Philadelphia, PA – Philadelphia Zoo’s quintessential, family-friendly Halloween extravaganza, Boo at the Zoo, is back every weekend this October (plus Indigenous Peoples’ Day) for the first time in its over 20-year history! These fun-filled weekends include incredible costumes, festive fall treats and fang-tastic fun. Bring a candy bag, come dressed in your favorite costume, trick-or-treat around the Zoo, enjoy seasonal décor, boo-tiful autumn weather, Howl-oween children’s activities and have a spooktacular time. New for 2026, ride the Pherris Wheel for a fall view 10 stories up, visit Trick-or-Tree House, take a ride on the SEPTA PZ “Boo” Choo Train, check out Cryptic Creatures and Frightful Flora, visit early with new fall wildlife morning tours and enjoy the Teal Pumpkin Project for those with food allergies.
For returning fall favorites, look for a full line-up of pumpkin feedings and animal enrichments, including hippos, big cats, aquatic turtles, orangutans, gorillas, birds, giant tortoises and Rodrigues fruit bats. Tens of thousands of guests enjoy this favorite tradition year after year. Boo at the Zoo is included in both admission and membership with tickets on sale now at the Zoo’s website for the best price of the year (prices increase as dates gets closer). Guests can pre-purchase tickets in advance to save on admission. Philadelphia Zoo is located at the corner of 34th Street and Girard Avenue in Philadelphia’s historic Fairmount Park at 3400 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Dates for Boo at the Zoo:
Hours: 9:30am – 5:00pm
Saturday, October 3
Sunday, October 4 (Special Offer: Wake Up With Wildlife Tour at 8:30am)
Saturday, October 10
Sunday, October 11 (Special Offer: Wake Up With Wildlife Tour at 8:30am)
Monday, October 12
Saturday, October 17 (Exclusive Member Morning Stroll from 8:30am – 9:30am)
Sunday, October 18
Saturday, October 24
Sunday, October 25 (Exclusive Member Morning Stroll 8:30am – 9:30am)
Saturday, October 31
Sunday, November 1
“We are beyond excited to bring Boo at the Zoo, a longstanding Philly Zoo family tradition, to our guests and members every weekend in October,” said President & CEO Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman. “Autumn is such a special time at the Zoo. Our animals become more active in the cooler weather and enjoy the pumpkin harvest, our canopy of 1,500 trees transforms our campus into one of the best spots for leaf peeping in the city and, of course, there will be plenty of candy and costumes around every corner. Delight in everything Boo at the Zoo has to offer while knowing your visit supports our animals and conservation partners around the world.”
NEW TRICKS AND TREATS:
With trick-or-treating through the Zoo as the main adventure, be sure to stop along the way and check out new activities special for this year:
Cryptic Creatures inside the Small Mammal House: Insects, snakes, and…the Jersey Devil? Learn about the myths and legends inspired by wildlife around the world. At scheduled times, guests will be able to see a live presentation of a misunderstood animal, or hear tall tales of wild encounters with legendary cryptids – and the real truth behind them.
Visit the Trick-or-Tree House: Inside the Zoo’s Iconic Tree House, originally built in 1876, join in on the fang-tastic fun for creepy crawly decorations and an extra candy station. Guests can also opt for a tarot card reading inside from 10:00am – 3:00pm (subj ect to change without advance notice). Trick-or-Tree House included in membership and general admission.
Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skellys Visit America’s first Zoo: More than two dozen 12-foot and 5-foot skeletons, generously donated by Home Depot, will be visiting Philadelphia Zoo for the first time! See what they’re up to as you trick-or-treat through the campus.
Costume Contests at Impala Lawn: Show off your costume for a chance to win great prizes! Contests happen at 11:30am and 2:30pm each day. Costumes will be judged by Zoo staff and prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. Guests can also enjoy additional carnival games around the lawn.
Take a Ride on the SEPTA PZ “Boo” Choo Train: Decorated for the Halloween season, the SEPTA PZ Express train is taking goblins and ghouls on a spin through lush autumn colors with an additional fall flare.
Eerie-sistable educational activities: spread out throughout the campus, drop in and see what new animal facts you can discover through hands-on play (with a Halloween twist, of course)!
Frightful Flora: Take a self-guided tour of the gardens, learning about some of the special plants around the Zoo that have a spooky twist to them.
Teal Pumpkin Project: all of the Zoo’s candy stations will include fun prizes so everyone can enjoy trick-or-treating.
