Zoominations at Lowry Park Zoo

I've heard that the Zoominations  Chinese Lantern exhibit at Lowry Park Zoo was beautiful but I wanted to see for myself. A group of us headed that way last weekend to find out if it would live up to the hype. We grabbed some 1/2 price Groupon tickets before we went since that is always a plus. Look to spend about $25 a ticket if you don't get the Groupon deal.

The event opened at 6 so we planned dinner ahead of time. With a large party it was hard to find something close that worked for everyone. We ended up at Taco Bus. One of my favorites!!! Yum. Not everyone is a fan though so be forewarned. It is a Guy Fieri pick from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The fish tacos were scrumptious and I always get a Horchata to drink. Perfect.

So off we went to the Zoo! Guess what? It was PACKED!  We were so lucky we didn't have a stroller to try to get through that crowd but it was difficult to keep everyone together. And be prepared to wait a bit for the best view. It was still light out at 6, even into 7 o'clock, so we had to wait for the darkness to see the beautiful glow. We found stuff to keep the kids busy for a while. There were some of the kiddie rides open and there was Kona Ice for a snack. It was definitely hot enough for a cold treat. Be aware that there aren't any animals to see, or hardly any at all. I think we managed to see birds and bats! The bats were very cool though!!!

Once it is dark it is a beautiful sight but did I mention it was crowded? Yes, it was very crowded. If I was going to try it again I'd go later, say 9 or 9:30. You'll still have plenty of time to see everything and maybe the crowd will clear out some.

Here are a few of the beautiful lanterns...

Zoominations runs until May 31st so check it out! Maybe pick a weeknight to avoid the crowds and don't forget to check Groupon! Next time I'll go check out the animals. Lowry Park is a great ZOO aside from their extra events.