The Louisville Zoo’s ever-popular annual Boo at the Zoo presented by Meijer is celebrating 42 years of merry not scary fun! Tickets go on sale to the public today at noon at louisvillezoo.org/boo. This beloved event will begin early in 2023, starting Sept. 30 and running through Oct. 29 (Thursday – Sunday nights).

Tickets are all-inclusive and include Boo at the Zoo admission, parking, Spooktacular Carousel, “not-so-itsy-bitsy” Spider House and the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow attraction.

Guests can dress up in their wildest costumes for the after-hours event that turns the Zoo into a living storybook, complete with favorite characters brought to life. There will be music, photo opportunities around every corner and, of course, a safe place to trick-or-treat for kids 11 and under. Guests are encouraged to bring their own trick-or-treat bags, but reusable treat bags will be available for purchase at the Zoo’s Gift Shop for $2 (while supplies last).

Tickets

Tickets for Boo at the Zoo presented by Meijer are $13.50 for non-members (both adults and children 3 and older) and $7 for members (both adults and children 3 and older). Children 2 and under are free and do not require a ticket.

Members and guests can purchase tickets online at louisvillezoo.org/boo, with their chosen date and arrival time. Ticket capacity is limited each night with popular nights expected to sell out quickly.

A limited number of Meijer “anytime tickets” can be purchased at participating Meijer stores for $11.50 beginning September 24. Visit louisvillezoo.org/Meijer for a list of stores.

Boo at the Zoo presented by Meijer is a rain or shine event.

Boo at the Zoo is presented by Meijer and sponsored by Great Clips, Norton Children’s, PNC Grow Up, UPS, Councilman Pat Mulvihill & District 10 residents, Ky Saves 529 and USA Image.  

Boo at the Zoo presented by Meijer provides critical support every year to the Zoo’s animal care programs, visitor experience and conservation education.

Event Hours/Special Dates

On Boo at the Zoo presented by Meijer event days:

The Zoo will close early for regular daytime visitors. Gates will close at 3 p.m. with guests being allowed to visit until 4 p.m.

The party starts at 5 p.m. and Halloween guests will enter the Zoo at their ticketed time. At 10 p.m., the trick-or-treat route will close, and all guests must exit the Zoo.

Thursday, Oct. 19 is Allergy-Friendly Night and will feature peanut-free treat booths and added non-food treats like stickers, pencils and more. Children with allergies can receive a teal token redeemable for an allergy-friendly option at our Switch Witch booth.

PNC Grow up Great Learning Adventure tent will be at the Zoo’s entrance Oct. 27 – 29.

Costumes

The Zoo encourages all visitors to wear family-friendly costumes. Adults may join in the fun, however full costume masks that cover the entire face are not permitted for adults.

To learn more about the event and Boo at the Zoo presented by Meijer activities, visit louisvillezoo.org/boo.

Animals

While guests may catch a glimpse of a few party animals, most animal ambassadors will not be on exhibit in the evenings so they can rest and follow their regular fall schedules.

Regular Zoo Hours

The Zoo is open daily year-round. Now through Sept. 17, hours are 10 a.m. ─ 5 p.m. (enjoy the Zoo until 6 p.m.). The Zoo is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Visit louisvillezoo.org for more info.

Tree Week Louisville will be held Saturday, October 7 to Saturday, October 14 to celebrate and raise awareness of the value of community forests and green spaces. Review the Tree Week calendar for more details on the following events: 

Saturday, October 7:

• 40% all deciduous trees at The Plant Kingdom
• 9:00 AM Tree Adoption Event at the Louisville Zoo
• 10:00 AM Trees of the Outer Bluegrass hosted by Creasey Mahan

Monday, October 9

• 1:00 PM Mulch Monday with Louisville Urban Forestry
• 5:00 PM Highlands Tree Walk

Tuesday, October 10

• 10:00 AM Volunteer at Prune-A-Vul with Louisville Urban Forestry

Wednesday, October 11

• 10:00 AM Volunteer Mulching at Unseld Early Learning Center
• 7:00 PM TREEvia at Atrium Brewing on Logan Street

Thursday, October 12

• 5:00 PM UK Landscape Architecture Reception & Poster Session

Friday, October 14

• 9:30 AM Volunteer Tree Planting with Trees Louisville
• 10:30 AM Early Autumn Tree Tour at Cave Hill Cemetery
• 12:00 PM Big Trees Walking Tour at Cherokee Park

Interested in hosting a Tree Week event? Please contact morgan@treeslouisville.org to propose your idea. Visit the Tree Week website and Facebook event for more details. 

The next Community-Wide Cleanup is happening Saturday, October 21st! Be a part of this city-wide event to keep Louisville looking bright and beautiful. Check out our website to register.

We encourage all residents to make a difference by taking part in our Community-Wide Cleanup-- it is a great service opportunity for boy/girl scouts, sports teams, faith groups, community organizations, and corporate teams. 

Cleanups are an integral part of Brightside's mission and without the help of volunteer groups, and many other volunteers throughout the year, Brightside could not achieve our goals of a cleaner, greener Louisville.

Neighborhoods can hold their own cleanups at any point throughout the year and we can provide gloves and bags for each Neighborhood Cleanup. We will work with Solid Waste Management to have the collected litter bags picked up. Give us a call at (502) 574-2613 or register online about two weeks prior to your event to schedule your cleanup and for information about getting supplies.