Pumpkin Fest at Cosley Zoo

Pumpkin Fest at Cosley Zoo is less a festival than a month-long pumpkin patch inside a small zoo. According to the organizer, the Wheaton Park District, it runs the entire month of October, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 1356 N. Gary Ave. Apples, gourds, pumpkins of every size, cider, cornstalks and straw bales are for sale, and proceeds go to the zoo. Regular admission applies, which the Daily Herald’s September 21, 2026 roundup lists as $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and free for kids 11 and under.

Saturdays add face painting from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a donation, per the zoo, and a daily scavenger hunt runs through the month. Children’s rides cost extra. The gift shop stocks fall merchandise. The zoo’s residents are Illinois natives and farm animals, so a visit is short and manageable with toddlers.

Plan your visit

Cosley Zoo is on Gary Avenue just south of Jewell Road, about 1.5 miles north of downtown Wheaton. Metra’s Union Pacific West line stops at Wheaton; from there it is a long walk or a short ride-share, and most visitors drive. The zoo lot is free and adequate on weekdays but overflows on sunny October weekends, when cars park along Gary Avenue. Weekday mornings are quiet; the last two weekends before Halloween are the busiest for pumpkin buying. Bring a wagon or a stroller with a basket for pumpkins, and cash for face painting and rides.