Wander through the Adelaide Zoo at night, illuminated with stunning light installations and dinosaurs aplenty!

Universal Kingdom is a great mix of puppetry, light projections, interactive illuminations and a chance to wander through multi-coloured paths all through Adelaide Zoo at night. The installations this year are spread throughout the whole zoo, with fun lighting connecting each stop. You might even spot a few of the zoo animals out enjoying the cold night air.

Highlights include the glowing Dinosaur Graveyard at the entrance, the huge Thunderhorn Plains triceratops on the central lawns and the floating Pterodactyl Power near the sea lion enclosure.

Kids will also love the interactive Raptor Run located near the panda shop. Kids (or their adults!) can race against a series of lit up dinosaurs to see who wins… or who gets eaten! (This isn’t too scary, just some roaring sounds if you don’t win.)

Moving puppets include the towering Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Luminosaur Place in front of moving projections on Minchin House and the Kakuru Raptors. Most of the dinosaurs are up for a pat if the kids are brave enough!

In the SAPN kid’s zone you’ll find baby raptor puppets to pat and the chance to dig for fossils or take a picture in front of the SAPN photo stop.

The Pelican Feed was a highlight for us, as the pelicans really come alive when being fed. They run around flapping their massive wings in anticipation. Then you get a chance to see them leaping up to catch fish, while the keeper gives a short but informative talk. The pond is also beautifully lit up with purple and blue lighting.

After you see the zoo’s pelicans having a feed, why not head on over to have a feed yourself! There are several food and drink vendors throughout the zoo with warm food and desserts on offer, including hot cinnamon donuts, hot chocolate and poffertjes. The prehistoric pop-up in the rotunda also includes fun dinosaur stools and vendors, including UV-glowing face painting and hair extensions (extra costs involved).

The adventure playground inside the zoo is brightly lit up for the event, so remember to swing by and let the kids have a play. The Reptile House next to the playground is also open, if you have some extra time to visit the snakes and lizards.

Things to consider:

• It can be cold – rug up and bring raincoats or umbrellas if the forecast includes rain
• It can get dark in places, watch your feet, especially the cable covers that cross the paths in some areas
• The whole layout is very stroller or wheelchair friendly
• The adventure playground is open and well lit
• The Reptile House is open and is located next the playground
• There are no advertised times for the moving puppets, so follow the crowds if it looks like something is happening! If you are still at the zoo close to closing time (around 8:30pm) you can catch some of the puppets outside at the entrance to the zoo
• There are no advertised times for the pelican feed, but you will hear them announce the feed if you are close by.
• Remember to check your map to make sure you haven’t missed anything
• Parking is available along Plane Tree Drive and Wilson’s Lot Fourteen Car Park on Frome Road is close by (approx. 10 minute walk), if no street parking is available.

READ MORE ABOUT UNIVERSAL KINGDOM: THE NEXT ERA HERE

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ILLUMINATE ADELAIDE’S FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENTS:

CITY LIGHTS | NORTH TERRACE

NIGHT VISIONS AT ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN

HORIZONS – DRONE & LIGHT SPECTACULAR AT ADELAIDE OVAL

10 MINUTE DANCE PARTIES

BASE CAMP AT LOT FOURTEEN

For more information and all enquiries please visit the Illuminate Adelaide website.

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. Our team were kindly invited to the opening night. All photos are by Play & Go Adelaide.

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