On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights in October, the San Diego Zoo stays open late for HalGLOWeen, its family Halloween event. The lineup includes live bands, glowing character shows, and keeper talks rather than haunted houses. Whatever admission got you through the gate that day includes these evening festivities.
I have been a San Diego Zoo member for years, and October is the month a regular ticket gives visitors the most value between this event and the annual Kids Free San Diego. (The latter allows up to six kids ages 11 and under per adult with valid admission to enter for free!)
Exploring the Zoo after dark is not something you can do year-round, which is what makes this event special. Lights and entertainment go up, and it feels nothing like the Zoo you walked through that afternoon.
HalGLOWeen Dates and Hours for 2026
This year, Halloween falls on a Saturday, so the schedule runs straight through Halloween night.
- Event nights: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in October 2026, 14 nights in all, including Halloween
- Zoo hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on event nights, against a 6 p.m. close Monday through Thursday. HalGLOWeen activities begin at 5 p.m.
- Cost: Included with any valid admission
- Where: Five areas, most of them near the entrance
Katie’s Tip
Saturday is the busiest day of the week at the Zoo in any season, and October weekends are usually busier because of Kids Free. Sunday nights are likely to be quieter.
An event night buys three extra hours on the same ticket. Sunset falls around 6:30 p.m. in early October and closer to 6 p.m. by Halloween, so activities start while it is still light, and the glow only works once the sun is down. If your kids can manage a later night, the hours after sunset are the ones you came for.
Showtimes shift a little from year to year, and the Zoo posts the current schedule on its HalGLOWeen page, so check it the week you go.
What to Expect After Dark
The entertainment is staged in five areas, but it is not spread evenly. Eleven of the twelve acts happen in the areas nearest the entrance, along Front Street, Centennial Plaza, Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, and the Outback.
Only the strolling mariachi is deeper in, at Elephant Odyssey, so you can catch most of the evening without walking the whole Zoo.
| Where | What is on |
|---|---|
| Front Street | A live band covering Halloween songs, stilt-walking scarecrow characters posing for photos, and the Reptile House lit up after dark as Python Path. |
| Centennial Plaza | Games and prizes set to Halloween music, plus wildlife trivia with Dr. Zoolittle. |
| Wildlife Explorers Basecamp | An acrobat weaving a web overhead as a glowing spider, a group of neon singing pumpkins, and keeper talks introducing the animals people call spooky. |
| Outback | A variety show of acrobatic acts, an organist playing the spooky standards, and Zoo characters in Halloween costume. |
| Elephant Odyssey | A strolling Día de los Muertos mariachi group. |
Shows repeat every hour or so through the evening, so the order you walk through it in doesn’t matter much.
Three things worth planning around before the sun goes down:
- The pandas: see them before the event starts, because that is when you can see them. In my experience, they are not usually super close to the glass, so you want the daylight.
- The Skyfari: runs daily from 10 a.m. to close, which makes it a quick way to cross the park once it is dark.
- Dinner: you will be there through the dinner hour, and my guide to where to eat at the San Diego Zoo covers the options inside the park.
Who HalGLOWeen Is Good For, and How to Do It
It suits three kinds of visitor, and the way you run the day changes with each.
- Locals with a membership: something new at a place we go year-round, and your parking is free once your plate is registered.
- Visitors who lose the morning: if you cannot get to the Zoo until the afternoon, the 9 p.m. close turns a late start into a full visit.
- Families with a napper: if you are staying downtown or in Mission Valley, come first thing, have your hands stamped at the exit on your way out, go back to the hotel for the nap, and return through the main turnstiles that evening with your ticket and stamp. Members show a membership card and ID instead.
Katie’s Tip
However you do it, get some daylight. Crowds thin from about 3 p.m., so an afternoon arrival gets you the animals in good light and the event starting around you. One admission and one parking spot cover both halves of the day.
Zoo Tickets and October’s Kids Free Offer
If your kids are 11 or younger, adult tickets are the whole October purchase:
- The offer: Up to six children ages 11 and under enter free with each adult who has valid admission.
- What counts: A day ticket, a membership, or a sightseeing pass. There is nothing to register and nothing extra to show at the gate.
- Valid: October 1–31, 2026, at both the Zoo and the Safari Park.
- Event nights included: HalGLOWeen evenings are ordinary October days, so the kids’ free admission covers them too.
Parking is the cost that surprises returning visitors. It was free at the Zoo for years and it is not anymore.
| Parking option | What it costs |
|---|---|
| General parking | $16 per vehicle |
| City of San Diego residents | $8 per vehicle, with advance registration |
| Members | Free, but add your license plate to the member parking portal before you go |
| Free shuttle | Free on select days, from the Lower Inspiration Point lot at Park Boulevard and Presidents Way, 11 a.m. until an hour after the Zoo closes |
I keep the full October playbook, including how Kids Free works at the museums and the other parks, in my Kids Free San Diego guide. For any other month, start with my advice on buying San Diego Zoo tickets.
The Safari Park in October
San Diego Zoo Safari Park does not have HalGLOWeen. Its October event is Autumn Festival, held on Saturdays and Sundays. It’s a daytime fall festival with scarecrow characters, country and bluegrass musicians, a walk-through maze aimed at younger kids, and a lighted lantern ceremony at the end of the day.
Kids Free applies at both parks, so a family doing both in October gets the free kids’ admission at each. You can see the Safari Park’s schedule on its Autumn Festival page.
Photos are courtesy of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
HalGLOWeen FAQs
Is HalGLOWeen included with San Diego Zoo admission?
Yes. HalGLOWeen nights are regular operating hours extended into the evening, so any valid admission covers the event. SeaWorld’s daytime Spooktacular and LEGOLAND’s Brick-or-Treat work the same way, included with park admission, while after-dark scare events like SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream sell their own tickets. I compare them all in my Halloween guide to Southern California theme parks.
Is HalGLOWeen too scary for young kids?
No. The program is built for families with live music, costumed characters, acrobats, and keeper talks. The closest thing to a fright is a stilt-walking scarecrow who wants a photo with you. If your kids are old enough to want real scares, my San Diego Halloween guide covers where Howl-O-Scream and the haunted attractions fit.
Can kids wear costumes to HalGLOWeen?
Yes. The Zoo’s costume policy is written for kids, where guests 11 and under can dress in family-friendly costumes, and they may wear masks as long as their eyes stay visible. Leave toy weapons and anything that could poke another guest at home, and skip costumes that drag on the ground.
Does the Safari Park have HalGLOWeen?
No. HalGLOWeen is a San Diego Zoo event. On October weekends, the Safari Park runs Autumn Festival instead, a daytime fall festival rather than an after-dark Halloween night.
