Halloween Events for Kids Near Me: Zoo Boo Weekend at Zoo Miami

Zoo Boo runs for two days only at Zoo Miami, Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, 2026, from 10 am to 3 pm, and it is included with regular admission: $25.95 for adults and $21.95 for children 3 to 12, plus tax, with parking free. The zoo sits at 12400 SW 152 Street in South Miami-Dade. For Miami families searching halloween events for kids near me, this is a daytime trick-or-treat built for kids 12 and under, with costumes, magic shows and animals getting their own Halloween treats.

The zoo calls Zoo Boo South Florida's premier kid-friendly trick-or-treating event, and the 2026 activity list is specific: trick-or-treating, a costume contest with prizes, inflatables, a live DJ who doubles as game master, magic shows, yard games, community sponsor booths with giveaways, and an Elite Hoops basketball trailer. The trick-or-treat route is for ages 12 and under, so a teenager can tag along but will not be handed a bag.

The detail kids remember is watching the animals get their own Halloween treats. Zoos commonly give carnivores and primates pumpkins as enrichment, and Zoo Boo builds that into the weekend. Ask at the entrance which habitats are on the schedule each day, and plan your walk so you reach them on time rather than racing across the park.

Zoo Miami frames its candy around palm oil. The event page explains that many candy brands use palm oil that is not sustainably farmed, and that clearing rainforest for plantations is pushing orangutans and tigers toward extinction in Indonesia. That is why the treats handed out are described as orangutan-friendly candy.

If your kids are old enough, this is a good conversation to have on the walk. The page links to a guide from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for picking orangutan-friendly Halloween candy and to the Palm Oil Scan App, which reads barcodes. A ten-year-old who scans the family's own candy stash at home that night will remember the point far longer than any sign at the zoo.

Zoo Miami traces its history to 1948, when it was the Crandon Park Zoo on Key Biscayne, occupying 48 acres. Its first animals included lions, an elephant and a rhinoceros left stranded when a circus went out of business in Miami. The zoo moved to its current South Miami-Dade site and reopened in 1980 as Miami MetroZoo, on land that had been Naval Air Station Richmond.

Today it covers almost 750 acres with 4 miles of walkways and more than 2,000 animals representing over 375 species, according to the zoo, and it is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. More than 130 of its species are at risk in the wild. Those 4 miles matter on Zoo Boo day: you will not see everything, so pick a zone.

This is a big, open zoo, and late-October Miami can still be hot at midday. The zoo rents strollers, wagons, wheelchairs and Safari Cycles, the pedal carts families use to cover ground, and it recommends reserving them before your visit because they tend to sell out on weekends. On a Zoo Boo Saturday, assume they will.

Costumes should be breathable. A full-body plush dinosaur suit that looks great at 10 am becomes miserable by noon in the sun, so bring a lighter backup layer and plenty of water. Arriving at the 10 am opening gets you the coolest hours on the trick-or-treat route; by 2 pm many toddlers are done, and the 3 pm close comes quickly.

Outside food and drinks cannot be brought into the zoo, but picnic tables outside the entrance are available, so a packed lunch can stay in the car until you step out for a break. The zoo also bans straws, balloons, skateboards, scooters, bicycles, radios, glass containers, balls and frisbees, so leave the light-up balloon wand at home.

No pets are allowed, though trained service animals are welcome. Since January 1, 2026, the zoo has been smoke-free, including vapes. Tickets come with no refunds or rainchecks, so look at the weekend forecast before you buy rather than after; the zoo's own ticket page suggests deciding whether you need an umbrella or poncho.

The sweet spot is roughly ages two to eight: young enough to love the bounce houses and trick-or-treat stops, old enough to walk a fair part of the route. Kids older than 12 can still enjoy the magic shows and the animals, but they cannot join the trick-or-treat route. Grandparents who struggle with long walks have another option: the zoo sells a VIP Tour, a two-hour guided golf cart tour that includes admission, food and a souvenir cup, which covers far more of the park than little legs can.

Next door, the Gold Coast Railroad Museum at 12450 SW 152 Street, the second entrance on the right after the zoo, runs its own Spooky Adventures nights on October 23 and 24 from 6 to 9 pm, with train rides and trunk-or-treat. A family that wants more Halloween can pair a Saturday morning at Zoo Boo with the railroad's evening event on the same stretch of road.

By car, the zoo is off Florida's Turnpike at Exit 18, and parking is free. On weekends, Miami-Dade Transit's Zoo Bus serves the main entrance. On weekdays the closest stop is at SW 124 Avenue and SW 152 Street, about 2 miles from the gate, extension 0, between 10 am and 4 pm.

The zoo is also a common stop on the way to the Everglades and the Florida Keys, so out-of-town families driving south can fit Zoo Boo into a longer weekend route.

Address: Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152 Street, Miami, FL 33177. Event: Zoo Boo, Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, 2026, 10 am to 3 pm. Price: included with admission, listed at $25.95 for adults 13 and over and $21.95 for children 3 to 12, plus 7% tax; children 2 and under and members free. Parking: free. Trick-or-treating: ages 12 and under. No outside food, balloons, straws or scooters.