Zoominations At Lowry Park Zoo

Good entertainment for like 20 mins then you’re done. I wish I loved it, but the whole time I kept thinking how glad I was that I didn’t pay full price. Was able to purchase two tickets for half the price of regular admission through Groupon.
There’s a 20 – 30 minute show that includes Chinese acrobats. Once you’ve seen one Chinese acrobatic show, you’ve seen them all.
The light displays are pretty and colorful as others have reviewed, but not something I would pay full price to see. The kids were more excited about the shaved ice then the displays though.
This is great for older folks or those who are fresh off the boat. Don’t just take my word for it, go see for yourself.

No doubt that the lanterns were beautiful but for the price of the tickets I was expecting a little more in terms of entertainment.

We were there last night and the displays were wonderful. Just Gorgeous. I’d rate them a 5. My favorite display was the one by the carousel that someone gave a tip for… Maybe Chris. They aren’t crystals, but small medicine bottles filled with different colored liquids. Unbelievable.
The crowds were terrible, but we attended the second to last night of the show. We were herded through the tunnels paths and there was absolutely no space. The zoo was like one ride line at Disney. I’d rate this a negative 5. Our family just couldn’t enjoy it.
The parking attendants were pretty good, as I’m sure last night was almost at capacity, if it didn’t reach capacity.
It was a Florida summer, so we put on the bug spray and wanted to relax and enjoy. They should’ve had additional lines for food and drink as they were at least 20 deep.

Like many others who have gone to this event, I’m sure glad I purchased the groupon. The $ 25/​person is way too much for this event. The displays are nice and colorful. Lots of cool photo ops!
There is a green screen as you walk in where you can have your photo taken. Total rip off…4 or 5 photos and they want to charge you $ 50 for the flash drive. Seriously skip it. There are plenty of cool displays to take photos without the hefty price tag.
The carousel is open for the kids, so make sure to hop on.
This is a night event in Tampa, be prepared for the mugginess and humidity. We didn’t see a lot of food/​drink options.
This was a fun colorful display. Totally not worth the regular price, but a definite fun night if you get the groupon.

Zoominations at Lowry Park Zoo has been going on for a few months now, and only has a few weeks left. If you love spectacles, lights, color, vibrance, beauty, something different than the usual everyday stuff, come here. You will be so happy you did.
There’s quite a bit of beautiful chinese light displays here. There are so many picture opportunities. You will just want to keep staring. If you want to be in the picture with the displays, then go first when it’s light out like 7ish, then when it’s dark, just take pics of the light displays by themself.
All of the light displays were amazing and I couldn’t pinpoint a favorite one. I’d probably say the one with the koi fish, and the flowers everywhere. I also loved the peacocks, and the Red chinese lanterns.
One thing I did hate was the chinese acrobats. Don’t waste the half hour on that.
All in all, this was a beautiful Zoominations event, & I hope I can get to see it every year.

Just happen to come across this place on groupon and was like for that price I gotta make the drive up. Goodness I’m so glad we did!!! Talk about an amazing sight to see. The pictures we took do this place no justice. Its so beautiful, lanterns and animal theme lanterns just well lit everywhere. I definitely recommend you going to check it out. It a great for the whole family!!! Now the only reason I didn’t give 5 stars because director of the park apparently decided to prom there as well that night and we literally had to park and walk blocks to main entrance. Come on that’s insane people especially with a child…

Had a great time. Amazing exhibit. Truly breath taking. Beautiful huge installments. Bright and intricate designs. My favorite part was coy pond. I just couldn’t believe how they were able to transform the pond into something that looked straight up from a fairy tale. Most of the park is blocked off and it took us about an hour to see everything, including vendors. Will definitely go again if they come back

There’s a groupon sale for half the price until June 30, 2015. This is definitely a must see for the family. The park was spectacularly decorated with lanterns, dragons, dinosaurs, elephants, peacocks and flowers. There is this temple structure made up of dinnerware, which was amazingly put together, and looks pretty impressive. But when it is lit at night, it transforms into an eye catching display of colors!
The acrobat show was okay, not at all like the Chinese acrobat shows that I have seen in the past.
There also were some animals out to see– the rhinos, alligators, deer, birds etc. and seeing the park at night was perfect because it wasn’t that hot, although the pesky mosquitoes are out to get you. The park was not that crowded, and we had enough time to go through the whole place in a leisurely manner. I would definitely recommend this to everyone interested in a different zoo experience. Enjoy it!

