Woodland Park - Park in Seattle - 1000 N 50th St, USA

Highly recommend the Wild Lanterns as one of your Christmas holiday traditions! They are a delightful fusion of oriental lanterns and the traditional zoo lights. Using illuminated lanterns, they portray animals from around the world (and the zoo) in beautiful and sometimes whimsical displays. For families with children, there are several interactive exhibits, including the rain cloud display, an activity center, and, of course, the antique carousel. They do have a (no touch) animal experience also, which rotates through different animals. While we were there, it was a snake and a tarantula. The staff were engaging and informative, keeping it interesting for kids and adults alike. Kids will love the displays, but having areas to let the young ones interact more and burn some energy always helps to keep everyone happy. If you like to take your time and enjoy ambience, grab a cup of coffee, snack, or a beer at one of the snack stands and enjoy a leisurely meander through this magical land. Visibility: Paths are pretty well lit, but this is intended to be a dark experience. If you struggle to see in the dark, you may want to bring a subtle flashlight that you can click on to help you feel secure in darker areas. All the areas - but the kids areas - are on paved paths, so there should be no trip hazards to speak of. I saw several people with various subtle lights (Christmas light necklaces, light up toys, glow sticks, and little "hello I'm here, please don't run into me" lights). The experience is about enjoying the illuminated lanterns, but it is also quite dark and sometimes people don't look where they are going or just don't see well in the dark. I found myself regretting not bringing some form of low-level ambient lighting. There were a few dark areas with people not seeing those around them, for me, it was partly for that, but moreso about the draw to be more immersed into the festive spirit of the event. (Choose based on your style, but the Christmas light necklaces looked the most festive to me!!) Parking: There is parking on site (which is ~$8 after fees & taxes). There are displays near both entrances, so either the south or west lot works. The west lot has some Instagram photo stop displays, but if you park at the south lot, just ask for a hand stamp when you walk by the west entrance and they will let you go see those, take pictures, and find back in to finish the experience. Tickets: Recommend booking in advance as availability call sell out. Tickets seem pricey at $37 for adults, but it was well worth the money and I intend to add this as a semi-annual Christmas tradition. Time: If you love to take your time, wander slowly, stop to enjoy displays, take pictures, and generally immerse yourself in the experience, I recommend giving yourself 2-2.5 hours. If you are good with a nice walk-through experience, you can see everything in an hour.

Beautiful displays. Areas for selfies and group pics. Nice walk. Bring umbrella if raining. Friendly staff. Parking is affordable.

It was pouring on the day we visited, lo and behold, all the animals and birds loved the rain, they all were out and about and we took 5 hours to roam around the zoo. Saw all animals and birds except 3 or 4 and spent an amazing day. Take time and carry snacks with you. They do rent umbrellas too for $2 per day and will keep your ID cards so that you return umbrellas before leaving but it's a great option for Seattle weather. The staff is super awesome! I haven't met people like the ones here before. They are knowledgeable and respectful. They are more than happy to chat about various things and also show your directions for places you are interested in visiting within the park. There are many volunteers on weekends that make it easy to find help when you are new to the place. It's a must visit in Seattle.

Plenty of parking near the gates. Beautifully laid out habitats, exhibits & lectures. Definitely "family friendly". A great experience.

Great place to come with the family. We came during the winter lights event and it was fun. Keep your kids close as it’s easy to lose them once it starts to get dark. Also, pack snacks or some food if you don’t want to spend a paycheck in their food courts.

Zoo lights have been completely revamped and updated! They are better than ever. Tickets were pricier than I remember, but it was worth it. We looped twice. One of the parking lots was closed and the other full to the gills. Ended up having to park in the street.

Enjoyed casually exploring the rose garden at woodland Park and it was very quiet and beautiful. Some of our group went around identifying plants, others chatted on benches and a couple even went and did a Pokémon raid.

The beautiful #wildlantern festival is back at woodland zoo Park and it's better than last year. It gets super crowded after 6, try to get there by 4 to experience the park when the footprint is low. Have fun and Happy holidays