Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience at Franklin Park Zoo

Last night my family and I had the chance to explore Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience at Franklin Park Zoo.  Guys, it was amazing. Like many of you, we’ve kept a pretty low profile this summer due to the pandemic, so it was wonderful to be able to have a fun and SAFE experience like this with my family.

So now that I’ve piqued your interest, let me tell you all about the Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience. Just imagine an evening experience with hundreds of luminous, beautifully crafted large-scale lanterns at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. There are over 50 separate displays and trust me, it’s very Instagramable! Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience, presented by National Grid is the first of its kind in New England and I hope everyone gets to experience it while it’s here.  It’s really a beautiful sight to see.

Spanning the 72 acres of Franklin Park Zoo, Boston Lights is a must see for visitors of all ages with more than 50 large scale displays comprised of hundreds of colorful lanterns. Featuring stunning, dramatic entrance arches, a walk-through 66-foot-long shark tunnel, a 26-foot-tall giant panda, a 197-foot-long dragon, whimsical ocean scenes, vibrant flowers, traditional Asian lantern scenes and much more, the whole experience is truly dazzling and well worth a visit!

Boston Lights also shines a light on the importance of conserving the incredible biodiversity on our planet. From snow leopards to Panamanian golden frogs to the local Blanding’s turtles, each species plays a role in healthy ecosystems. Visitors to Boston Lights will have the opportunity to learn more about Zoo New England’s commitment to conservation and ways that they can participate in wildlife and habitat preservation. Presented in partnership with National Grid, all of the lanterns are illuminated with energy saving LED lights and they sure do light up the night sky!

I’m sure you’re wondering how safe it is to visit the zoo.  If you read my post from a couple of months back, you’ll remember me saying how impressed that I was with the safety measures in place.  The same measures are in place for Boston Lights. These measures include advance online and timed ticketing for a designated day and time, guest capacity limits, one-way paths to control guest flow, clearly designated 6-foot distance markers, enhanced cleaning protocols, and more hand sanitizer stations throughout the zoo. In accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, visitors (over age 2) to the zoo are required to wear face coverings. I have been very strict about safety measures with my family and I am very happy to report that the Franklin Park Zoo takes the safety of their guests and staff very highly.

Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience at Franklin Park Zoo will opens today, August 21 and will be open nightly through Labor Day (Sept. 7), and Thursday-Sunday after Labor Day through November 1. The hours are 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. For the full schedule as well as ticket prices, visit www.zoonewengland.org. Keep in mind that you must purchase tickets in advance for this experience – they will NOT be sold at the door.

Franklin Park Zoo has two entrances, both with nearby parking lots (The Zebra Entrance on Franklin Park Road, and The Giraffe Entrance on Pierpont Road). You can park in either lot, and enter through either entrance – it’s all one big loop.

My family thoroughly enjoyed visiting Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience at Franklin Park Zoo and I am excited to be able to share my experience with you.  If you are local and get a chance to visit, I would love to hear what you think about it.