SAN DIEGO (Oct. 8, 2025) — The San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park are celebrating the return of the fall season with Kids Free offer and fan-favorite family entertainment during HalGLOWeen and Autumn Festival. HalGLOWeen at the San Diego Zoo will offer exciting, Halloween-themed amusement, including ghoulish live music, acrobatic spider performers, and the opportunity to meet unique wildlife every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October. At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s Autumn Festival, guests can meet scarecrows, learn to line dance, and wander through a fun maze every Saturday and Sunday in October. There’s no better time for families to visit either park, as kids ages 11 and younger receive free admission with a paid adult ticket throughout the month of October!
For kids looking to celebrate a not-so-scary Halloween, HalGLOWeen at the Zoo is the perfect place for families to make memories! Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October, guests can enjoy Halloween activities from 5-9 p.m., including:
Music: Halloween hits will fill the air with music from DJ Front Street and The Glow-Go’s, and live music from Dusty Keys, and Día de los Meurtos Mariachi.
Boo Crew: Meet, greet, and take photos with mischievous and colorful scarecrow stilt-walkers.
Python Path: The Reptile House takes on a new look after dark as guests get to see some of the Zoo’s reptiles in a whole new light.
Boolahoops: Centennial Plaza comes to life as the popular Boolahoops return. With interactive family fun, games and prizes, wildlife explorers of all ages will want to jump, shuffle, slide and spin to all the Halloween hits!
Featured Creatures: Wildlife care teams will introduce some of their "spooky” wildlife friends. Find out how these creatures are important to the environment—and aren’t really scary at all.
The Spider’s W.E.B.: Talented, acrobatic spider performers show off their skills as they hover over Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, bringing an arachnid glow to the area.
Spooky Revue: Experience a kooky assortment of wildlife-themed specialty acts in this glowing and acrobatic variety show.
Dr. Zoolittle’s Tricks & Treats: The inimitable Dr. Zoolittle gets in on the HalGLOWeen spirit with his interactive activities and wildlife trivia at Centennial Plaza.
Families looking for fall-themed fun will love Autumn Festival at the Safari Park! Guests will find autumnal surprises around every corner of the park every Saturday and Sunday in October until 7 p.m., including:
Music: The Safari Park Radio 197.2 broadcasts an upbeat, modern country soundtrack and features interactive trivia games and “Did You Know?” segments. At the Park, enjoy live music from Ash Meadows and The Barn Owls.
Not-So-Scary Scarecrows: Keep your eye out for happy-go-lucky scarecrows as they show off their juggling and bouncing skills in their own silly ways.
Autumn Festival Jamboree: Scarecrow hosts will lead this interactive country dance party that’s sure to get toes tappin’ and boots scootin’!
A-MAZE-ing Autumn Adventure: Young explorers are invited to navigate the twists and turns of an entertaining maze while searching for clues that will help them find pictures of Southwest wildlife.
Safari Parker: Explorer and adventurer extraordinaire Safari Parker will share interesting facts about burrowing owls with guests at Condor Ridge.
Reflections: Guests are invited to conclude their Autumn Festival experience each night by enjoying a spectacle of floating, flickering lanterns as part of a choreographed and lighted musical journey around the world.
This festive fall fun is offered in addition to the one-of-a-kind experiences offered at both parks year-round, including the chance to see wildlife up close. With each visit to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, wildlife allies help support San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in its mission to save wildlife worldwide and help create a world where all life thrives.
About San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, a nonprofit conservation leader, inspires passion for nature and collaboration for a healthier world. The Alliance supports innovative conservation science through global partnerships and groundbreaking efforts at the world-famous San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, both leading zoological institutions and accredited botanical gardens. Through wildlife care expertise, cutting-edge science and continued collaboration, more than 44 endangered species have been reintroduced to native habitats. The Alliance reaches over 1 billion people annually through its two conservation parks and media channels in 170 countries, including San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers television, available in children’s hospitals across 14 countries. Wildlife Allies—members, donors and guests—make success possible.
