This weekend we decided to visit the Franklin Zoo which was open for the Lantern Experience and it was so much fun. Upon entering the Zoo, we were greeted by an illuminated welcome sign that gave us a little insight into what to expect and let me tell you we weren’t disappointed. At the entrance they scanned our tickets and let us in. To ensure social distancing at the Zoo and maintain limited capacity to avoid overcrowding, it is essential to make an online reservation This. They have ticket options starting at 6pm daily until 9:30pm daily until November 1, 2020.
We made a reservation at 9pm to have enough time to enjoy the displays as the Zoo closes at 10:30pm. We spent 1.5 hours enjoying the screens which we found to be enough without rushing. If you’re going with kids, I highly recommend arriving earlier so you don’t feel rushed and you have enough time in case the kids decide to spend more time on the interactive screen.
Spanning 72 acres of the Franklin Park Zoo, there are more than 50 epic displays for everyone to enjoy. Upon entering, we see interactive displays such as the conservation wheel that allows you to spin the wheel to learn about different ways to conserve nature and wildlife, and step on lit bricks Bright blooming flower petals on the wall display.
As we went further, we saw beautiful Asian lantern displays and a 197-foot fire-breathing dragon detail bordering the Chinese zodiac signs by year of birth. Right at the dragon’s tail there are stars with interactive music that are quite popular with children. We saw a lot of kids jumping around the musical ladder stars and dancing their way. I won’t lie to me either. After all, doesn’t everyone have a child inside of them?
Going forward there are various light shows as we reach the Panda exhibit – A tall Giant Panda, 2 pandas kissing. Another Panda display that caught my attention was the brightly lit colorful tree with Pandas on it.
As we walked forward, we saw displays of giraffes, zebras, elephants, crocodiles, hippos, and several others. But what caught my eye the most was the performance of sparkling color changing butterflies. It’s bright, colorful and full of life.
Going forward under the tunnel of white lanterns hanging above, we saw another performance that I really enjoyed, the Peacock fanning its spectacular plumage. Everyone stood there peacefully waiting to watch the peacocks fan their feathers and the colors change beautifully. It is delightful to see the Peacock, the National Bird of India in all its glory.
As we walked ahead through various displays of vibrant lanterns and glowing flowers, we watched the trees change color beautifully. My husband said this tree reminds him of the tree in the movie Avatar.
Going through the blue Jellyfish screen, we enter another screen that I absolutely love. A walk through a illuminated 66-foot shark tunnel completely caught my attention. It’s like you’re walking right into the shark’s mouth. It is so creative and beautiful.
As we walked forward we were nearing the end and passed the Cinderella, and an interactive giant piano where you can dance your way across the keys making it light up and play tunes. Definitely bring out your inner child.
These are just a few of the main highlights for me but there are so many more and literally something for everyone. It was an interesting experience. If you enjoy watching lights, wildlife, nature and cultural traditions then this is definitely the place for you. As part of the Zoo’s commitment to conservation and conservation, they used energy-efficient LED lights to create this entire experience.
The whole experience is magical and in the interactive parts also makes it totally captivating. Highly recommend it to everyone.
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