{"id":3268,"date":"2026-06-19T05:01:50","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/losangelesmovinginsider.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/19\/for-decades-nighttime-zoo-has-been-a-summer-staple-this-is-the-last-year\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T05:01:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:01:50","slug":"for-decades-nighttime-zoo-has-been-a-summer-staple-this-is-the-last-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/losangelesmovinginsider.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/19\/for-decades-nighttime-zoo-has-been-a-summer-staple-this-is-the-last-year\/","title":{"rendered":"For decades, Nighttime Zoo has been a summer staple. This is the last year."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ending a tradition that began 32 years ago, the San Diego Zoo said this will be the final summer for its Nighttime Zoo program, which gives late-staying visitors the chance to view animals in the evening and enjoy a lineup of special entertainment.<\/p>\n

Read more More Americans are hungry in the face of federal cuts, rising grocery prices<\/a><\/p>\n

Through Aug. 9, the zoo will stay open until 8 p.m., with activities and performances that begin at 3:30 p.m., including live music, dancers and acrobats. There are also meet-and-greets with larger-than-life wildlife puppets and appearances by animal ambassadors.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoin us all summer long to soak up the last season of Nighttime Zoo,\u201d the zoo says on its website. \u201cYou\u2019ve celebrated with us for more than 25 years, and the curtains are closing on this family-favorite experience. But there\u2019s good news! Debuting in 2027, we\u2019re excited to welcome a brand-new seasonal festival \u2014 so get ready to make new generational memories over and over again!\u201d<\/p>\n

The zoo didn\u2019t say why the popular program is ending. It\u2019s also not clear what type of summer programming will be offered next year. A zoo spokesperson said the park isn\u2019t ready to share plans.<\/p>\n

The zoo is \u201cplanning to reimagine our summer festival at the zoo to offer new and exciting experiences for our guests,\u201d but details are not yet available, spokesperson Jake Gonzalez said in an email.\u00a0\u201cOur team is putting the finishing touches on the vision, and we want to make sure everything is just right before we announce anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Luigi Mangione\u2019s lawyers reverse course, say they won\u2019t pursue a psychiatric defense<\/a><\/p>\n

Nighttime Zoo was first unveiled in the summer of 1994, when the zoo and Safari Park, then known as the Wild Animal Park, each began offering experiences \u201cunder the stars\u201d for visitors who stayed late. That first year, the zoo welcomed late visitors four nights a week but later expanded to seven days a week.<\/p>\n

By summer\u2019s end, the zoo proclaimed the experiment a roaring success, with the 10-week season attracting about 288,000 visitors after 5 p.m. \u2014 nearly triple the number expected. Visitors said they flocked to the zoo\u2019s new hours to escape the heat, enjoy entertainment, and get better views of big cats, koalas and other animals that tend to be less active during the day.<\/p>\n

That first year, curators closely monitored the animals to make sure the expanded hours didn\u2019t cause problems.\u00a0One change? The zoo brought their pygmy chimps into an enclosed sleeping area an hour before sunset after people noticed the animals were dozing off while on exhibit.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

At the same time, the Wild Animal Park \u201cset up tents and invited guests to stay overnight to camp, complete with dinner around the campfire and nighttime strolls,\u201d offering a camping experience that had been discussed since the park opened in 1972. The Roar & Snore camping program has since grown into a permanent campground.<\/p>\n

Read more Tijuana mayor to request leave of absence to seek party nomination for gubernatorial race<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is the last summer of Nighttime Zoo at the San Diego Zoo. The program, which allows zoo goers to stay after dark to check out nocturnal animals and enjoy special entertainment and activities, began in 1994.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment"],"yoast_head":"\nFor decades, Nighttime Zoo has been a summer staple. 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