👻 Zoo Boo Brings Costume Parades and Underwater Pumpkin Carving to Point Defiance October 17 and 18

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is getting into the Halloween spirit. Zoo Boo runs Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, from 9 AM to 3 PM, and every activity is included with regular zoo admission.

Bring the kids in costume. Costume parades and Monster Mash dance parties kick off from the Picnic Pavilion at 10:15 AM and 1:15 PM both days, so there are two chances to show off.

The underwater pumpkin carving is the one to plan around. Divers carve pumpkins at 11 AM in the Pacific Seas Aquarium and at 2 PM in the Tropical Reef Aquarium. Keeper chats round out the day: red wolves at 11:15, marine mammals at noon, and polar bears at 1:30.

Between the scheduled stuff, there are spooky games like ring toss, owl pellet dissection, and a skull ID challenge, plus a pumpkin weight guessing contest and a vote for the best decorated area. The Thomas Dambo troll sculptures are still hiding around the zoo, too.

Details:

• When: Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, 9 AM to 3 PM

• Where: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, 5400 N Pearl St, Tacoma

• Cost: free with zoo admission. Online: adults $25, seniors $23, kids 3 to 12 $17, 2 and under free. Members free

• Good to know: the zoo is cashless, and Pierce County residents and military pay the online price at the gate

Real estate note: Point Defiance is one of the reasons Tacoma's North End stays so popular. Having a zoo, an aquarium, beaches, and miles of trails inside one city park is the kind of everyday perk that keeps nearby neighborhoods in high demand.