Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s BOO! at the Zoo! has begun for 2025! It started Saturday, October 4 and continues through October 31, 2025. I originally wrote this post in anticipation of this fun seasonal event, and I am updating it now that we are halfway through October. We are sharing information and tips based on our experience from this year and years past with Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s BOO! at the Zoo.
What is BOO! at the Zoo?
BOO! at the Zoo is an extended seasonal event at Brookfield Zoo Chicago celebrating Halloween time. For 2025, the event begins on October 4 and runs through Halloween day. The schedule and offerings vary from day to day with the most activities and fun little bonuses happening on the weekends.
Access to BOO! at the Zoo is included with general admission to Brookfield Zoo Chicago. As far as we can see for 2025, all offerings are included with admission, expect for the opportunity to decorate pumpkins, which comes with an additional fee. Seasonal food is also being offered for purchase.
So why trust our guide to BOO! at the Zoo? Well, we have been Brookfield Zoo members for the last decade, and we visit on a (very) regular basis. In the two weeks leading-up to BOO! at Zoo, we have visited on four separate days, and that is not unusual for us. We watched the zoo prepare for BOO! at the Zoo and compared our observations to past years: we have attended BOO! at the Zoo on numerous occasions. Once again this week, we visited twice, and we are excited to share our experiences with you and hope you will give BOO! at the Zoo a visit in Brookfield, Illinois.
General Information About Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Before we jump into the 2025 plan for BOO! at the Zoo, lets briefly cover some general information about the zoo. Brookfield Zoo Chicago is a zoological park and accredited arboretum located west of the city of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1934 and has been growing, teaching, conserving and getting more wonderful ever since. We love its 235 acre park-like setting and gorgeous habitats for the approximately 3400 (and counting) animals who live there.
The zoo has ample parking and is also accessible by bus, on foot and from Metra’s BNSF line. General admission options include membership or single day tickets, and the zoo also has generous options for discount tickets. For information on the logistics of transportation, general tips and ways to save on admission, please see our Big Guide to Brookfield Zoo Chicago. We will also have tips specific to BOO! at the Zoo at the end of this post.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago hours during the month of October are 10am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 6pm on weekends.
BOO! at the Zoo Decor at Brookfield Zoo Chicago
We have visited the zoo frequently September and October, and we have been very impressed with the autumn and Halloween decorations. We haven’t exactly been keeping detailed records, but anecdotally, the decorations this year seem to be the most extensive we have seen in our ten years of regular zoo visits. Brookfield Zoo Chicago really seems to have gone all-in on the fall decorations this year!
There are the Halloween-themed inflatable props we remember from years past (jack-o-lantern, witch, Frankenstein’s monster, etc) as well as photo-prop spots. The walkway between Hamill Family Play Zoo and Hamill Family Wild Encounters has a line-up of humorous gravestones. Other large props are those super-tall skeletons you may have seen in front yards (or for sale in hardware stores).
What we have really enjoyed this year is the addition of lots and lots of autumn elements. There are cornstalks encircling lampposts all around the zoo and beautiful clusters of pumpkins, gourds and hay bales. We have even noticed extra flowers for the fall. When we were visiting in the week before BOO! at the Zoo kicked-off, we saw zoo employees were carting piles of colorful mums to the south entrance. There are gorgeous colorful mums everywhere!
These decorations will be at Brookfield Zoo Chicago for the whole month of October. So, while many of the BOO! at the Zoo activities are only on the weekends, you can enjoy the lovely autumn ambiance, some great photo opportunities and a little trick-or-traeting any day in October.
Other Daily Activities During BOO! at the Zoo
In addition to the festive decor, there are a few daily activities that are part of Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s BOO! at the Zoo. You can purchase seasonal food and drink and visit select stores at the zoo for trick-or-treating.
The retail stores offering daily trick-or-treating at Brookfield Zoo Chicago are North Gate Market, South Gate Market, and Living Coast Gift Shop. Trick-or-treating times are 11am to 5pm. (On weekends, there will be additional trick-or-treating on the East Mall.) According to the zoo website, the chance to trick-or-treat will be offered from October 4 through October 31, 2025.
