How to Visit Boo at the Zoo for the Halloween Season in Winnipeg, Canada

Boo at the Zoo is now an annual event in Winnipeg. The zoo opens up after regular hours and becomes a Halloween-themed fantasy land staffed by people dressed in Halloween gear. Each year the Assiniboine Park Zoo hosts this fun event, which is attended by thousands of visitors over the course of its October run. There are sets built around the grounds that fit each annual Boo at the Zoo theme. This is a fun event for families with any age children and for any adult who enjoys the Halloween season.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Halloween costume (optional)

1. Get your costume on and make sure you are dressed for the cold night. October nights in Winnipeg mean exposure to cold and sometimes icy rain or even snow. Go prepared to be out in the cold. Boo at the Zoo is held on the grounds of the Assiniboine Park Zoo after regular visiting hours are over. It is a live interactive festival of rides, activities, thematic settings and people dressed in Halloween costumes. The zoo is eerily lit, and you can sometimes hear the animals making noises as you wander around the zoo grounds. You don't have to wear a costume to attend, but it does add to the fun.

2. Plan ahead if you want to go to the event, and buy your tickets for Boo at the Zoo ahead of time at a discounted price at Safeway, the event’s sponsor, or pay full price at the zoo entryway. If you are going with a family group, you can save a chunk of change by buying your tickets ahead of time. Get there after dark to make the most of the fun experience. Kids under 24 months of age get in free. You can also go to the website and buy tickets online at a discounted price, then print them out. Boo at The Zoo is open for 13 straight days before Halloween night.

3. 
    
   Posing with the pirate at Boo at the Zoo. Argh!

   Walk the grounds of the zoo and see all the activities. They have had everything from talking "Ents" in the trees to headless horseman roaming the grounds complete with a real horse, zombies and many creative characters. Every year it is a different theme and new lit scenery to see. The Boo at the Zoo workers are all dressed for the outdoor party, so join in the fun. You may even see one of them roaming around with one of the zoo’s creature residents and get to see an animal up close and personal.

4. Take the kids to the ride area. These are simple traveling fair rides, so don’t expect huge roller coasters and 100-foot drop-zone rides. There are even pony rides for the children. This is geared toward families, but it is fun for the adults, too.

Tips & Warnings

• Sometimes the costumes and dark events are a little scary for more timid children. Toddler Tuesday nights are geared toward the younger set with less frightening costumes. For older kids, try going to Frightening Fridays.
• Keep track of your little ones since it is harder to find them in the dark, and there are areas of Boo at the Zoo that are not as well lit as others.

Resources

• Assiniboine Park: Boo at the Zoo ticket information
• Safeway: Get disounted tickets at Safeway