Spooky Zoo

About This Event

Now in its 39th year — free, daytime Halloween trick-or-treating across the zoo grounds, run by Lincoln Park Zoo's own Auxiliary Board.

Beyond the costumes and candy, the zoo has quietly built a real sustainability angle into the event: for the third year running, the Auxiliary Board, Development team, and the zoo's Green Team have screened every donated candy product through the PalmOil Scan app, prioritizing treats rated 'Good' or better, or confirmed free of palm oil and its derivatives — an unusually deliberate fix for an ingredient most Halloween candy doesn't think twice about. Kids also get spooky-themed animal chats, live entertainment, and free carousel rides included.

Worth knowing: free, no ticket required, starts at 10:00 AM on Oct 18, 2026 — no confirmed end time was listed as of this writing, so no calendar entry here; check lpzoo.org for the day's full schedule.