Hutchinson Zoo's 33rd Boo at the Zoo set for Oct. 24; free timed entry guarantees admission
Admission is free, but Prairie Thunder Railroad rides cost $2 to $3
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Sign up freeFamilies planning to trick-or-treat at the Hutchinson Zoo's 33rd annual Boo at the Zoo from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, are encouraged to reserve a free timed entry slot that guarantees admission.
The event is free and open to the public, and the zoo asks guests to come in non-scary Halloween costumes.
Children will collect Halloween candy as they make their way through the zoo, with animal encounters, games and a Jumper Slide bounce house provided by Inflate-o-Fun along the way. At Keeper Chats: Halloween Edition, visitors can talk with zookeepers about the zoo's animals.
The Prairie Thunder Railroad, the zoo's train ride through its back prairie, will run throughout the event. Tickets are sold in the gift shop for $2 for children 3 to 12 and $3 for ages 13 and up.
To reserve a slot, visitors need to register through the online ticketing platform, linked from the Boo at the Zoo page on the Hutchinson Zoo's website, choose an entry time and skip the line.
The event page states, "For your convenience - and to ensure a more enjoyable experience for all guests - we strongly encourage pre-registration," adding that pre-registration also means speedier entry and less crowding.
Country 102.9, Prairie Star Health Center and Midwest Superstore sponsor the event.
The zoo's event page states, "We allow licensed and trained service animals only; please check in with staff when you arrive. No pets or companion animals are allowed on Zoo grounds." The page also says the zoo will be closed before the event, without saying when that closure begins.
Boo at the Zoo follows a year of family programming at the zoo, which announced a spring break camp for students in January and offers summer camps for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
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