WildLights Has One Price This Year, So the Calendar Does the Deciding

Last December, the cheapest way to see WildLights at The Living Desert was to pick the right night. General tickets ranged from $22 to $25, member tickets from $20 to $22 and children's tickets from $18 to $20, so a quieter date could save a family a few dollars a head.

For 2026 that range is gone. The Living Desert's WildLights 2026 page lists one price for every public night, $25 general, $23 for members and $20 for children 3 to 17, with children under 3 free. Every public night now costs the same, so the decision comes down to the calendar. That calendar has a clear shape this year, and a few of its dates are easy to misread.

What the flat price changed

Here are the two seasons side by side, using the zoo's 2025 event page as archived last November and this year's page, published Nov. 8, 2026.

The general and child prices now sit at the top of last year's ranges. The member price went past last year's top: $23 in 2026, against a 2025 high of $22. Members still get $2 off adult admission, which is exactly the gap between $25 and $23, along with the members-only preview night.

The bundle went up the most. The day-to-night bundle for an adult rose by $11.95 and the child bundle by $6.95. The zoo describes the bundle as a way to spend the day with more than 600 animals and over 50 desert gardens, then return after dark. As the last section explains, that return comes with a required hour away from the zoo.

With every night priced the same, the remaining choices are which cluster of dates fits your December and which themed night, if any, you want.

The calendar runs in clusters, then goes nightly

The season starts with the member preview on Monday, Nov. 23. Public nights follow in five groups, all from 6 to 9 p.m. with last admission at 8:30 p.m.

• Thanksgiving week: Tuesday, Nov. 24; Wednesday, Nov. 25; Friday, Nov. 27; and Saturday, Nov. 28. Thanksgiving itself, Thursday, Nov. 26, is not on the schedule.
• First weekend of December: Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5.
• Second weekend: Thursday, Dec. 10, through Saturday, Dec. 12.
• The nightly run: Thursday, Dec. 17, through Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24.
• After Christmas: Saturday, Dec. 26, through Wednesday, Dec. 30. The zoo is closed on Christmas Day.

That adds up to 22 public nights. The 2025 schedule had 20, built the same way: Nov. 25, 26, 28 and 29, then Dec. 5 and 6, Dec. 11 to 13, Dec. 19 to 24 and Dec. 26 to 30. Both extra nights this year come at the front of the nightly run, which now starts on Dec. 17 instead of Dec. 19.

Between those groups the display is dark. Before Dec. 17, there are no public nights from Nov. 29 through Dec. 3, from Dec. 6 through Dec. 9, or from Dec. 13 through Dec. 16. Weeknight evenings before mid-December are mostly unavailable this year. The two exceptions are Thanksgiving week and Thursday, Dec. 10.

One more lighting comes before any of this. The Shops on El Paseo holds its free "Light Up the Holidays" tree lighting on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 73-061 El Paseo, on Ocotillo Drive between California Pizza Kitchen and Porta Via, with Santa and Mrs. Claus attending. The El Paseo Catalogue has the event details.

Three themed nights, and where they fall

The 2025 event page listed a single themed night, Adults Only on Dec. 18. This year's page lists three, and their dates matter more than their number.

1. Jingle Pups dog night, Thursday, Dec. 10. This is the first night of the second-weekend group. The zoo's Jingle Pups listing is linked from the WildLights page, which says both people and dogs need an event ticket.
2. Adults Only, 18 and older, Thursday, Dec. 17. This is the first night of the nightly run.
3. Pride Night, Friday, Dec. 18. This is the second night of the nightly run.

The placement of the Adults Only night matters for anyone bringing children. The nightly run starts Dec. 17, but that evening is limited to guests 18 and older, so a family with younger children has Dec. 18 through Dec. 24 in that stretch. For anyone planning to bring the dog, Dec. 10 is the only option on the calendar.

Santa and the Grinch divide the season at Christmas. Free photos with Santa run through Dec. 24, and photos with the Grinch run Dec. 26 to 30. A visit with grandchildren who want a Santa photo needs a date on or before Christmas Eve. After that, the photo is with the Grinch.

Once you buy, the date is set.

"WildLights tickets are valid only on the specific date for which you purchased your tickets."

That line comes from the zoo's WildLights FAQ, which also says tickets are non-refundable and that WildLights is an all-weather event. Its suggestion for anyone who can't attend is to give the tickets to friends or family. The zoo also recommends booking ahead and notes that capacity is limited each night.

The hour between 5 and 6

Every visit, with or without the bundle, has one more timing detail. All daytime visitors, including members and guests holding WildLights tickets, have to leave the zoo completely by 5 p.m. WildLights entry starts at 6 p.m.

That hour lands on bundle holders, who are now paying $64.95 per adult for the full day and evening. A day at the zoo does not carry over into the evening. You leave at 5, find something to do for an hour, and come back through the gate at 6 or later.

Parking at 47900 Portola Ave. adds to the timing. The zoo lot is free but can fill quickly on busy nights, and the zoo suggests allowing extra time and carpooling. Overflow parking is on Portola Avenue, Haystack Avenue and Buckboard Avenue. The zoo asks guests parked on those streets not to block driveways or other cars, to stay out of red and no-parking zones, to follow the barricades and signs set up for the event, and to keep drop-offs at the front gate quick.

That makes 6 p.m. a reasonable time to arrive, especially if you plan to eat inside. Dinner is available at Bighorn Cafe, s'mores are at Pronghorn Picnic Place, and guests 21 and older can order beer, wine and specialty cocktails. Since entry starts at 6 p.m. and last admission is 8:30 p.m., arriving early leaves time for dinner and the full walk.

Returning displays include the Giant Present, the 30-foot Christmas tree, the Tunnel of Lights and the G-Scale model train in its holiday decorations, and the page also promises new exhibits and photo spots. The route goes along the African Safari pathways, where rhinos, giraffes, zebras and African painted dogs may be out after dark. WildLights is presented by the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation.

If you're hosting family this December and want help working WildLights into a week of Palm Desert plans, Lori Ebeling has lived in the valley for more than 25 years and is glad to share the timing that works. Schedule a 15-minute consultation, whether your guests are here for the holidays or thinking about staying longer.