ZooBoo returns to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo this weekend

This year, guests can celebrate ZooBoo’s 14th year of fun and fear with haunted houses and trails, seasonal displays and lights, creepy crawlers, night rides and more, including an all new haunted house. 

Haunted Houses:

A “skull” rating system is assigned to each attraction to clearly indicate the scare factor. * indicates that there are scare actors inside the house.

• New- Wake the Dead (6 skulls*): Tampa Bay has many scary legends … and this year one of the most terrifying is unearthed! Meet your ghost host in person and listen carefully as he warns you of the perils to come as you venture into the graveyard darkness with the un-dead. Zombies and giant ghostly apparitions do their best to keep you as one of their permanent residents.
• Tangled Terror (7 skulls*): A hybridization experiment with carnivorous plants fails. The subject plants all die … but come back to life! Ravenous, they begin their terrifying hunt for food. But only one thing will devour their undying hunger … revenge on their mad scientist creators. Don’t get tangled up in their path or you might become dinner.
• Pharaoh’s Tomb of Revenge (6 skulls*): Far from the burial ground discovered in an Egyptian desert, a tomb full of findings, purchased and relocated by an eccentric tycoon, is being reassembled for display by all. Everything seems well, until unsettled spirits attached to the artifacts come alive and unleash the curse of the Pharaoh.
• Declassified: Project Alien (7 skulls): Publicly, The BioGen Corp, is an upstanding medical research company. But, at night, they serve a dark purpose and experiment with alien genetics. As you enter their secret bio labs you’ll stumble across what happens when you deal with the things from out of this world.
• Fright Theater 3D: Trapped in Time (3 skulls*) A famous movie palace called “The Lowry,” once located on the banks of the Hillsborough River, has mysteriously re-appeared. The films from the 1950s are still burning up the screen in the now dilapidated theater. Enter the movie screen itself and become part of the films shown long ago.

Family Favorites:

• Creepy Crawlers Lane: Here to give you the creeps are some awesome arachnids and interesting insects that creep, crawl and slither about.
• Flying Fox and Bat House: Fly by the Zoo’s Bat House, featuring a group of “Flying Fox,” the largest bats in the world.
• Little Beasties Bungalow: Walk into a world of dazzling lights and friendly Halloween scenes, smiling monsters and not-so-scary characters.
• Costumed Characters: Mingle with the monsters for fun photo opportunities.
• Spooky Fun Fair: A frightfully fun inflatables area with new Dora/Diego Adventure Bounce and games of skill like Monster Basketball, Pumpkin Pitch and more.
• Free Rides: Take a spin on our one of the Zoo’s wild rides, re-named for the occasion: Batty Bumper Boats, Pumpkin Patch Express (kiddie train), Roarin’ Roller-Ghoster (family coaster), Flyin’ Boo-nanas (kiddie flying bananas ride), Flume of Fear (water flume ride), and Scary-Go-Round (carousel).

ZooBoo takes place on Sept. 28 and 29 for its Shriek Peek preview weekend and Oct. 5 through 7, 11 through 14, 18 through 21, and 25 through 28. Hours are 7 through 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 7 through 10 p.m. on other select nights. Admission for Shriek Peek preview weekend is only $10 per person ages 3 and up. General admission for all other nights is $17 for adults, $14 for children ages 3-11, and free for children age 2 and under. Parking is free.