Chattanooga Zoo

My friend and I went to the zoo for the second year in a row during the Asian Lantern Festival. This year it was bigger and better! Though the animals aren't really on display, the dozens of Asian and animal themed lanterns make it worth the trip. You may catch a glimpse of a few animals but most are sleeping or pulled off display for the night and the lights in exhibits are off. This year the pathway through the lanterns was better directed and there were more varied lanterns, and more Asian themed, like the Chinese Zodiac. There was also a pop-up dance display with a cellist that started at one area and moved through the zoo. The only disappointment was a small cup of hot chocolate for $6.50, which I did not get. The bathroom was also cold with a dirty, overflowing stall, which was blocked off. It is nice to see the zoo expanding and updating their exhibits to give their animals better room and care. I also like that they offer a lot of various activities outside of regular zoo admission and I've been to a few including the Lantern Festival and the Beastly Feast. Can't wait for the next exciting program!

We went for the Asian lantern festival and it was pretty cool! Definitely worth checking out! We purchased our tickets ahead of time online and picked which time slot we wanted. It was a very easy process and a great experience! While there we got a hot chocolate & pretzel, both were good but pretty pricy. For me it was something you see once, but I probably wouldn’t go back again for a couple of years. Definitely worth checking out though & it seemed like they had a decent amount of things for kids too!

We visited most recently for the Asian Lantern Festival which required tickets to be purchased in advance online. They are currently building a new habitat for giraffes that will be a large focal point near the entrance. The Lantern Festival has a clearly marked path to guide you through all of the lights. Ordinarily you can wander any direction you want to with signage directing you to specific exhibits. Some of the animals were still visible at night. There are places to stop and get snacks.