News Release
 
Contact: Sondra Katzen, Public Relations, 708.688.8351, sondra.katzen@czs.org
 
September 22, 2022
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
NOTE: Scroll to end of press release to download photos.

   

Brookfield, Ill. —  Gather your ghoulfriends, little ghosts, and goblins for a howling good time at Brookfield Zoo’s annual Boo! at the Zoo, a family-fun Halloween celebration. On Saturdays and Sundays from October 8-23, zoogoers of all ages can enjoy creatures, memorable photo opportunities, sweet treats, and fall fun.

At Howl-O-Scenes, sponsored by Faegre Drinker, there will be plenty of photo opportunities, such as a large inflatable spider on a web; not-so-scary cut-out characters of ghosts, dragons, witches, vampires, and alien creatures as well as hay bales and pumpkins. Additionally, throughout the park there are Halloween-themed photo frames, cut outs, and peek boards featuring the likes of a black cat, snake, stacked pumpkins, scarecrow, and a monster. After visiting Boo! at the Zoo, guests can share their photos on social media with the hashtag @BrookfieldZoo.

Guests can take their chance at finding their way through the “Crazed Maize” Corn Maze or take a spin on the Carousel (fee applies), which will be all decked out with Halloween-themed décor. Seasonal fall food and drinks are on sale at the food carts around the zoo for those who work up an appetite.

Over the three weekends at 10:30 a.m., several of the zoo’s animals will be treated to pumpkins that they can play with, eat, and smash as part of the zoo’s enrichment program. Animals include:

• - Capybara on October 8 at Pachyderm House
• - Polar and brown bears on October 9 and 23 at Great Bear Wilderness
• - Goats on October 15 at Hamill Family Wild Encounters
• - Sloth bears and big cats on October 16
• - Western lowland gorillas on October 22 at Tropic World: Africa
•  

The animals will not be the only ones receiving Halloween treats—guests will receive goodies courtesy of Ferrara® as they exit the park until 4 p.m.

Discover fun facts about creatures of the night during special Zoo Chats, held each day during Boo! at the Zoo. Hear about the screech owl at 11:00 a.m. at Hamill Family Play Zoo, snakes at 11:30 a.m. at Feathers & Scales, ravens at 1:00 p.m. at Hamill Family Play Zoo, and the Rodrigues fruit bats at 3:30 p.m. in Australia House.

And, this is the last chance to experience Ice Age Giants before the limited-time exhibit goes extinct on October 30. Encounter more than 30 life-sized animatronic re-creations of giants that once roamed North America and Eurasia, including a 15-foot-tall woolly mammoth, an oafish 20-foot-long giant ground sloth, a 12-foot-tall giant bird, a fearsome 5-foot-long saber-toothed cat, and many more.

Admission to Brookfield Zoo is $24.95 for adults, $17.95 for children 3-11, and $19.95 for seniors 65 and over. Parking is $15. To avoid confusion with Brookfield Zoo’s costume characters, full-body costumes that cover faces are not permitted for guests over the age of 13. To learn more, visit CZS.org/BooAtTheZoo.

 
Photo Captions--credit CZS-Brookfield Zoo
2331: Each weekend during Brookfield Zoo's Boo! at the Zoo, guests can see animals receiving pumpkins.

2505 and 2531: At Howl-O-Scenes, sponsored by Faegre Drinker, there will be plenty of photo opportunities, to take memorable photos of a visit to Brookfield Zoo's Boo! at the Zoo Halloween celebration.
 
About the Chicago Zoological Society
The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by engaging people and communities 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. Its Center for the Science of Animal Care and Welfare is at the forefront of animal care that strives to discover and implement innovative approaches to zoo animal management. 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.