PUMPKIN FEEDINGS AND SEASONAL ENRICHMENTS
Guests can count on watching some of our animals enjoy the bountiful pumpkin harvest, graciously donated by Riverwards Produce. Trick-or-treaters are also encouraged to keep an eye out for additional Halloween-themed enrichment and decorations in animal habitats throughout the Zoo. Tentative schedule for pumpkin feedings and enrichment (su bject to change without advance notice):
Saturdays
10:00am – Bears at Carey Bear Country
11:00 am – Giant tortoises at Reptile House
11:30 am – Rodrigues fruit bats inside the Rare Animal Conservation Center
11:45 am – Birds inside McNeil Avian Center Rainforest
2:00 pm – Hippos in African Plains
2:30 pm – Ossabaw Island Hogs at KidZooU
Sundays
10:00 am – One of our cats in Big Cat Falls
11:00 am– Various Reptiles and Amphibians at Reptile House
11:30 am – Raven and Hooded Vultures next to Backyard Kitchen
12:00 pm – Orangutans at PECO Primate Reserve
12:30 pm – Gorillas at PECO Primate Reserve
NEW FALL TOURS
For guests looking for guaranteed parking and a chance to beat the crowd, the Zoo is offering its popular “Wake Up With Wildlife Premium Tours” on Sunday, October 4 and Sunday, October 11. Tours start at 8:30am, and for the Halloween season, include a final stop and tour inside The Solitude – the oldest (and rumored to be most haunted) building at the Zoo. Tickets can be purchased at the Zoos’ website. Zoo admission is included with ticket purchase.
BOO FOOD AND DRINK EXCLUSIVES
Around the Zoo, guests can try frightfully delicious menu options to celebrate the season. At Impala Plaza, as guests enter the Zoo, there will be three pop-up stands where guests can choose their own popcorn mix, purchase candy apples and Halloween-themed cookies, or choose from a full apple cider bar, serving up hot apple cider, cold apple cider, pumpkin-spiced hot chocolate, Swamp Juice Frozen Frazil and Vampire Blood Frozen Frazil. At Tiger Terrace, try the Monster Meatball Sub with meatballs, marinara and mozzarella cheese; at Churro Churro, pick up a pumpkin cheesecake parfait made with pumpkin cheesecake mousse, granola, graham crumble and whipped cream; at Backyard Kitchen, dig into Scorpion Fries with chili, nacho cheese, black beans and Flaming Hot Cheetos dust; and at Scoop Shack, indulge in a walking apple pie with warm cinnamon apples, crumble topping and vanilla ice cream served in a cup.
FALL FOLLIAGE & PHERRIS WHEEL
Get ready to take in fall from 10 stories up! This is the only time in Zoo history to go up on the special Philly Zoo Pherris Wheel here at the Zoo for America 250. Go sky-high and enjoy breathtaking views of the city and the Zoo, leaves and decor below.
Take in the Zoo’s canopy of 1,500 trees transform into a spectacular showing of reds, oranges, yellows and browns. Fall colors begin in late September and last through mid-November, with peak colors hitting mid-October. Some notable tree species include the nearly-glowing yellows of the ginkgo trees at Outback Outpost and Impala Plaza, the burgundy of the mature crape myrtles just south of the Tiger Terrace eatery, and the distinct orange of the katsura tree near The Solitude.
Take advantage of all that Boo at the Zoo has to offer by becoming a member. Zoo members enjoy exclusive members-only hours (including two Member Morning Strolls during Boo at the Zoo weekends); complimentary admission and parking; and 10% off of Zoo shops and dining. The perks then continue all year and include discounted tickets to LumiNature, exclusive events, dedicated newsletters and discounted admission to more than 100 zoos and aquariums across the country. Learn more at the Zoo’s website.
ABOUT PHILADELPHIA ZOO
At Philadelphia Zoo, the Zoo moves around you! Pioneering Zoo360, a first-in-the-world system of animal exploration trails, Philadelphia Zoo has inspired more than 70 zoos around the globe to design new ways to invite animals to travel and roam through their own campuses. Passing through treetops, crossing over pathways and connecting habitats, Zoo360 provides Philadelphia Zoo’s beautiful big cats, playful lemurs, and lively monkeys innovative ways to explore and marvel at one another and our guests. Visit the all-new Carey Bear Country, home to Andean and sloth bears, meet Mommy the Galapagos tortoise and her world-famous hatchlings at the Reptile & Amphibian House, our quickly-growing orangutan infant in PECO Primate Reserve, the Ankole cattle hillside, Amur tigers at Big Cat Falls, Victorian crown pigeons at McNeil Avian Center, and hippos, zebras and white rhino throughout African Plains. Share a space with critically endangered lemurs as you wander through Lemur Island, look up as you feed the world’s tallest animal at Giraffe Experience, or get up-close as you hand-serve colorful birds their meals at Wings of Asia. Philadelphia Zoo is one of the region’s foremost conservation and education organizations and home to endangered, and in some cases extinct, animals in the wild. At Philadelphia Zoo, our mission is to flourish as an urban oasis where people and animals thrive, transformative memories are made, and our passion for conservation helps save wildlife. Philadelphia Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is a non-smoking facility. For more information, visit philadelphiazoo dot org. Facebook: PhiladelphiaZoo; Instagram: @philadelphiazoo; X (formerly Twitter): @phillyzoo; TikTok: @philadelphiazoo