COMMENTARY:

What most parents with small children dread about Halloween is all the scary stuff put out there by family friendly retailers and entertainment venues.  Houston parents will be pleasantly surprised that Zoo Boo at the Houston Zoo has just enough Halloween with out all the scary and grotesque decorations.  There is a skeleton or two here and there, but for the most part nothing to really frighten young children.  The most impressive display is the reflection pool which exhibits a hundred or so carved pumpkins.  Visitors could easily spend an hour just looking at the different designs. 

Along with decorations, there are booths set up around the park for ‘Trick or Treating’ and the staff makes sure there is candy available until the end of the day.  Stations are also set up for arts and crafts and of course there is a snack cart around every corner.  The only concern parents might have about this Halloween themed event, is other customers in scary costumes.  Even the six foot gorilla costume can be a bit intimidating for a 4 year old.  Make sure you tell kids ahead of time what to expect and how a costume is just a person underneath.

The park is pretty crowded all day long, from open to close.  The train ride just outside of the Zoo Entrance starts to back up around lunch time, so you might want to do that first.  Also, if you want a zoo stroller, afternoons are better to catch people returning theirs for the $1 refund.  If you are not shy, ask someone returning a stroller if you can give them $2 for their return, otherwise expect to pay about $10 depending on what size you need. 

For food, expect to pay $25 - $30 for lunch, and another $20 on drinks and snacks throughout the day.  The lines will be long and the quality is not that good.  Since the Zoo does let visitors bring their own lunch and snacks, it is much better to pack a lunch than to get it there. 

Special Notes: 
1.  Discount tickets are available at Fiesta Texas.

2.  The carousel only takes cash.  Plan on having at least $2 per child to ride. 

3.  There is a small water park by the petting zoo.  Bring a change of clothes or bathing suits on hot days.