ZooTampa Unveils Thrilling Family Halloween Events This Fall

ZooTampa’s “Creatures of the Night” is back this fall, offering family-friendly entertainment over thirteen select nights, running through October 27. This year’s event is set to be more exciting than ever. The event kicks off on September 27 – 28 with a members-only night, followed by public nights on Oct. 4-5, Oct. 11-13, Oct. 18-20, and Oct. 25-27.

New this year is a sci-fi realm where visitors will encounter the Testudians, extraterrestrial beings disguised as reptiles for centuries. These aliens are on a mission to collect information about Earth in preparation for an invasion.

The Halloween celebrations span the entire zoo, featuring outdoor adventures, live shows, eerie characters, and spooky food offerings.

ZooTampa members and Pay For a Day ticket holders enjoy free admission. General admission tickets are $34.95 on Fridays, $39.95 on Saturdays, and $29.95 on Sundays after 4 p.m. More details are available on ZooTampa’s website. Children 12 and under are welcome to wear Halloween costumes, but guests 13 and older may not wear masks, wigs, face paint, or costumes of any kind for safety reasons. Toy weapons are not allowed for any age group.

ZooTampa is located at 1101 W Sligh Ave.

In other news, ZooTampa’s Manatee Critical Care Center recently welcomed two of its youngest patients, Biscayne and Firecracker. Both manatees were brought in at around 60 pounds, indicating they were newborns.

“When we receive an orphan calf, they have a very long road ahead of them. Typically, they'll stay with us for about two years,” ZooTampa Animal Care Supervisor Lisa Smith told Fox 13 News.

Biscayne arrived in June, and Firecracker was rescued on July 4. Caretakers must enter the water with the calves to teach them to bottle-feed. The manatees will continue bottle-feeding until they reach 300 pounds, then remain at the zoo until they reach 600 pounds before release.

Biscayne and Firecracker are among the 20-25 manatees usually under ZooTampa’s care. To meet increasing demand, the zoo is adding two new critical care pools to the three where it currently operates. Due to threats like boat strikes, pollution, and algae blooms, manatees are vulnerable to injury and mass die-offs, underscoring the need for expanded care facilities.

“There’s a lot that can happen to their population in a very short amount of time. Any animal we can bring in and release back into the wild is truly impactful,” Smith told the outlet.