BOO! at the Zoo in Knoxville: The Not-Too-Scary Halloween Tradition Returns This October
BOO! at the Zoo is Knoxville's biggest Halloween event for little kids, and Zoo Knoxville has confirmed it's coming back for October 2026. If you've never done it, this is the one to put on the calendar early.
What makes it work for young kids is how low the scare factor stays. The whole thing is built for preschool and elementary-aged children, so you're not dragging a nervous four-year-old through jump-scares. Instead you walk the BOO! Trail, where the kids trick-or-treat their way through the zoo and fill their bag as they go. There's a haunted cemetery that's spooky but age-appropriate, and spooky snacks are part of the evening too.
A few things worth knowing before you plan around it:
- It runs over several nights in October. Zoo Knoxville hasn't locked the exact 2026 dates to the event page yet as of this writing, so check the zoo's tickets page as September rolls in. The event is sponsored by Chick-fil-A Knoxville. Grab tickets when they go up so you're not scrambling later.
- Costumes are the whole point. The kids wear their costumes in and everyone leans into it.
- It's a separate ticketed event. Evening BOO! at the Zoo isn't your daytime zoo admission — watch the event listing for that distinction.
If you want to make an afternoon of it before the event, the zoo is at 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive in Knoxville, about a 30-minute drive from Maryville. General phone is (865) 637-5331. Expect the parking lot to be busy on event nights, so give yourself a little extra time.
I'll update this post with the exact 2026 dates as soon as Zoo Knoxville sets them. For families who want a big Halloween event without the middle-school-scary stuff, this is the one I keep recommending.