Spooky Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo

Spooky Zoo is the one day a year the zoo hands out candy. According to the organizer, the zoo’s Auxiliary Board, the 2026 event is Saturday, October 17 and is free, like the zoo itself. Kids in costume trick-or-treat at stations around the grounds with what the zoo calls sustainably sourced candy, join a scavenger hunt, watch costume parades and ride the carousel at no charge. Keeper chats and learning stations run through the day.

The day sits inside Fall Fest, the zoo’s seasonal carnival that runs September 25 through November 1 with a Ferris wheel, a giant slide, inflatables and a pumpkin patch near the east side of the zoo. Fall Fest rides cost extra; Spooky Zoo activities do not. The zoo says the event draws more than 15,000 families and children. Peoples Gas is the presenting partner.

A Do312 listing for the event gives a 10 a.m. start; the zoo’s own page does not post hours, so check it the week of.

Plan your visit

The zoo’s main gates are on Cannon Drive and at Clark Street and Webster Avenue. CTA buses 151 and 156 stop on Stockton Drive at the west gate, and the No. 22 Clark bus stops at Webster. The Brown and Purple Line Sedgwick and Armitage stops are each about a 15-minute walk. The zoo’s Cannon Drive lot charges by the hour and fills by late morning on event days; Lincoln Park street parking is mostly permit-only. Crowds peak between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and the candy stations are busiest then. Bring a stroller-friendly route in mind, a bag for candy and layers; most of the event is outdoors.