Boo at the Zoo Celebrates 40 Years of Merry – Not Scary Fun

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (August 30, 2021) – The Louisville Zoo is celebrating 40 years of merry – not scary – fun at its annual Halloween event, Boo at the Zoo. Tickets go on sale September 1 at 10 a.m. for the Halloween event that takes place October 1-3, 7-10, 14-17, 21-24 and 28-30 (Thursday – Sunday nights, October 1-30).

Children can dress up in their wildest costumes for the event that turns the Zoo into a living storybook, complete with favorite characters brought to life, music, socially-distanced photo opportunities around every corner and, of course, a safe place to trick-or-treat for kids 11 and under. The event will have reduced nightly capacity to allow for ease of traffic flow and social distancing.

Event Hours/Special Dates
On Boo at the Zoo event days:
- The Zoo will close early for regular daytime visitors. Gates will close at 3 p.m. with guests being allowed to visit until 4 p.m.
- Halloween guests can begin entering the Zoo at their selected times, starting at 5 p.m. The trick-or-treat route closes, and all guests must exit by 10 p.m.
- Allergy friendly night is Thursday, October 21 and will feature peanut-free treat booths and added non-food treats like stickers, pencils and more. Children with allergies can request an allergy-friendly option at each of the booths.

The Zoo encourages all visitors to wear costumes and ask that they be family friendly. Adults may not wear full costume masks that cover the entire face.

While guests may catch a glimpse of a few animals, many will not be on exhibit in the evenings so they can rest and follow their regular fall schedules. Guests are most likely to see maned wolves, jaguars, bongos, and rhinoceros.

Tickets
Tickets for Boo at the Zoo are $12.50 for non-members (both adults and children 3 and older) and $6 for members (both adults and children 3 and older). Children 2 and under are free and do not require a ticket. To minimize contact points, tickets are all-inclusive, covering the cost of Boo at the Zoo admission, parking, Spooktacular Carousel, “not-so-itsy-bitsy” Spider House and the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow attraction.

Members and guests can purchase tickets online at LouisvilleZoo.org, with their chosen date and arrival time. Tickets are limited each night (rain or shine) and some nights may sell out quickly.  A limited amount of Meijer anytime tickets can be purchased at participating Meijer stores for $10.50 beginning September 26.
Visit LouisvilleZoo.org/meijer for a list of stores. Boo at the Zoo provides critical support every year to the Zoo’s animal care programs, visitor experience and conservation education.

While planning a trip to Louisville, guests can download a copy of the Louisville Tourism’s annual Visitor Guide to help plan a tour around Louisville to see the city's top attractions and bourbon distilleries. Visitors also can get additional city attraction, lodging and dining assistance at gotolouisville.com along with information on the state’s current covid-mitigation guidelines.