The critically acclaimed Creatures of the Night event returns to ZooTampa at Lowry Park with more spooky scares and creepy frights for ghouls and goblins of all ages. On Fridays and Saturdays from October 4-26 the Zoo stays open late as a colorful cast of mystical characters, fearsome animals and immersive Halloween adventure zones take over to provide unforgettable eerie frights for the whole family.
This year’s event features two new scare zones; Twisted Tale Trail and Rising Waters that take the howling fun to new levels. Special zoo creatures will also be out with animal ambassadors educating guests on conservationally important species. The family-safe event has no horror or gore- just an impressive lineup of endless scares and startles for one and all.
Featured 2019 Creatures of the Night attractions:
• NEW! Twisted Tale Trail: The tale is familiar and known to all; three little pigs, a wolf and a girl in a hood frolicking in the woods. What happens when two tales intertwine and something strange begins to unfold? Guests will be immersed in a fight between good and evil as the tale takes an unexpected twist and guests will wonder just who is Little Red?
• NEW! Rising Waters: A forgotten Florida coastal town was swallowed whole by a mysterious, relentless storm. Guests will experience an array of eerie encounters as the rising and falling waters reveal more about the long-lost inhabitants, good and bad, that are exposed as the flooding recedes.
Returning favorites:
• Medusa’s Stone Cold Cave - Guests can meet Medusa, the Serpent-headed Gorgon Queen, as she steps out of the pages of mythology and into the darkest shadows of the Zoo. Legend warns that those who look her in the eyes are so overwhelmed with fear, they turn to stone.
• Enchanted Fairy Meadow– Guests can enjoy this enchanted area filled with overgrown flowers, huge mushrooms and whimsical fairies.
• Pigpimples School of Mystery and Mayhem, with multiple shows nightly where families and friends can enjoy a Halloween themed, animal show featuring our famous animal ambassadors and their natural behaviors as never seen before.
• Pumpkin Palooza is a special sanctuary at Wallaroo Station set aside for the littlest of ghouls. Younger guests can enjoy a festive fall harvest complete with a pumpkin patch, scarecrows and friendly farm animals
More Howling Halloween Fun:
• The eerie family frights abound throughout the zoo. Guests can enjoy a mummy dance party at Africa Circle, ride the ghostly Carousel of Creeps and play with headless pirates at Haunted Key West.
• ZooTampa is taking a green twist to trick or treating and replacing candy and plastic wraps with a unique scavenger hunt that culminates with a special surprise.
• Additionally, guests can enjoy devilish culinary delights including “Tombscone,” a sinfully delicious black ice cream and the foodie favorite, Beast Burger. A variety of specialty seasonal flavors and refreshments including beer, wine, wicked cocktails and Coca-Cola products will also be available.
Event details:
• Creatures of the Night takes place every Friday and Saturday evening from October 4-26, from 4pm to 10 p.m.
• ZooTampa Members receive unlimited FREE admission to all days of the event.
• A variety of event admission options are available online or at the Zoo’s front gate including:
o “Pay for a Day, Get Rest of 2019 Free” ticket holders, receive complimentary
admission the first weekend (Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5) and every Friday in October, plus a special $10 rate for Saturday nights. o Guests with a daily admission ticket on event dates, receive admission for a full day
including the event. o After 4pm Creatures of the Night general guest admission tickets start at $26.95.
• Parking at ZooTampa is free.
• Costume Note: Children (ages 11 and under) are invited to arrive in their most Spooktacular attire. For the comfort and safety and security of all guests, adults (ages 12 and up) may not wear masks, wigs, face paint or costumes of any kind. Toy weapons are prohibited.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park is operated by the Lowry Park Zoological Society, an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to excellence in conservation, education, recreation and research. The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is featured among the “Top 25 Zoos in the U.S” by TripAdvisor (2015). The Zoo is located at 1101 W. Sligh Avenue in Tampa, and is open seven days a week, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours for select events. Parking is free. For more, visit www.ZooTampa.org or call (813) 935-8552. Also, find the Zoo on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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