We have gone to Lowery Park Zoo for years and many of these special events, they are all great !
The only thing they could improve on would be bathrooms (need more) and they needed more food at this event .
We had a great time — the lights are very beautiful ! ~ Loved it !

This was one of the best specialty events that I’ve been to at the zoo. There are plenty of lights, figurines, archways, and lanterns everywhere. My favorites were the dinosaur area and the panda bears near the carousel, but I also liked the dragons leading down under the tunnel and up out of the tunnel.
The towers in the center at nighttime were also pretty spectacular, especially the blinking green one. I was also very impressed with the figurines that utilized tiny medicine bottles filled with different colored water to make up their vibrant colors.
The interesting thing is that all the displays are very pretty when it’s still daylight, and then they become outstanding at nighttime. Even the colors of objects seemed to change from day to night.
Specialty tip for photographers — when you stand a person next to one of the gorgeous lights, and then you go stand 50+ feet away to take their picture — YOU WILL NOT SEE THEM IN THE PHOTO. We saw that happen numerous times.
Also — be aware — while you are here you will be dodging kids, cameras, children, cameras, babies, cameras, and lots and lots of slowly meandering people. Come prepared!
The biggest negative of the event would be that at many of the displays there were obviously strands of lights not working, and/​or pieces not lit up. It’s really too bad they don’t have someone constantly monitoring that — it takes away from the fabulousness when you can see pieces aren’t right.
Totally worth it — extended through the end of June — don’t miss it! And bring your bug spray.

Tip #1: get a groupon, it’s about half what the normal ticket price is.
Tip #2: don’t Show up until dark… you will be done walking around and it gets much better in darkness
Tip #3: the «Chinese Acrobats» are not as high flying and amazing as they imply. Expect a below average show with a clown, a juggler, and some Chinese girls with plates on a stick. The kid who throws around the pots is the highlight and even that is a bit eh…
Tip #4: when your done, skip the overpriced food court and stop at Bo’s ice cream that is only 2 blocks away.
Tip #5: Make sure your phone is charged, the lanterns are amazing, bright, and whimsical.
Tip #6: the carousel is open for the kids. Ride, ride, ride!
Overall this temporary event is solid, it’s a fun night oogaling some pretty incredible colorful lanterns of animals and flowers… unfortunately at 24.95 per person it is not worth it. Additionally they will take your photo and then try to charge you 40+ dollars to have a copy… give me a break. The photos should be free for the ridiculous gate charge.

Super awesome and a great deal with the BOGO Groupon!
Loved that it was not the entire zoo and was easily walk-​able. The zoo felt magical at night, like Alice in Wonderland trippy. The large dragons and huge pagodas were very impressive.

Pros: Really great at night for the family. Lots of well decorated lights, much better than the winter show. The kids were in awe with all the lights thought out the park.
Cons: It was ridiculously busy, we hard to park crazy far away in over flow parking. While inside I couldn’t take more than baby steps there was so many people. The lines for any concession stand was at least 30 people. Also you have to constantly dodge people taking pictures.
Price for adults is $ 24.95 or $ 14.95 if you have a membership and you get the discounted price for people in your group as well.

What a beautiful site to see! I would go again next year too. Event lasts until May 31^st, so hurry and buy the Groupon deal.

TL;DR — Small exhibit featuring some big bright lights
On a scale of «MUST SEE!!» to «I’ll go when pigs fly», for me Zoominations lies somewhere along the lines of «Oh, you got an extra free ticket? Sure, I’ll come along.»
There are definitely some really cool light displays and great photo ops but the part where the attraction falls short is just that; it’s way too short. Despite our leisurely pace and stopping to take pictures, we were done seeing all the sights and sounds in little over an hour. Despite being in the middle of zoo, few animals we available to see as most of them were put away for the night or were blocked off from the rest of the exhibit.
I can see the appeal though, especially if the highlight of your day is the re-​run of the Golden Girls or today’s episode of Dr. Oz. Oh and if your girlfriend makes you go to it.
Otherwise, not sure if $ 25 is worth the price of admission.

My fiancé surprised me last night with this wonderful experience. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The lanterns were so detailed, vivid, and beautiful. The darker it got, the more beautiful the lanterns become. The koi pond was my favorite part of the whole thing along with the Chinese dragons in the Africa section. My fiancé and I were blown away. This is something you’d find in a major city like New York or Los Angeles. We were thrilled Tampa could pull off something so spectacular. We also love Lowry Park Zoo.
We went on a Monday night with a Groupon, so we got in half price. The crowds were not bad on the weeknight.
The acrobat show was entertaining, but nothing as spectacular as the lanterns.
Make sure you get the Groupon as $ 25 per person is pricy, and go on a weeknight!

