Zoo Boo at Zoo Miami 2026: Trick-or-Treating, Costume Contests and Halloween Fun for Kids

# Zoo Boo at Zoo Miami 2026: Trick-or-Treating, Costume Contests and Halloween Fun for Kids If you want Halloween in Miami without the haunted-house jump scares — and without keeping the little ones up past bedtime — **Zoo Boo at Zoo Miami** is the move this weekend. Zoo Miami's long-running family Halloween tradition returns **Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.** both days. Kids in costume, candy stations along the paths, and animals getting special Halloween enrichment treats — it's a full zoo day with a Halloween layer on top, and it's **included with regular Zoo Miami admission**. No separate Zoo Boo ticket to buy. And the timing works in your favor: Friday is forecast for PM and scattered thunderstorms across Miami, but Saturday turns partly cloudy with only about a 20% chance of rain. This is the weekend daytime pick. ## What Zoo Boo actually is This is not a scary event. It's designed for toddlers and kids, with trick-or-treating across the zoo grounds for **children ages 12 and under** in costume. Here's what's on the grounds: - **Trick-or-treating for kids 12 and under**, with eco-friendly candy at stations along the way - **Costume contest** with prizes — bring your best, this crowd goes all in - **Magic shows** running through the event hours - **Inflatables, yard games, a live DJ and game activities** to burn off the sugar - **Community sponsor activities** set up around the zoo - **Animals receiving Halloween enrichment treats** — watching a tiger or elephant work on a pumpkin treat is genuinely the highlight for a lot of families In other words: you get the full Zoo Miami day — the largest zoo in Florida, at **12400 SW 152nd St, Miami, FL 33177** in South Dade — plus costumes, candy and Halloween programming layered on top for the same admission. ## The key details - **Event:** Zoo Boo at Zoo Miami - **Dates:** Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026 - **Hours:** 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days (the zoo itself is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) - **Venue:** Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St, Miami, FL 33177 - **Price:** Included with regular Zoo Miami admission — no extra Zoo Boo ticket - **Who it's for:** Families, especially kids 12 and under in costume - **Parking:** Free in the main lot ## Insider tips for doing Zoo Boo right **1. Go Saturday, and go early.** Saturday's forecast is the cleanest of the weekend — partly cloudy, around 83 degrees. Arrive close to the 10 a.m. start: you'll beat the midday heat, the costume contest crowd, and the parking crunch that builds on big event days. **2. Costume smart, not costume heavy.** This is still a big, walkable zoo in South Florida in October. Lightweight costumes that kids can walk, sit and ride in beat elaborate getups that turn into a meltdown by noon. Bring a change of shirt for the ride home. **3. Bring your own trick-or-treat bag.** Stations hand out candy along the paths, and a sturdy bag (not the flimsy costume prop) saves you juggling loose candy while you're also watching animals. **4. Don't rush past the animal enrichment.** The scheduled Halloween treats for the animals are the part you can't get on a normal zoo visit. Plan your route so you're near the big habitats when keepers bring the treats out — ask at the entrance what's on the enrichment schedule that day. **5. Use the free parking, but plan the exit.** Parking at Zoo Miami is free — a rare gift in Miami — but the lot fills on event weekends. If you're coming from Coral Gables, Kendall or downtown, give yourself buffer time on SW 152nd Street and don't cut the 3 p.m. event close if you still want a full zoo loop after. ## Why this is the right Halloween pick this weekend Miami has plenty of Halloween options, but most of them are either nighttime, adults-only, or genuinely scary. Zoo Boo is the opposite in the best way: daylight hours, little-kid friendly, outdoors after Friday's storms clear, and built into an attraction you'd want to visit anyway. Two days only — Saturday and Sunday, 10 to 3. If your crew does one family Halloween outing this year, this is the easy yes. ## Get your admission Zoo Boo is included with regular Zoo Miami admission, so there's no separate event ticket to hunt down. Head to the official Zoo Miami site to plan your visit, check the day's details, and get your admission before you go: [Zoo Miami](https://www.zoomiami.org/) Costumes on, bags ready — see you at the zoo.