Zoo Atlanta's Pandas Are Back, and the Ticket Math Favors Grant Park
When Zoo Atlanta's last four giant pandas were leaving in 2024, Atlanta Magazine told the story of a couple who drove three hours from Columbia, South Carolina, just to say goodbye. That's how far people will travel for these animals. For anyone who lives in Grant Park, the trip is a walk down Cherokee Avenue.
That walk matters more this time. On Friday, November 6, Zoo Atlanta opens the Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove with two new pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang. The zoo sells tickets for set dates at prices that change, and it sells a pricier option for people who want to keep their plans open. Neighbors can keep their plans open for free. They can come back on a quiet Tuesday afternoon, skip a rainy Saturday, and stack the panda visit onto a busy holiday calendar that's already forming around the park.
Zoo Atlanta announced on September 27, 2026 that the new pair had arrived, under a new research agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Rough Draft Atlanta reported that a quarantine of about a month followed. With them, Atlanta becomes one of three U.S. zoos with giant pandas and the only one in the Southeast.
The gap was about two years. Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun and Xi Lun left for China on October 12, 2024. According to the AJC, the zoo drew almost 1 million visitors in 2024 and fewer than 900,000 in 2025, the first full year with no pandas. If even part of that drop comes back, a lot more people will be heading to the corner of Grant Park the zoo sits in this winter.
A $6 million renovation, paid for by a Robert W. Woodruff Foundation grant, rebuilt the habitat:
"Members and guests who recall the original giant panda habitat will know immediately upon entry that they are in for an entirely new experience," Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond B. King said in the zoo's announcement. The name carries history too. Arthur Blank has supported the panda program since Lun Lun and Yang Yang arrived in 1999.
On debut day itself, the zoo opens late. It hadn't posted a time when it made the announcement, so check zooatlanta.org the morning of. On regular weekdays the zoo is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry at 3:30 p.m.
Zoo Atlanta prices general admission by date, and you have to pick that date when you buy. Here's how the options compare, using prices posted on the zoo's ticket store and membership page:
| Option | Adult price | Child price, ages 3–11 | Date reservation? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select Your Date | $27.95–$39.95 | $22.20–$31.95 | Yes |
| Any Day Ticket | $39.95 | $31.95 | No, valid through April 30, 2027 |
| Membership | From $129–$139 per year | Varies by level | No, unlimited daytime admission |
Children under 3 get in free with any option. The Any Day Ticket costs the same as the most expensive date-specific ticket. In other words, the extra money buys you the freedom to choose your day later. That freedom is worth the most to someone who might not know until that morning whether the weather or a toddler's nap will cooperate.
Membership works the same way, without the one-visit limit. Zoo pages list the starting price two ways. The tickets page says $129, and the membership page lists its lowest level, Companion, at $139. Against a $39.95 adult Any Day Ticket, $139 covers about three and a half visits. A one-hour panda stop on the way home from the Grant Park Farmers Market fits that pattern well. A once-a-year trip fits a single ticket. Members also get 20% off that day's prices on extra tickets they buy, which helps when friends come along.
The zoo says member-only panda viewings are "coming soon" but hasn't posted dates. Its Panda Page is where announcements show up.
The zoo's getting-here page suggests walking, biking, carpooling, rideshares or MARTA. It points to a Relay Bike Share hub on Cherokee Avenue and another near King Memorial MARTA Station.
Visitors who drive have two City of Atlanta options run by AAA Parking: the lot at 800 Cherokee Avenue and the Grant Park Gateway deck at 759 Boulevard SE. The zoo's page lists $3 an hour with a $12 daily maximum. That page also refers to a change the city made back in 2021, so confirm the rate before you count on it. Members can buy discounted Gateway deck passes ahead of time. Out-of-town guests who drive in should follow the posted signs and meters on neighborhood streets. The city manages on-street parking by zone, and the zoo-lot rate doesn't apply to curb spaces.
For anyone who lives within walking distance, all of that is optional. You skip the lot, the rate and the wait to get out after closing.
The pandas open in the middle of a run of events in and around Grant Park. Here's the calendar in order, so you can see which weekends are already full:
A membership covers daytime admission, but IllumiNights and Cookies with Santa are separate tickets with a member discount. If you want the pandas in daylight and the lights after dark, plan on two different purchases. On Sundays, the farmers market closes at 1 p.m., so a morning at the market and an afternoon at Panda Grove fit into the same day.
Two coffee shops on Boulevard SE open before the zoo does. Condesa Coffee at 1015 Boulevard SE, Suite 100B, is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. The City of Atlanta celebrated its grand opening on September 15, 2026. Bellwood Coffee at 568 Boulevard SE is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.
The Beacon has more on the way. In October 2025, Rough Draft Atlanta reported that Kinship Butcher & Sundry planned a second location at 1039 Grant St., expected in fall 2026, with a cafe, coffee, a full bar, a market and a butcher counter. Nearby, What Now Atlanta reported on October 22 that Brasiliana Pizza has started building a 2,500-square-foot restaurant, with its owner aiming to open in February 2027. We covered the earlier round of Beacon changes in what's changing at The Beacon this fall, and there's more about the area in our Grant Park neighborhood guide.
At Makes Home Real Estate, we keep track of what's opening on Boulevard and Cherokee because it's part of what makes this neighborhood home. If you're curious how life on these blocks shows up in your home's value, get your instant home valuation, and sign up for our newsletter to hear when the member panda viewings are announced.
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