Boo at the Zoo

While we are ready to go to the zoo at any time, there are some people who like visiting zoos during popular events, such as at Christmas time to see holiday lights. One of the popular zoo-going times is around Halloween, when zoos do their own rendition of “Boo at the Zoo.” Below we share our thoughts on events like this, and a chart of details for “Boo at the Zoo” for zoos in Illinois (+ St Louis), Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

As you would expect, no “Boo at the Zoo” event is the same. Some zoos simply promote wearing costumes to the zoo on specific days, and add some trick-or-treat and craft stations around the zoo. Others require an extra charge, and bring in entertainment along with children’s activities. Some have special night hours, so it’s important to visit the websites to know exactly what you’re getting into before you go – that will have a large impact on your experience.

I can say that we’ve never purposefully gone to a “Boo at the Zoo” event, however we’ve happened upon being at a zoo during such an event several times. When we zoo, we go early – usually attempting to arrive by 10 or 11 at the latest. Because of this, the extra traffic associated with events hasn’t applied to us. We have heard, however, that in many cases, the excess visitors create an environment that for many is way too cramped, and also causes chaos in regards to parking. I remember seeing on social media in 2017 that a local zoo was forced to close its parking lot due to visitors waiting over an hour to park for their “Boo at the Zoo” event.

So what then would make this event worth the hassle? Here’s our point of view:

• Animal Enrichment – One of our favorite zoo memories was going to the Cincinnati Zoo during their event and seeing the animals have pumpkins placed in their exhibit. Some would eat them, some would smash them, some would carry them around. Enrichment is something zoos do to engage in the animals (different from training) and an autumn/Halloween-themed enrichment can be fun to watch.
• Special Animal Encounters – Sometimes zoos will focus on specific animals at these events, and give the visitors opportunities to interact with the animals that they wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do. These pique our interest because the focus comes back onto the animals, not on extra activities.
• Nice Weather – The zoos can’t really control this one, but you need some good fall weather for these events. Walking the zoo in cold or rainy weather for the purpose of engaging in specific activities can be a bit miserable. Poor weather might cut down on the traffic, which is nice, but still probably not worth it.
• Free – I have a hard time paying extra for events like this. When we pay an additional fee at a zoo, it’s usually to participate in an engagement activity with the animals, like giraffe feeding. We travel to zoos all the time so to pay extra because they have a few crafts going on isn’t our thing.

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