In our experience, the retail shops offering trick-or-treating have a sign in front saying so. Inside the store, look for someone holding a bowl (no need to visit the register). This person will place some candy in your bag. As in years past, the candy offerings come from Ferrara Candy, and they are pretty great. We were given chewy fruit candy. We didn’t see any candy with chocolate or nuts at the tick-or-treating stations (but of course we recommend checking allergen information yourself).
You can see the candy in the photo below along with the free Disney Channel bags we received at the zoo. The zoo says they are passing these bags out on Fridays and Saturdays. On our recent Friday visit, the person scanning our tickets at the south entrance was handing them out. They were also available on Monday, October 13 at bag station located deeper into the zoo. The bags are empty and you can use them for collecting candy from the trick-or-treat stations at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. You can also bring your own reusable bag for that purpose.
Special October Weekend Offerings at Brookfield Zoo Chicago‘s BOO! at the Zoo
BOO! at the Zoo really shines during October weekends, with some favorite offerings returning from years past and some brand new ones debuting for 2025. Brookfield Zoo Chicago says the following opportunities will be offered at various points throughout October weekends (we have added some helpful tips of our own):
- INFLATABLES FOR CHILDREN: 11am to 4:30pm on Fridays and 10:30am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays near the Pachyderm building.
- We found three of these on a patch of grass on the east side of the Pachyderm building near the (closed) butterfly house. We appreciated that zoo team members in Brookfield Zoo polos were there to monitor lines, enforce capacity limits and maintain cleanliness and safety standards.
- COSTUME PARADES: 11am and 1:30pm on the weekends on the East Mall
- PUMPKIN DECORATING (additional fee): weekends on the East Mall
- TRICK-OR-TREATING: 11am to 5pm daily at North Gate Market, South Gate Market, Living Coast Gift Shop, and during the weekends also on the East Mall
- Look for a store team member with a bowl inside each store. This person is distributing candy. The East Mall location is usually in a shade tent.
- MAGICIAN: 11:30am to 1:30pm on the East Mall
- OWL CRAFTS: weekends at the Hamill Family Play Zoo (while supplies last)
- ART FAIR: Sundays in October, next to the new Bramsen Tropical Forests
- CREATURES OF THE NIGHT INFO TABLES: 11am to 1pm on Saturdays, by The Carousel
- MAGICAL PUMPKIN SEEK-N-FIND: find Encanto themed pumpkins around The Carousel on the weekends to enter prize drawings.
- We were able to do this activity on a Friday. We got a little sheet of paper with the scavenger hunt information from the person scanning our tickets at the zoo entrance. On the north side of the Carousel we found a drop-box for our completed forms as well as a bucket with some mini “golf” pencils. The pumpkin signs for the scavenger hunt had answers for the Encanto themed questions on our forms. We did not need to have prior knowledge about Encanto to successfully complete the scavenger hunt.
- DISNEY CHANNEL HALLOWEEN BAGS: handed-out as guests enter the zoo on Fridays and Saturdays.
- See the photo above for a peek at these small totes.
- LIVE MUSIC: On Saturday, October 18, 52nd Street: Tribute to Billy Joel will perform from 2pm to 4pm. On Sunday, October 19, Hello Weekend will perform from 2pm to 4pm.
What if I am visiting mostly to see animals?
Brookfield Zoo Chicago will of course continue to be, well, a zoo, during BOO! at the Zoo. Animal habitats will be accessible for viewing. And, Brookfield Zoo Chicago traditionally offers Zoo Chats: talks by animal care specialists included with general admission.
Zoo Chats during BOO! at the Zoo are happening on October 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26. The schedule for these days is as follows:
- BATS: 11am at the Australia House
- HERPS: 11:30am at Feathers and Scales
- GUAM KINGFISHER: noon at Tropic World Asia
- SEA LION: 12:15pm at Sea Lion Cove
- PRIMATES: 2pm at Gorilla Conservation Center inside Bramsen Tropical Forests
- MEXICAN WOLF: 2:15pm at Regenstein Wolf Woods
- EEL: 3pm at the Living Coast
- WHITE-BELLIED PANGOLIN: 3:30pm at Habitat Africa! The Forest
When do animals get pumpkins?
