Halloween is a fun month for mortals of all ages and animals alike. BOO at the LA Zoo, a month long family-friendly celebration at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, offers weekend adventures and daily activities to appease any imagination. SoCal Field Trips was recently invited to check out the festivities and here’s a rundown of our favorite encounters.
BOO at the LA Zoo Activities
Since critters are our favorite animals, we headed over to the Spooky Caves as soon as we arrived. Initially, my kids thought the caverns were home to giant slithering crawling creatures. But in reality, they were videos of spiders and snakes being projected on the floor. My kids had a ball stomping on the spiders one by one!
Next, continuing with the creepy crawly theme, we explored the LAIR. No Halloween decorations are needed inside the LAIR as it houses rare snakes, poisonous frogs and venomous lizards year-long.
The larger zoo animals are treated to a special feast during BOO at the LA Zoo. You can find the schedule of the various feedings on the LA Zoo’s website. The plant-loving animals will get to chomp on pumpkins, while the carnivorous creatures will enjoy special meaty delights. In particular, on the day that we visited, the Komodo Dragon feasted on a scrumptious piece of cow leg.
Next up our eerie agenda was the Musical Monster Mash-up – a sweet, yet little spooky puppet show. The kids enjoyed it so much that we saw it twice! In the story, a young human assistant gets hired by a puppet evil scientist. Together with the kids in the audience, the quirky assistant helps the scientist make a monster puppet by picking its different body parts.
After the puppet the show, we explored a corn maze complete with animals skeletons, tikis, a giant spider and a pumpkin patch that made for a great photo background.
While at the pumpkin patch, a talented Master pumpkin carver gave us a demonstration of his amazing carving skills.
As we continued our visit around the zoo, we had the opportunity to make spooky crafts. In particular, my daughter made a purple spider web for her new pet plastic spider.
We also met and greeted various creatures, like the Woma Python from Australia, as the zoo staff roamed around and introduced them to the children.
The Dinosaurs: Unextinct exhibit got a Halloween makeover as well. The team of campers who decided to explore the area were met with an unfortunate fate!
BOO at the LA Zoo Dates & Times
BOO at the LA Zoo is taking place all month long with numerous family-friendly Halloween activities, animal encounters, live musical performances and characters strolling. Costumes are also encouraged. Furthermore, on October 29 & 30, children are invited to trick-or-treat around at the zoo and receive a FREE treat bag courtesy of the 99 Cents Only Stores.
BOO at the LA Zoo Admission Prices
- Adults (age 13 and up): $20
- Seniors (age 62 and up): $17
- Children (ages 2 to 12): $15
- Children (under 2): FREE
- The cost to see Dinosaurs: Unextinct is an additonal $5 for children ages 2 and older.
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located at 5333 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Parking is free.
Happy Fall Field Tripping!
Fran Sawyer
SoCal Field Trips Blog Contributor
More Fall Events in Southern California:
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50+ Family Friendly Halloween Events in Orange County