September 30, 2026
Provided Courtesy/Aversa PR & Events
Philadelphia Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo returns Oct. 3 with trick-or-treating, animal pumpkin feedings, giant skeletons and fall views from the Zoo’s 10-story Pherris Wheel.
Philadelphia Zoo is leaning hard into Halloween this year, with pumpkin-eating hippos, giant skeletons, trick-or-treating and 10-story views of fall foliage all packed into Boo at the Zoo.
The annual event begins Saturday, Oct. 3, and runs every weekend through Nov. 1, plus Monday, Oct. 12. Boo at the Zoo is included with regular Zoo admission and membership, and hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Zoo’s Pherris Wheel rises 10 stories above the grounds, giving riders a views over the Zoo’s canopy of 1,500 trees as they change color through October. The Zoo says peak fall color typically arrives around mid-month.
Around the Zoo, trick-or-treating will be mixed in with Halloween decorations and scheduled pumpkin feedings and seasonal enrichment for animals. Hippos are tentatively scheduled to get pumpkins Saturdays at 2 p.m., while bears, big cats, orangutans, gorillas, giant tortoises, fruit bats and other animals are also part of the enrichment schedule.
Several new attractions are joining the Halloween lineup this year. Cryptic Creatures will feature insects, snakes and stories tied to legends such as the Jersey Devil, while the SEPTA PZ “Boo” Choo Train will take riders through the Zoo with a Halloween and fall theme.
Inside the Zoo’s historic 1876 Tree House, the new Trick-or-Tree House will feature Halloween decorations, an extra candy station and optional tarot card readings scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
More than two dozen 12-foot and 5-foot skeletons will also be scattered around the Zoo, and costume contests will take place at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. each event day.
Seasonal food and drinks will include an apple cider bar, pumpkin-spiced hot chocolate, a pumpkin cheesecake parfait and Scorpion Fries topped with chili, nacho cheese, black beans and Flaming Hot Cheetos dust.
Dates: Weekends Oct. 3-Nov. 1, plus Monday, Oct. 12
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave.
Admission: Included with Zoo admission and membership
What to expect: Trick-or-treating, animal pumpkin feedings, costume contests, Halloween decorations and seasonal activities
New for 2026: Cryptic Creatures, Trick-or-Tree House, Boo Choo train rides, fall wildlife morning tours and the Teal Pumpkin Project
Fall views: The Pherris Wheel offers views over the Zoo’s canopy of 1,500 trees
Have an event coming up? Let the PhillyVoice Events team know about it by emailing events@phillyvoice.com.
