Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo

Boo at the Zoo is the Bronx Zoo's annual daytime Halloween celebration, built for toddlers, preschoolers and elementary-aged kids. It runs Saturdays and Sundays from September 26 through November 1, with Monday, October 12 included. There is no separate charge: it comes with zoo admission or Membership, and reservations are required.

Three attractions are new this year. The Hay Maze & Challenge Trail at Butterfly Patio (11am–4pm) pairs oversized animal hay sculptures with climbing, crawling, balancing and jumping challenges. The Boo Carnival at Astor Court (11am–4pm) offers inflatable games including Pumpkin Smash, shuffle ball, ring toss and tic tac toe. Animal Chats put experts in front of visitors for enrichment demos and Q&As: Tiger Mountain at 10:30am, World of Reptiles at 11am, Big Bears at 1pm, and Birds of Prey at 2pm.

The favorites return. Costume parades start at Astor Court at noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3:15pm, each followed by a dance party with music, games and bubbles. Free face painting is offered for ages 3 and up. Four giant animal pumpkin displays fill Rhino Garden, and carvers give demos from 11am to 4pm. Giraffe Corner hosts a 15-minute puppet show, while Grizzly Corner has magic and mind reading plus folktales from around the world. The palm oil-free Candy Trail runs along Rhino Trail from 11am to 2pm, one turn per family, children only, while supplies last.

Some activities depend on the weather, and activities and final shows wrap up at 4pm. The Wild Asia Monorail, Congo Gorilla Forest and Children's Zoo stay open through November 1, so a Halloween weekend can double as a full zoo day.