this when planning your reservation.

Encounter Dates & Times:
Giraffe – 8:15am
Dates: 11/4, 11/5, 11/11, 11/12, 11/18, 11/19; 12/3, 12/10

Orangutan – 8:50 AM
Dates: 11/4, 11/5, 11/11, 11/12, 11/18, 11/19, 12/3, 12/10

Penguin – 4:40 PM
Dates: 11/3, ,11/4, 11/5, 11/10, 11/11, 11/12, 11/17, 11/18, 11/19; 12/3, 12/10

Elephant – 4:40 PM
Dates: 11/4, 11/5, 11/11, 11/12, 11/18, 11/19; 12/3, 12/10

Indian Rhino – 5:15 PM
Dates: 11/3, 11/10, 11/17

Age Restrictions:
Open to all ages

Meeting Location:
Meet at the front entrance at least 10 minutes before your session.

Ticket Requirements:

  • Tickets must be purchased in advance.
  • Photoshoot reservations do not include admission to the Zoo.

Personalized Videos

Christmas in the Wild - ZooTampa at Lowry Park

Whether you want to make a celebration even more memorable, or just brighten someone’s day, send them a personalized video from their favorite animal at ZooTampa! We’re here to help you celebrate all of life’s occasions.   Stay connected to family and friends while supporting ZooTampa’s animal care and conservation efforts.

Member – $40
Non-member – $45

We are excited to offer the opportunity to purchase a one-of-a-kind video to help make special moments even more unforgettable!

Things to know:

  • The personalized video (approximately 30-45 seconds in length) will be sent via email to the purchaser to share.
  • Each purchase also includes additional digital content.
  • Please allow up to 2 weeks for order fulfillment.
  • Animal featured based on availability (purchaser will be provided a list to choose from).
  • You will be contacted by a member of our team within 72 hours for the personalization details.
  • Optional plush add on is required at checkout. Shipping is free with purchase of personalized video.

Event DAtes

Christmas in the Wild - ZooTampa at Lowry Park
String of Christmas lights

EXPERIENCE CHRISTMAS AT THE ZOO WITH:

Cheerful Realms

Experience the magic of the holiday with immersive realms full of twinkling lights, cheerful music, and joyous surprises.

Jolly Animal Experiences

Enjoy winter-themed Wildlife Connections and celebrate the season with one of our Signature Animal Encounters. 

Merry Shows

Holiday cheer is everywhere with fun and interactive family shows and festive entertainment throughout the Zoo.

Festive Treats & Drinks

Indulge in tasty treats and delicious drinks as you experience twinkling lights and joyful entertainment.
String of Christmas lights

‘Tis the Season For Giving!

Donate to the ZooTampa Giving Tree

A celebration of the season is not complete without finding that special opportunity to give back. At ZooTampa we care for more than 1,100 animals including endangered, threatened, and vulnerable species. Help support our mission by donating to our Giving Tree. Funds raised will support animal enrichment, which provides physically and mentally stimulating toys, activities, and environments which helps enhance their well-being. Your contributions will also support ongoing veterinary care and daily nutrition needs of all of our animals, including sick, injured and orphaned manatees.

Join us on our mission to enrich the lives of animals, conserve wildlife, and inspire generations of youth to protect the natural world we all share.

String of Christmas lights

A YEAR OF ADVENTURE AWAITS

Give a gift that’s WILD! ZooTampa Memberships are the perfect gift for the adventure-seekers in your life. As a Member, your loved ones can visit again and again and make unforgettable connections with wildlife and each other!
Christmas in the Wild - ZooTampa at Lowry Park

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Download our App

Don’t miss out on the excitement; access all of our event details from the palm of your hands! Get walking directions to all of the event locations, view the nightly show schedule, and more.

Download for Apple »Download for Android »

View Our Foodie Guide

Preview our Christmas in the Wild Foodie Guide and know what special winter-themed delicacies are available and where to find them.

See the Foodie Guide »

Preview Event Map

Take a look at our print map and see the scare levels for each zone and show. All content available on the print map is also available on the mobile app.