I confess. I get sick too. For an entire week I nurtured a sore throat and a cold that kidnapped me mercilessly. I tried murdering it with tequila shots, vodka shots, dark rum shots, and apparently it wore a bullet vest. I did try different alcohols, but stayed away from the rubbing one. One full week overlooking downtown from afar and singing «somewhere out there» melancholically. My friends calling me to check up on me and to reassure me «it is not as fun without you» as I heard the clinking of glasses and the music. I was depressed. I know it because I did not even comb my hair… my curls went Rastafarian on me and I covered my bathroom mirror as in Jewish mourning. Yesterday I had to scream: BASTA. Enough. As a sign from the universe that the world needed me, I opened all the balcony doors feeling like DiCaprio. «I am Queen of the World.» Unlike in Titanic, nothing sank. But the alarms went on. All of them. Yes, all of the smoke alarms of the apartment… and infernal chorus. Of course, I was not cooking or ironing. Don’t think me so domestic. I don’t do that. Nor was my fever so high or had my depression fried my brain. No smoke anywhere. My neighbor pounded on my door. He was batting his arms like Rain Man. Turned off the electrical box main switch to put him out of his misery. The front desk called the Fire Department and told me wait. Thank God I don’t do that either. I would still be waiting two days later. Of course I took it as a sign that strappy shoes, good perfume and lipstick were the cure. Time to doll up and click heels. I texted one of my best-​ies and went to… oh, I bet you thought I was going to a bar. I went to Lowry Zoo to see Zoominations. I had to be as far from a bar as possible. I had not finished my antibiotics. I do not know self-​restrain, so… Nothing farther than China. I had read articles and reviews. Parking was supposed to be a nightmare. We got there around seven thirty and there was a bit of a line that was guided to different parking spots. Yes, there are people who park on the grass and undesignated areas… but, really? Is that a reason not to go? We walked about two minutes and we spent less than a minute buying our tickets… and it was a Saturday night! The Chinese lanterns are fantastic. I have never done recreational drugs, but I imagine that the colors and shapes must look like that when one is high. I felt like Alice in Wonderland without having eaten the cookie or the mushroom. We walked in at dawn. The sky was purple against the buildings made of chinaware (plates and cups and forks and spoons). As we stood there, amazed and flabbergasted… night slithered in. Everything changed. The building looked as if painted against a fake background… a cheap Universal Studios movie set one has seen in a B movie. There were particular exhibitions that were crowded. But we saw the entire exhibition in two hours taking time to hydrate and take pictures and relish in the beauty. I loved the coy fish pond and the bed of flowers… especially the view that you get at the very end of that path. A surprise just when you had thought there was no more at that end. Serene. The reflections dancing on the pond’s surface. A surrealistic dream. By nine, most paths were cleared and the park was almost empty. Some find the cost of entrance a bit expensive. I disagree. Twenty-​five dollars for thirty huge exhibitions that were designed, crafted, transported, carefully assembled with materials such as dinnerware, cloth, tiny medicine bottles, wire and light is a gift. I wondered, as I looked at the kids around me, how they would see it… how majestic and huge… unbiased… without comparisons learned through experience and judgment. Beauty for beauty’s sake… and in the eyes of the beholder. Please, behold.

I am going to have to agree with a couple of the other reviewers. The lantern/​light displays were amazing, but definitely not worth the $ 25/​person price tag. Parking was an absolute nightmare. It seemed like they only had a few parking attendants at the front lot by the zoo admission entrance, guiding people around to the other side of the zoo. Our friend parked back there and he said it was a good hike from his car to the front entrance. The parking lot closer to the exit of the zoo was a free-​for-​all. People just parked everywhere and there were cars coming/​going all up and down the rows but couldn’t maneuver around because of the cars that were parked in the way. Stressful parking situation! Plus there was a prom going on the night we went so I’m sure parking was more ridiculous than usual.
Way too crowded inside. I felt as if I was being herded to my death going through some of those tunnels. No room to maneuver or turn around. We went to see the acrobat show at 9PM. Not sure what I was expecting at the «acrobat» show but it definitely wasn’t a lame magic act, a couple of girls doing some kind of air yo-​yo, and a guy balancing pots on his head.
The park did eventually clear out by 9:30−10PM so we finally had room to breathe. LOVED the lanterns! They were all so pretty! My favorites were the koi display, the pandas, the dragons in the Africa side of the zoo, and of course the ceramic plates/​cups/​spoons display up front. We tried to ride the carousel… well we were able to stand on the carousel, but not actually get on the animals to ride it (LAME). Did not see any food vendors except for one place open by the acrobat show. I think they were selling eggrolls.
Glad that there was a Groupon for this as I’m sure many people would not have gone otherwise. Oh– and I don’t think kids would enjoy this as much as adults would. The kids I saw there were either 1.) not even looking at the displays 2.) crying 3.) hot and tired from all of the walking (I could hear the whining).

