ZooTampa's Halloween Nights: A Living Fountain and Disco Zombies
ZooTampa's own Halloween event fills the zoo with storybook villains, a dance party and animal chats on weekend nights in October.
Creatures of the Night is ZooTampa's own Halloween event, held on select Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in October. The ticket on this page is the zoo's after-4 PM event admission, and the listing gives event hours of 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM. It does not cover a daytime visit to the zoo.
Costumes are for children only: the zoo invites kids 12 and under to dress up, and does not allow anyone 13 or older to wear masks, wigs, face paint or costumes of any kind. Toy weapons are banned at any age.
This listing sells two versions of the same night: a Saturday ticket and a lower-priced Friday and Sunday ticket. Prices come in two age bands, children 3 to 11 and adults 12 and up, so a 12-year-old pays the adult rate while still counting as a child under the zoo's costume rule. Every booking needs an adult on it, and one booking takes up to 15 travelers.
Creatures of the Night Halloween Event - ZooTampa at Lowry ParkZoo Tampa · After-4 PM event admission · Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in October · 4:00 PM to 10:00 PMwww.viator.comStorybook Villains, a Zombie Disco and a Living Fountain
The zoo fills its paths with storybook villains and themed realms of Halloween decor, then adds a dance party, a Halloween light show that repeats every 15 minutes and a Pirate Magician. The listing names this year's additions: Scared of the Dark, a spooky trail, and Ghostly Groves, a family-friendly walk through a haunted neighborhood. The zoo's accessibility guide for the event is more specific: Scared of the Dark is a walk-through haunted house with jump frights, Ghostly Groves is a haunted maze for young children, and both have an emergency exit. The Dancing Dead, a disco with zombies, and the living fountain at the Enchanted Circle appear on both the listing and the zoo's event page.
The zoo's printed event map rates every zone and show by scare level, which is worth a look before younger kids reach Scared of the Dark. Show times sit in the zoo's mobile app, which also gives walking directions to each event location.
A Halloween Night First, With Paid Rhino and Giraffe Encounters
Expect a Halloween event first and a zoo visit second. The zoo's event page promises up-close animals and chats with its animal care team, yet its accessibility guide for the event tells families plainly, "You will not see animals," and says not all rides are available. The bigger encounters are a paid upgrade, a behind-the-scenes visit with a southern white rhino or a face-to-face meeting with a Masai giraffe, open only to guests holding a Creatures of the Night ticket. The zoo's FAQ says Signature Encounters need a reservation and run at limited capacity, and it allows touching on a rhino encounter only when the animal is comfortable and staff permit it.
The zoo sits inside a 67-acre natural park where wild alligators and snakes live outside the zoo's care, so keep clear of ponds and tall grass after dark.
Pick a Friday or Sunday, and Budget for Food
- The zoo recommends Friday or Sunday nights for its event, and on this listing those are the lower-priced nights.
- As of October 21, 2026, the booking calendar shows five nights left this year: Friday, Oct. 23; Saturday, Oct. 24; Sunday, Oct. 25; Friday, Oct. 30; and Saturday, Oct. 31. It already sells nights in fall 2027 as well, while the zoo's own event page lists only 2026 dates.
- The ticket's inclusions do not mention food or drinks, and the listing excludes optional purchases. The zoo's foodie guide lists Halloween specials at Macaw's Landing, The Outpost, Savanna Oasis, Chakula Canteen and Boardwalk Grille, from a purple Enchanted Mac and Cheese to a Bloody Finger Dog and Spider Cookies, plus a vegan Medusa-O-Lantern.
- Parking is not included either. The zoo's FAQ lists a USD 10 daily parking fee for non-members, paid through ParkMobile, and spaces go first come, first served.
Strollers, Wheelchairs and a Guide for Nervous Kids
The listing ticks wheelchair and stroller access, and the zoo describes its parking lot, entryway and walkways as set up for easy navigation, while noting that some paths have steeper grades. Rentals sit at the Nature's Kingdom Gift Shop at the front of the park: a manual wheelchair for USD 15, a stroller for USD 16 and an ECV mobility scooter for USD 42, each against a refundable USD 25 card hold. ECV renters have to be 18 or older, and the scooters go first come, first served. The listing also asks for a moderate level of fitness and recommends comfortable walking shoes.
The zoo's accessibility guide for the event, a picture-led story for families, warns of darkness, fog, strobe lights and loud music. Guest Services lends Distract Packs for sensory support. Only ADA service animals are allowed inside; pets and emotional support animals are not.
📍 Enter at ZooTampa at Lowry Park, 1101 W. Sligh Avenue in Tampa, from 4:00 PM on the night you booked. The same guide warns that the walk to the front gate may be longer than usual, and bags are inspected at the gate. The listing has you start and finish at the zoo, with no pickup. The zoo runs Creatures of the Night rain or shine, and the listing gives a full refund for cancellations made at least 24 hours ahead.
Check the app for the living fountain's next show, and let the kids in costume close the night at the Dancing Dead disco.