View the Event Map »

View Our Gift Guide

We have curated a Holiday Gift Guide for your favorite animal lover from Gift Memberships to personalized messages, and more! With this guide you can shop for exciting gifts that support ZooTampa.

View Gift Guide »

Expectations & Sequencing Support

ZooTampa has teamed up with the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities to provide support and assistance to optimize the potential of people who are neurodiverse.

View our Sequencing Guide »

View Our Gift Guide

We have curated a Holiday Gift Guide for your favorite animal lover from Gift Memberships to personalized messages, and more! With this guide you can shop for exciting gifts that support ZooTampa.

View Gift Guide »

Tickets & Reservations:

GENERAL ADMISSION:

You must purchase an event ticket for every member in your party except for guests 2 years of age and under, who are admitted free. On your selected date of visit, you must present your CITW ticket(s), which will be emailed to you. Prices listed are per person and do not include service fees. Not valid with any other discount.

MEMBERS & PAY FOR A DAY, REST OF YEAR FREE TICKET HOLDERS “PFAD”:

To guarantee entry to select seasonal events with limited capacity, members and Pay For A Day ticketholders are encouraged to secure reservations in advance.  A $5 reservation fee per member or Pay For A Day ticketholder would be reimbursed in the form of a voucher for use in the park at select dining and retail locations.

MEMBER AND PFAD DINING/MERCHANDISE VOUCHERS:

Vouchers are valid only on the date of your CITW reservation and are not valid during daytime hours. Vouchers may not be used for photography, calligraphy letter painting, caricatures, face painting, Frosty cart by Wendys, and Kona Ice. The $5 vouchers must be used in a single transaction. No change or credit will be given. Multiple vouchers may be used in a single transaction. Vouchers have no cash value. Purchases made with this voucher are non-refundable.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS:

ZooTampa is principally an outdoor fresh-air experience; therefore, when outside on zoo grounds, guests who maintain proper social distancing are not required to wear facemasks.

We courteously encourage guests to wear masks at our indoor venues, which includes retail shops, restrooms, restaurants and Manatee Mangrove.

For the safety of our performers, we ask that all guests refrain from touching our performers and maintain a distance of 3ft from them at all times, which includes visits and photos with Santa.

ARRIVAL INFORMATION:

Please do not arrive before your ticketed time; you will not be admitted entry to the park before your ticketed time, or on any other date than the event night selected. No readmission. Please enter the event within the 30-minute window of your reservation.

DATE CHANGES, TICKET/RESERVATION CANCELLATIONS, WEATHER:

CITW is a rain or shine event. Tickets and reservations are non-refundable. Operating hours, products, attractions, services, and schedules are subject to change without notice. CITW may be cancelled due to weather that poses a safety hazard. Guests will be notified via the email provided during the reservation/ticketing process of any changes to event scheduling. Due to the limited nature of this event, no changes can be made to your tickets/reservations within 72 hours of your scheduled event date/time. Rescheduling is subject to availability. To make a change to your ticket/reservation, please request a reservation change using this form or call 813-935-8552 ext. 0 at least 72 hours before your scheduled event date/time.

WALK-UPS:

This is a limited attendance event. Date and time-specific tickets and reservations are the only way to guarantee admission. Please make your reservation or purchase your ticket before arriving to the Zoo. Walk-Ups will only be accepted if the event date is not sold out.

Proudly Presented By:

Christmas in the Wild - ZooTampa at Lowry Park
Morgan Chevrolet Logo
Christmas in the Wild - ZooTampa at Lowry Park
Christmas in the Wild - ZooTampa at Lowry Park

Gift a Membership

Please fill out the information below, and a member of our team will get in contact with you shortly about your request.

