Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo in NYC Adds a Hay Maze, Carnival and Animal Chats

Boo at the Zoo is the Bronx Zoo's annual daytime Halloween celebration, aimed at toddlers, preschoolers and elementary-aged kids. This year it runs on Saturdays and Sundays from September 26 through November 1, and the schedule also included Monday, October 12. Nothing extra is charged: the programming comes with zoo admission and is free for Members.

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

The established favorites return too. Costume parades start at Astor Court at noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3:15pm, each followed by a dance party with music, games and bubbles. Face painting is free for children ages 3 and up, 11am–4pm. Four super-sized animal pumpkin displays fill Rhino Garden, and expert carvers work at the Dancing Crane Pavilion from 11am to 4pm, with speed-carving demos at 11:30am and 2:30pm. Giraffe Corner hosts Wildlife Theater, a roughly 15-minute puppet show starring Bruja Alma. Grizzly Corner has an animal-inspired magic and mind-reading act plus folktales from around the world. The Candy Trail of palm oil-free treats runs along Rhino Trail from 11am to 2pm, one turn per family, children only, while supplies last.

Smaller stops include Halloween crafts, a touch-and-feel mystery wall, an extinct animal graveyard and a community coloring mural. Activities and final performances end at 4pm, and some depend on the weather. The Wild Asia Monorail, Congo Gorilla Forest and Children's Zoo stay open through November 1. Among the newer residents, a snow leopard cub named Sarka, born at the end of May, lives in Himalayan Highlands.