A heterocyclic ligand synthesized by the coupling of diazotized 4-aminoantipyrine with acetylacetone reacted with lanthanide(III) nitrate to form complexes of the type [Ln(HAAP) 2(NO 3) 3] where, Ln=La(III), Ce(III), Pr(III), Nd(III), Sm(III), or Gd(III) and HAAP= 3-{[2-(N-1-phenyl-2,3-dimethylpyrazol-3-in-5-on-4-yl)]hydrazone}pent-2,3,4-trione. The ligand and metal complexes were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, molar conductance, magnetic susceptibility measurements, UV-Visible, infrared, far infrared and proton NMR spectral data. The spectral data revealed that the ligand existed in the hydrazo form and coordinated to the metal ion without deprotonation in a neutral tridentate manner, through carbonyl oxygen of pyrazolone ring, hydrazo nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen of the acetylacetone moiety. The molar conductance values adequately supported their non-electrolytic nature. The ligand and the praseodymium(III) complex were subjected to X-ray diffraction studies. Thermal decomposition behavior of the lanthanum(III) complex was also examined.