Nashville Zoo is trading its usual daytime crowds of strollers and school groups for a strictly grown-up affair this Thursday, as BOOze at the Zoo returns from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The event is for guests 21 and older only, with no exceptions and no kids allowed, and it promises unlimited beer, wine and seltzer samples alongside a full slate of Halloween programming.
According to Nashville Lifestyles, the night opens at 6:30 p.m. with a Trick or Treat Trail, food trucks, adult beverage samples and free rides on the Scary-Go-Round Carousel, according to the official Nashville Zoo event page. Animal shows follow at the Ajax Turner Amphitheater at 7 p.m. and again at 8 p.m., giving guests a reason to wander away from the drink stations between rounds.
Late-Night Animals And A Costume Showdown
Some of the zoo's residents will stay up late for the occasion. The zoo's event page notes that Sumatran tigers, the flamingo flock and the animals of Unseen New World will stay up late during the party, while animal exhibit bedtime begins at 8:30 p.m.
The night builds toward a costume contest at 9 p.m. at the Monster Mash DJ Tent, with first-place winners taking home a souvenir trophy and a free Backstage Pass Tour for up to four people, per the zoo's listing. Guests can also stop and meet Gourdon the Talking Pumpkin amid the zoo's Halloween decorations, a fixture that also appeared at last year's event, as FOX 17 reported.
Tickets, Designated Drivers And Conservation Dollars
General admission tickets run $80, while designated-driver tickets are $45 and come with a souvenir water bottle and snack voucher, according to Nashville Guru. The zoo's official page states that a portion of each ticket supports Nashville Zoo conservation efforts.
Members save $5 per ticket through October 9, 2026, according to Nashville Guru and the zoo's event page.
Rules For The Night: No Masks, No Weapons, No Overnight Parking
Costumes get plenty of latitude at BOOze at the Zoo, but not unlimited latitude. The official rules prohibit weapons — real or fake — face masks as part of any costume, and costumes that expose excessive portions of skin, according to the zoo's event page. Smoking, including vaping, is restricted to a single designated area for the night.
Parking is free for the event, but anyone who leaves a car overnight needs to retrieve it between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. the next morning or risk having it towed, per the zoo's listing. The event continues a format the zoo has run in recent years; last year's edition, held in 2025, similarly ran from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. with unlimited drink samples, a live DJ, food trucks and adult trick-or-treating, FOX 17 reported at the time.
