Powell's Neighbor Zoo Charges The Out-Of-County Rate, And That Changes How Wildlights Season Adds Up

"Franklin County, OH residents graciously support the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium through a property tax levy that voters approved in 2015. As a thank you, the Zoo offers discounted admission rates to all Franklin County residents."

That explanation sits at the bottom of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's hours and rates page. It accounts for a pricing quirk many Powell families run into at the gate. The zoo uses a Powell mailing address on Riverside Drive, but the discount depends on the county you live in. A household with a Delaware County address pays the same rate as a visitor driving in from Cincinnati. Between now and early January, the zoo runs its most event-heavy stretch of the year, and its biggest holiday draw comes with ordinary admission. With those two facts together, a Powell household's holiday zoo costs mostly come down to how many evenings it plans on.

Where The Discount Comes From

The zoo says Franklin County residents have backed a zoo levy for almost 40 years. Voters approved the most recent 10-year levy, at 0.75 mill, in 2015, and collections began in 2016. The renewal went to voters on November 4, 2025, and WOSU reported it passed with 62 percent voting yes in unofficial results. The 10-year levy was estimated to cost about $13 a year per $100,000 of auditor-appraised value.

The zoo checks residency directly. At the gate, guests show a driver's license, a state-issued ID, or a current utility bill. Online, the purchaser's billing address has to be in Franklin County. Your county of residence decides the rate, and your ZIP code doesn't. If you're unsure which county your address falls in, the county auditor's records will tell you before you check out.

What A Visit Costs From Each Side Of The Line

These are the zoo's posted online "starting at" day prices as currently posted, along with its membership prices. The rate table doesn't attach a year to them. Parking costs $12 on top of admission.

Take two adults and two children ages 3 to 9 at the non-Franklin rate. One visit costs $125.80 in admission, or $137.80 once you add parking. Every membership level includes 12 months of admission and free parking. So the $261.95 nonresident Family membership costs less than two of those visits, which come to $275.60. At the Franklin County rate, the same family pays $99.80 a visit and $196.95 for the membership, so it also passes the break-even point on the second trip.

The math shifts for a single adult. A nonresident day visit with parking runs $46.95, so two visits come to $93.90, which is less than the $106.95 Individual membership. A third visit pushes the total past it. Since "starting at" prices are minimums, actual day-ticket prices on some dates can be higher.

The Weekend Of October 24 And 25 Is Crowded

Two zoo seasons overlap at the end of October, and Powell's own Halloween events land on the same two days. In order:

1. Saturday, October 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Powelloween's downtown trick-or-treat, with a children's storytime at 1:15 p.m., as listed by Visit Powell.
2. October 24 and 25, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The final weekend of Boo at the Zoo, which comes with zoo admission. This year it adds a trick-or-treat trail and a DJ dance party.
3. Sunday, October 25, 4 to 6 p.m. The City of Powell's Candy by the Carload at Adventure Park, 260 Adventure Park Dr. It's free and doesn't require registration.
4. Sunday, October 25, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The last night of the 2026 Lantern Festival, which runs Thursday through Sunday evenings and features new dinosaur lanterns this year.

Lantern Festival works differently from the zoo's other events. It needs its own ticket, and festival tickets don't cover daytime zoo admission. Members of the Columbus Zoo, Zoombezi Bay, and The Wilds get a discount but not free entry. The zoo also offers a Roar and Return Pass, which pairs daytime admission with a discounted Lantern Festival ticket, and the two can be used on separate eligible dates. A household could cover Boo at the Zoo on Saturday and the lanterns on Sunday night with one purchase, though the zoo's blog doesn't list a 2026 price for the pass.

So for Halloween weekend, a membership covers the daytime events and only discounts the evening one. After October 25 that changes.

Wildlights Comes With Admission

Wildlights runs from November 20, 2026, through January 3, 2027. The zoo says admission is "included with your regular Zoo admission or Columbus Zoo membership." That means a household with a membership can come back repeatedly over the six-week run without paying for admission or parking again. A household buying day tickets pays the full rate each time, so a second evening costs another $137.80 for the family of four above.

Here's what's new and what's free this season:

• Starlight Safari: seven oversized illuminated animal sculptures, one for each zoo region.
• Bricktopia: wildlife builds by OhioLUG, a recognized LEGO fan community, inside the Naomi Coyle Dempsey Quest for Enlightenment Interpretive Center.
• 12 Days of Wildlights train ride: listed as free.
• Carousel rides: listed separately, also free.
• Wild Explorer Virtual Reality: listed among the season's offerings, with no price posted.

The Nights Worth Planning Around

Some Wildlights-season events cost extra or need advance registration, so they're the ones to book first. The dates below appear on the zoo's current events listing. The individual event pages give only the month and day, so confirm the year on the ticket page before booking.

Two of these depend on having a membership. Member Night gives members an evening the night before Wildlights opens to the public, and the Light Stroll is free only to members. The Brew Lights detail page calls it a two-night event but lists only November 28 in its ticket table. The zoo's main events calendar shows a separate January 2 Brew Lights date, so check the ticket page before you plan around either one.

Living Next Door Means Planning Around The Traffic

Being close to the zoo makes it easy to pick your night. The zoo's Wildlights guidance says the lights come on at 5 p.m. each night and that Monday through Thursday draw smaller crowds. During the season the zoo is open noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Arriving before 5 p.m. leaves time to see the animals before the lights come on.

The zoo plans to open both entrances, with traffic management at each. It asks drivers not to stop or park on the roads leading to the zoo and suggests saving the parking map to a phone before the trip. That map is labeled 2025, and the zoo hasn't published a 2026-specific traffic plan. Last season, 10TV reported that the zoo changed traffic flow in its parking lot and worked with ODOT on signal timing for Friday through Sunday and selected peak nights. The station also reported Delaware County sheriff's deputies at the entrance and along Riverside Drive, plus zoo staff and parking teams working the event. If Riverside Drive is part of your daily commute, that's the best available guide to what late-November weekends may look like. The zoo links to OHGO for live traffic conditions.

The Free Evening On Village Green

Not every December evening has to involve the zoo. On Saturday, December 5, from 4 to 7 p.m., the City of Powell hosts Holidays in Powell at Village Green Park. The free event has an iceless rink, bonfire s'mores, Santa photos, and performances, with the tree lighting at 6 p.m. It falls the day before December 6, the date the zoo lists for its Sensory-Friendly Santa Experience. A household without a zoo membership can count Village Green as one December evening that costs nothing.

If you're working out your family's holiday plans along with a bigger question, like which side of a county line your next address should be on, Gibson Group can walk you through how Powell-area addresses differ on details like this one. Talk with a local agent.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.