•The present study demonstrate the morphological development of DCs in rabbit' lungs at the fetal and postnatal life.•DCs showed immunoreactivity for CD8, CD56, CD34, VEGF, NSE, and connexin-43 within the developing pulmonary tissue.•DCs may contribute to apoptosis, endocytosis, and angiogenesis.•Immature DCs may have an antigen-uptake role, while mature DCs may involve in antigen presentation to T-cells.