The Indianapolis Zoo has kicked off its 44th annual ZooBoo festival, running Wednesday through Sunday each week through November 1, with elephants smashing pumpkins, a haunted house tucked into ZooBoo Village, and carousel rides on a spinning attraction called the Round-Go-Merry that, fittingly for the season, runs backward. The event opens daily at 2:00 p.m. and continues through the zoo's regular closing time.
Per WIBC 93.1 FM, this year marks the 44th time the Indianapolis Zoo has staged ZooBoo, a milestone first reported by Fox 59. The festival's signature animal enrichment moment, the Elephant Pumpkin Smash, features elephants crushing and eating pumpkins as part of the daily lineup. According to the Indianapolis Zoo, that smash is sponsored by Lark Ranch and happens at 4:30 p.m. at the Elephant Waterfall exhibit in the Plains section, giving families a reliable time to plan around.
Haunted House and Rides Anchor ZooBoo Village
Inside ZooBoo Village, guests can walk through Leeward Manor, a haunted house hosted by the Leeward sisters and Aunt Clara Voyant, the report notes. Nearby, the Spook-Track-ular Train offers rides, while the Round-Go-Merry carousel spins in reverse for the occasion. ZooBoo runs from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, with the event stretching to 9:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, even though general zoo admission opens earlier at 9:00 a.m. each day.
Beyond the village, the zoo's Plains section has been redecorated with a Día de los Muertos theme to host the Trick-or-Treat Trail, which has eight designated candy stations. Other non-animal attractions this year include a potions class along Potions Pathway near the chimpanzee complex, a Meijer-sponsored Mirror Maze, and pirate games at Pirates Cove.
IndyHumane Cats Look for Homes Through October
The Indianapolis Zoo has partnered with IndyHumane to showcase adoptable black cats inside ZooBoo Village, with the adoption program running throughout the month of October. The experience is sponsored by Subaru of Indiana Automotive, and kittens adopted during the festival stay on-site with the zoo until ZooBoo concludes before heading home with their new families.
Accessibility has also been built into this year's schedule. The zoo has designated September 30 and October 28 as sensory-friendly days, during which ambient music and lighting are reduced across the campus, quiet spaces are set up, and free sensory bags are made available at the Visitor's Service Center, per the zoo's event page.
Costume Rules and a Changed Campus
Costumes are encouraged for all ages, but full-face masks and full face paint are restricted to children 12 and younger.
This year's ZooBoo arrives as the zoo plans campus changes. The zoo plans to dismantle its Kōmbo Family Coaster and Skyline observation ride, with work scheduled to begin in Q1 2026.