I’m so glad I bought the Groupon for this event, because I don’t think it’s worth the regular price admission. I would have given this 3.5 star. The lanterns and decorations are worth 4 stars, but the hassle to park and deal with the crowds are not.
We went on a Saturday evening around 8pm. It was quite packed. It took a while for us to find parking. There wasn’t a traffic director or any of that sort from the staff. People made their own parking spaces, and it was just chaotic. I’m glad Lowry Park was able to get such a crowd, but I felt the parking situation was very unorganized and borderline dangerous.
The Chinese Lanterns was pretty. I love the different animal lanterns to the cool decorated porcelain pagodas. The crowd was heavy but it was a unique experience. I go to Disney all the time, I can handle crowds, but there were a lot of one ways, where once you saw a themed area, you would literally have to turn around instead of being connected to the next themed area.
The park itself is very small, so we were done seeing everything probably in a little over an hour. I would recommend coming on a week night instead of a weekend or coming after 9pm when the crowd has died down a bit. I’m sure parking may be easier to find as well. If you have an SUV, you’re good to go, as you can make up your own spot. Overall, get the Groupon but be warned of the crowds, and come see it as it is different and its only here for a limited time.

The last time I used the description «jaw-​dropping» in a review was back in 2013 to describe The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I went to Zoominations tonight and I thought that it was just as good as that. I might have liked this even better. I lost track of how many times I said the word «wow» tonight.
When you’re walking up to the zoo entrance the first thing you’ll see is a giant gate that has been constructed to welcome you to the festival. It’s huge, colorful, and so impressive to look it. I had actually debated not showing up until it was dark, which would have been a huge mistake. Everything starting with this gate looks beautiful during the day and amazing at night. It was interesting to compare the two variations.
When you enter the zoo the area where the kids’ fountains are now houses several huge pagodas. When you go to the left you’ll walk through multiple colorful archways filled with patterns and pictures. The open dirt area that houses special events has a spectacular circular building and a small marketplace where you can buy souvenirs. We watched the Chinese acrobats put on a show. During one part where a performer was looking for volunteers my eyes immediately hit the ground so I wouldn’t make eye contact with him. Of course he ended up picking me. Joy.
We continued on to the lake area where they have constructed a beautiful scene. The shores of lake contain multi-​colored flowers near the water and dinosaurs further inland. In the water itself are flowers and koi. The end of this section had multiple giant peacocks.
When you head towards the main area of the park you initially pass several different types of animals. The giraffes were appropriately towering. There were also hippos, zebras, and tigers. Next you’ll hit a red gate that is sort of a smaller version of the one at the main entrance, except there are multiple ones spaced close to each other. Hanging above are dozens and dozens of red lanterns. The carousel area had lots of cute pandas and some absolutely stunning dragons. Two dragons that stretched on and on «guarded» each entrance to the walkway that goes through a tunnel. The other side of the tunnel housed my favorite part, multiple elephants that were ornately decorated. The largest elephant had a structure on his/​her back that rose as high as trees that were near it.
We paid the extra $ 20 per person for the (buffet) dinner and enjoyed seeing the Chinese acrobats perform again. The food was pretty good but some of the meat was too salty. I was able to get more than enough food from the buffet to be full. We got a nice complimentary photo and ended up buying another one of us that was pretty funny. When we were done with that it was dark and we could take in all of the sights again. As nice as everything looked in the daytime it doesn’t even compare to how everything looks at night. I said I felt like I was in another country. One person I was with said it was their favorite attraction that they have EVER seen. I posted a ton of pictures so you can get an idea why we were so excited.
As we were leaving we spotted a sign that described those pagodas I mentioned earlier. It turns out that they are constructed of 68,000 ceramic cups, bowls, spoons, and plates that have been hand-​tied together and soar to 52 feet tall. Mind = blown.
Thank you to Lowry Park Zoo for bringing this experience to Tampa. It was unforgettable.