The Santa Ana Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo returns for four evenings this October: Saturday, October 17, Sunday, October 18, Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25. Hours are 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. each night at the zoo in Prentice Park, 1801 E. Chestnut Ave. in Santa Ana.
The zoo bills it as a “Merry Not Scary” Halloween festival for young children. Kids can trick-or-treat at 10 toy and treat stations, follow a scavenger hunt, take in the lights and decorations, and meet nocturnal animals. Costumes are encouraged.
Rides
The Boofari Express Train, the Conservation Carrousel and the Fifty Monkey Ferris Wheel run during the event. Rides require separate ride tickets.
Boo at the Zoo tickets
Admission is $25 for adults and $20 for children ages 3 to 12. Zoo members and Santa Ana residents pay $10 each, and membership or residency is checked at the gate, so bring cards and photo ID. Children 2 and under get in free.
Tickets are sold online and are good for any night of the event. They are non-refundable, since Boo at the Zoo is a fundraiser for upgrades to the zoo’s primate habitats. Balloons are not allowed, and costumes should be child-friendly. The zoo also supports the Teal Pumpkin Project, which raises awareness of food allergies among trick-or-treaters.
The featured photo shows scarlet ibises in the zoo’s Colors of the Amazon aviary.
Sources
Featured photo: Takinzinnia via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