Your Name(Required)
Your Email(Required)
You can view the membership option details on our website at ZooTampa.org/Membership.
Recipient's Name(Required)
This is the name of the person you will be gifting the membership to. Please note at least one person on the membership needs to be 18 years or older.
Please provide the recipient's birthday that will be associated with the membership.
Please provide the recipient's home address that will be associated with the membership.
Please provide the recipient's email that will be associated with the membership.
Please provide the recipient's phone number that will be associated with the membership.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Search

Job Fair

Please review our booking tips before continuing

1. Please make one field trip per reservation order. Complete one and start a new one if you have multiple days you are booking.

2. Headcount can be approximate. Please include children and adults in your headcount. Please do not include pass holders in your headcount for a ticket.

3. On the ticket page, choose the correct grade level (to the left of your screen) to receive the correct chaperone ratio.

4. On the ticket page, when on the calendar section, the number of tickets available will appear in the top right corner for each particular day. Tickets available include children and adults. If you have more people than tickets available, please choose another day.

5. Anyone that is ordering lunch, even pass holders and adults that receive free chaperone tickets, do need to pay for a lunch IF they are ordering one. Free chaperone tickets and pass holders are for admission only.

Boxed lunch orders must be received 5 business days prior to your field trip arrival. Groups will be responsible for all boxed lunches that were confirmed at that time.

6. Payment does not need to be paid at the time of registration. Choose the pay upon arrival option if you would like one person to pay for your entire trip on the day of your visit.

7. The prices of adult and children’s tickets are different.

8. You will receive a confirmation number and confirmation letter via email when your trip is confirmed. If you do not, please contact FieldTrips@ZooTampa.org right away.

Join our Summer Camp Waitlist

Parent/Guardian Name(Required)
Child's Name(Required)

Important Information

To complete your camp registration, you must:

  • Add camps to your shopping cart.
  • Enter roster information for each camp.
    • List all people that are authorized to pick-up your child from camp.
    • No camper will be released unless the adult picking up the child is on the authorized pick-up list and shows a photo ID.
  • Read and agree to the following documents:
  • Make payment.
  • Upon payment, you will receive a Confirmation Email with the above documents attached. Please print, sign, and return the Camp Waiver and Liability Release to EducationPrograms@ZooTampa.org or ZooTampa Summer Camp, c/o Jamie Elkington, 1101 W Sligh Ave, Tampa, FL 33604. All waivers MUST be received no later than 2 weeks prior to the start of your camp program or your registration is subject to cancellation.

By clicking the registration button below, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Camp Waiver and Liability Release and Camp Handbook and will print, sign, and return the Camp Waiver and Liability Release to complete my registration.

‘Tis the Season For Giving!

Donate to the ZooTampa Giving Tree

Trustees of the Lowry Park Zoological Society, Directors of the Lowry Park Zoo Endowment Foundation, and the Employees and Volunteers of ZooTampa understand and appreciate the vital role of philanthropy to accomplish our work. That’s why we subscribe to the Donor Bill of Rights developed by the American Association of Fund Raising Counsel, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, National Society of Fund Raising Executives:

“Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes that they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

  1. To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
  2. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
  3. To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
  4. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
  5. To receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition.
  6. To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
  7. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
  8. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
  9. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
  10. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.”

ZooTampa at Lowry Park is committed to protecting your privacy. We value the trust of our donors, volunteers, employees, and other supporters and recognize that maintaining this trust requires us to ensure the confidentiality of personal information that you share with us.

As a non-profit organization, ZooTampa relies on your support, depends on the support of generous contributors, and achieves ambitious fundraising objectives by communicating with and understanding donors. We know that it is essential to protect the privacy of that information. ZooTampa, the Lowry Park Zoological Society, and the Lowry Park Zoo Endowment Foundation will neither sell nor trade a donor’s personal information to any other entity without the written permission of the donor.

FLORIDA STATE REGISTRATION

Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa, INC.: Registration No. CH140
Lowry Park Endowment Foundation, INC.: Registration No. CH20389

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES

Phone: (800) 435-7352
FloridaConsumerHelp.com

Christmas in the Wild Reservation Changes

  • This can be found in your original purchase or reservation confirmation email.
  • We will do our best to accommodate your request, however changes are based on availability. A member of our team will reach out to you via the contact information provided above within 48 hours. Note: an additional fee may apply to event tickets being changed to a higher priced event night. Thank you!

