Costumes, pumpkins and more than 11,000 animals: Boo at the Zoo is back at the Bronx Zoo, and Happy City News has a perfect fall plan for families. The beloved seasonal celebration runs on weekends through November 1, spread across the zoo’s 265 leafy acres in the Bronx, and it is included with zoo admission — free for Wildlife Conservation Society members.
Three brand-new adventures headline this year. In the Hay Maze & Challenge Course, kids climb, crawl and balance past giant straw animal sculptures, sneaking like a snow leopard or hopping like a frog. New Animal Chats bring families face to face with the experts who care for tigers, crocodiles, bears, owls and other fascinating species, with enrichment demonstrations and questions welcome. And the new Boo Carnival adds classic games with a Halloween twist, from Pumpkin Smash and ring toss to shuffle ball and tic-tac-toe.
Favorite traditions are back, too: a costume parade with stilt walkers and puppets followed by a bubble-filled dance party, a Pumpkin Garden of giant animal pumpkins, expert pumpkin-carving demonstrations, free face painting for ages 3 and up, animal-inspired magic, spooky folktales, a creepy crawly mystery wall, an extinct animal graveyard with a hopeful conservation message, and a palm oil-free candy trail.
The Bronx Zoo is at 2300 Southern Boulevard. Tickets must be reserved in advance and sell out quickly, though this year they are not timed, so families can arrive with more flexibility. Happy City News recommends booking early at BronxZoo.com/Boo, packing a costume, and leaving the whole day for it — autumn in New York rarely gets happier than this.
Photo: Postdlf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