Also on weekends throughout October, animals will receive pumpkins as enrichment items. These additions to their habitats help engage the animals’ senses and their curiosity. If you are interested in seeing certain animals receive pumpkins, you will want to pay attention to the following schedule:
- Saturday, October 4: 10:30 am brown bears and 2:30 pm African painted dogs
- Sunday, October 5: 10:30 am sloth bears and 2:30 pm kangaroos
- Saturday, October 11: 10:30 am goats and 2:30 pm Rodrigues fruit bats
- Sunday, October 12: 10:30 am polar bears and 2:30 pm echidnas
- Saturday, October 18: 10:30 am gorillas and 2:30 pm dwarf mongooses
- Sunday, October 19: 10:30 am brown bears and 2:30 pm Mexican wolves
- Saturday, October 25: 10:30 am sand cat and 2:30 pm red river hogs
- Sunday, October 26: 10:30 am rhino and 2:30 pm lemurs
These activities are on the schedule Brookfield Zoo Chicago has shared at the time of writing, but you can also check the zoo website for the latest schedule as well as a map of the event offerings.
Guidelines to Keep in Mind
Brookfield Zoo Chicago has shared to following guidelines for BOO! at the Zoo (from the zoo website):
To ensure a fun and safe environment for all attendees, please keep the following in mind when choosing your costume:
• Costumes must be appropriate for all ages. Please avoid any themes, language, or imagery that could be considered offensive, overly scary, or inappropriate for children.
• Real or fake weapons of any kind (including toy guns, swords, knives, or props that resemble weapons) are not permitted.
• Guests over the age of 13 are not permitted to wear full-body costumes with their heads covered at any time. This is to avoid confusion with Brookfield Zoo Chicago costume characters and for the safety of all guests and animals.
Please note, all BOO! at the Zoo activities are weather-dependent, and schedule/programming is subject to change.
Tips for BOO! at the Zoo and Your Visit to Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Before we wrap-up this article to go work on our Halloween costumes, here are some tips for your visit to BOO! at the Zoo and Brookfield Zoo Chicago.
- The location of the many of the weekend festivities is the “East Mall.” This is the name for the long grass strip extending east of the central Roosevelt Fountain all the way to a smaller fountain and BZ’s Red Hots (a large restaurant).
- Looking to save some money? We suggest packing your own meals, snacks and water. Like many attractions, the food at Brookfield Zoo Chicago costs more than items prepared at home or purchased from the grocery store. Fortunately, Brookfield Zoo Chicago allows you to bring your own food and (non-alcoholic) beverages into the zoo. You can also find water fountains and bottle fillers throughout the zoo grounds.
- While Brookfield Zoo Chicago offers a staggering number of free days throughout the year, none of these days occur during BOO! at the Zoo. However, there are other ways to save on admission. We write about them in our Big Guide to Brookfield Zoo Chicago, so we are going to point you there for more money-saving tips.
- BOO! at the Zoo has traditionally been a very popular event. It is probably going to be difficult to avoid crowds on the weekends, but your best bet is to opt for days with poor weather and try to arrive close to opening and stay close to closing time. If you are just interested in the decor (and of course the animals), weekends are sure to be busier than weekdays.
- As a guest, you are not required to wear a costume to BOO! at the Zoo. Many guests wear them, but plenty do not. We have seen both kids and adults go all-out, we have seen casual clothes with animal themes, and we have seen guests in regular street clothes. You will not be out-of-place if you decide not to wear a costume, but you might have some extra fun if you do. If you choose to dress-up, do be sure to follow those costumes guidelines we shared above.
- Do you have kids who will want to jump on the inflatables (aka bounce houses) at the zoo? We recommend having them wear or bring a pair of socks. Also be aware that zoo employees at the inflatables will likely ask your child to remove any costume elements that might become tangled or have the potential to injure your child or others while bouncing.
- Finally, if you have not been to the zoo in some time, you may be happy to learn that some areas that formerly required an extra admission fee are now free to general guests. This includes the Hamill Family Wild Encounters area as well as the Hamill Family Play Zoo, so go wild!
Thank you for reading this guide for BOO! at the Zoo at Brookfield Zoo Chicago
We hope you have found this post useful and that you are able to visit Brookfield Zoo Chicago soon. For other articles on this wonderful zoo see Our Visit to the Brand New Tropical Forests at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Wildly Fun Tips for the Play Zoo at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Rides at Brookfield Zoo Chicago: 3 Fun Attractions to Try and, of course, that Big Guide to Brookfield Zoo Chicago. Finally, please consider subscribing to our free newsletter below. Thanks again for reading!