Commemorations

Outside Food & Drinks Policy

ZooTampa at Lowry Park offers a variety of delicious food for guests at several restaurants and concession stands throughout, but we understand that guests may need to bring outside food for special dietary needs. Acceptable and prohibited food items are listed below. For the convenience of our guests, there is a picnic area located outside the park near the main parking lot.

 Acceptable Items
  • Bottled water (max 20oz bottle, sealed) one per guest
  • Small snacks for young children
  • Baby food/baby formula
  • Soft-sided insulated bags no larger than 8.5” wide x 6” high x 6” deep (limit one per child)
  • Pre-purchased empty ZooTampa souvenir cups
  • Any food required for medical purposes and medically-indicated nutritional supplements
 Prohibited Items
  • Prepared or packaged food or meals
  • Alcohol
  • Glass or any open containers or water bottles filled with beverages
  • Hard-sided coolers of any size
  • Soft-sided coolers larger than 8.5” wide x 6” high x 6” deep
  • Suitcases and soft-sided bags with wheels larger than 24” long x 15” wide x 18” high

Prohibited Items

For the safety of our animals, guests and employees, the following items are not permitted to be brought into ZooTampa:

  • Any type of explosive or weapon 
  • Knives or other sharp objects
  • Pepper spray
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Marijuana
  • Illegal drugs
  • Straws
  • Clothing likely to create a danger or disturbance
  • Any hazardous items or materials

The following items are also prohibited to avoid blocking of walkways and/or trip hazards:

  • Segways
  • Hover boards
  • Two-wheeled scooters
  • Self-balancing electric vehicles
  • Shoes with wheels
  • Drones
  • Hard-sided coolers of any size
  • Soft-sided coolers larger than 8.5” wide x 6” high x 6” deep
  • Suitcases and soft-sided bags with wheels larger than 24” long x 15” wide x 18” high

Please leave any unnecessary articles secured within your vehicle to expedite your entry into the park.

We reserve the right to deny entry to anyone not observing Zoo Rules.

Pay For A Day Tickets

With a new Pay For A Day, Rest of Year Free ticket – for a limited time – you get unlimited admission through December 31, 2024 including access to our seasonal event series. Some blockout dates apply — see below for details. Not valid with any other discounts.

When does my Pay For A Day ticket expire?

Pay for a Day Get the Rest of the Year Free tickets purchased in October, November, or December of 2023, are valid from the day of purchase until 12/31/2024. Any Pay For a Day Get the Rest of the Year Free tickets purchased prior to October 1, 2023 expire on 12/31/2023.

What are the blockout dates?

11/24/23 – 11/26/23
12/26/23 – 12/31/23
3/9/24 – 3/17/24
11/24/24 – 11/26/24
12/26/24 – 12/31/24

Blockout dates apply to admission before 4:00 PM on the above dates.

Can I purchase a Pay For A Day ticket on a blockout date?

Yes! You can purchase a Pay for a Day, Rest of Year Free ticket for first-time use on a listed blockout date and have full access to the park on that day. Blockout dates apply to repeat visitation.

Can I use my Pay For A Day ticket on blockout dates? If you already have your Pay for a Day, Rest of Year Free ticket and wish to visit during a listed blockout date, please stop by the Zoo’s ticketing windows for alternate options:
  1. During blockout periods, Pay For A Day ticket holders have access to significantly discounted single-day tickets.*
  2. For a limited time from the date of purchase, Pay For A Day tickets can be upgraded to a Zoo Membership (with no blockout dates).
I purchased a Pay For A Day ticket online. How do I get my actual ticket?

Bring a copy of your confirmation (or show the confirmation email on your mobile device) to expedite entry into the Zoo. At your convenience during your visit you can stop by the Tours & Guest Services kiosk located just inside the Zoo to print your physical pass. No need to stand in line at the ticket windows. Walk right in!
Still have questions? Email us or call (813) 935-8552 ext. 0.