For those who missed the first round of Halloween festivities, the Los Angeles Zoo is bringing back its annual "Boo at the L.A. Zoo" celebration. Following its initial run, the event will return on Tuesday, October 31, and Wednesday, November 1, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Visitors can expect six trick-or-treat stations scattered along the route from the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo to Treetop Terrace, distributing Halloween candy from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Guests are encouraged to bring their own bags for collecting treats, though they can also purchase them at zoo gift shops. Candy will be available while supplies last, officials said.
The Halloween Headquarters at Treetop Terrace will host games and various activities throughout the four-day celebration. There, pumpkin painting will be available for an additional fee. For those visiting on Sunday, free activities will be offered by the Los Angeles Public Library. Looking ahead to October 31, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater is scheduled to present live performances at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Adding to the festive atmosphere, costumed characters from family-friendly Halloween movies and television programs will be greeting visitors at the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo, with different characters appearing each day. Children can also explore a new inflatable corn maze, and five Halloween-themed photo locations will be set up around the zoo, including Selig Plaza, Marketplace, the children’s zoo, the Rose Garden, and Treetop Terrace.
The celebration also incorporates plenty of animal-centric activities. Guests can observe pumpkin-themed enrichment demonstrations, watching zoo animals interact with seasonal treats and objects. Zookeepers will present talks about vultures and condors at noon each event day at the World of Birds Show Theater, highlighting the birds’ importance to the environment. Additionally, the zoo’s Conservation Expo, located at the Rose Garden near the flamingo habitat, will provide information about bat, vulture, and condor conservation. For those interested in the wilder side of nature, the zoo’s LAIR exhibits will be open, featuring reptiles, amphibians, rare snakes, poisonous frogs, arachnids, and venomous lizards.
In a move that feels very L.A., the celebration offers visitors a unique opportunity to suggest a name for one of four new Boer goat kids at the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo. While three of the young goats have already been named Karoo, Imbuzi, and Bokkie, their one-horned sister remains unnamed. Guests can submit name suggestions at the barnyard area from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the event, with zoo officials planning to announce the selected name later on social media.
Visitors are welcome to wear Halloween costumes, though the zoo has specific guidelines: full-face masks, weapons, obscenity, and anything that could disturb other guests or animals are prohibited. The Halloween activities are included with regular zoo admission or an active zoo membership.
