Halloween Fun Brewin’ at Brookfield Zoo’s Annual Boo! at the Zoo
Zoo Celebrating 50th Anniversary of Family Favorite Fall Event
Brookfield, Ill. — All are invited to a delightfully frightful and fun-filled time at Brookfield Zoo’s 50th annual Boo! at the Zoo Halloween celebration on Saturdays and Sundays, October 7-8, 14-15, and 21-22. During each weekend, zoogoers of all ages, can enjoy creepy critters, memorable photo opportunities, sweet treats, and fall fun.
A variety of Halloween-themed activities will take place from 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day. At the Pumpkin Patch at the Beer Garden, youngsters can sign up to decorate their own pumpkins they can then take home. Or, zoogoers can head over to the Nature Stage where they can add their artistic talents to the Boo! Draw Wall with Halloween and fall doodles. And, while strolling the pathways to see the animals, young ghosts and goblins can collect sweet treats, courtesy of Ferrara®, at stations located throughout the park.
At the Hamill Family Nature Plaza, be amazed with the mystifying talents of Magician Juan from 1 to 3 p.m. each day. Or, take a spin on the Carousel (fee applies), which will be all decked out with Halloween-themed décor.
Remember your visit to Brookfield Zoo’s 50th annual Boo! at the Zoo with memorable snapshots. Choose from an array of photo opportunities, including the Howl-O-Scenes, sponsored by Faegre Drinker; a Halloween-decorated larger-than-life frame and peekboards; or in front of one of the gigantic scarecrow, pumpkin, or Frankenstein’s monster inflatables.
Zoogoers aren’t the only ones who will be celebrating. Several animals will be treated to pumpkins over the three weekends. At 10:30 a.m., guests can watch them play, eat, and smash their gourd treats as part of the Zoo’s enrichment program. Animals include: brown bear and polar bears on October 7 and 21, capybara on October 8, sloth bears and big cats on October 14, Nigerian dwarf goats on October 15, and western lowland gorillas on October 22.
Plus, each day of Boo! at the Zoo, guests can attend special animal Zoo Chats to discover fun facts about some of the creatures of the night. Learn about the screech owl at 11 a.m. at Hamill Family Play Zoo, snakes at 11:30 a.m. at Feathers and Scales, Mexican wolves at 1 p.m. at Regenstein Wolf Woods, and Rodrigues fruit bats at 3:30 p.m. at Australia House.
Admission to Brookfield Zoo is $29.95 for adults, $20.95 for children 3-11, and $24.95 for seniors 65 and over. Parking at the Zoo is $17-$20. For safety and to avoid confusion, no guests over 13 are allowed in the Zoo in full-body costumes with their heads covered. To learn more, visit CZS.org/BooAtTheZoo.
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Photos (credit CZS-Brookfield Zoo)
1301: Costumed guests take a spin on Brookfield Zoo’s Carousel during its annual Boo! at the Zoo Halloween celebration.
1690: Costumed youngsters pose for a photo at one of the many Halloween-themed backdrops during Brookfield Zoo’s Boo! at the Zoo.
1894: A young guest dressed in Halloween attire at Brookfield Zoo’s Boo! at the Zoo poses for a photo with one of the goats at the Zoo’s Hamill Family Wild Encounters.
2856: During Brookfield Zoo’s Boo! at the Zoo, guests can watch some of the animals receiving pumpkins for enrichment.
About the Chicago Zoological Society
The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. The Chicago Zoological Society is a private nonprofit organization that operates Brookfield Zoo on land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The Society is known throughout the world for its international role in animal population management and wildlife conservation. Brookfield Zoo is the first zoo in the world to be awarded the Humane Certified™ certification mark for the care and welfare of its animals, meeting American Humane Association’s rigorous certification standards. The Zoo is located at 8400 31st Street in Brookfield, Illinois, between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and also is accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, and CTA and PACE bus service. For further information, visit CZS.org.