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When the lights go out and the zoo falls silent, something begins to stir. Join our Haunted Safari: Spirits of the Zoo, a late-night after-hours tour filled with mysterious sightings in Jungle Trails, eerie encounters in Africa, and spine-tingling stories in Education that make our zoo's history a little spooky. Guided by lantern light, you'll explore hidden corners of the zoo where strange sounds, shadowy figures, glowing eyes and unexplained moments have left their mark. Along the way, hear chilling tales of haunted habitats, disembodied voices, phantom footsteps and even a stalking ghost lioness. But beware, some stories are still unfolding.

Note: This program is designed for ages 16 and up and takes participants on a walking tour of the zoo. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. This tour does not include animals. 

Zoo lovers of all ages can join us each season for a special night hike around the Zoo.

August: Hot Weathered Wildlife Different animals (including humans) have different strategies for staying cool in the summertime. Pigs wallow, goats get rid of heat through their ears and horns, snakes and lizards seek the shade and African penguins swim to keep cool! There are many ways to beat the heat in the summer! Join us as we learn about which animals enjoy the heat, and how they find ways to cool down.

September-October: Cute Crawly Critters Fall is for all things spooky! But we would love to show you how some animals aren’t as scary as they may seem! Dare we say, they are cute! Participate in fun, educational activities, take a short walk in the Zoo with one of our education instructors, and meet some of our animal ambassadors up close and personal! All while learning about the cute crawly critters that call the Cincinnati Zoo home.  

Note: All attendees 3 years and above must register. At least one adult must register per group. Children under 3 years are free. Price is per person.

A truly one-of-a-kind experience, these overnights make a great date night, friend group outing, or (adult) family adventure!

An interactive social hour will start the night with two drink tickets, light bites, strange zoo games, and a visit from a unique animal. Then, we will break out into small tour groups led by Zoo Educators to traverse through Africa. On our Zoo safari, we will go behind the scenes of Hippo Cove and uncover the secrets of our world-famous bloat. We'll finish up our night at our Twiga Tents, gathered around a roaring campfire roasting s'mores. Then, this unique adventure ends with a relaxing night in our safari tents on cozy cots and waking up to breakfast overlooking Giraffe Ridge. And it doesn’t end there! One last special animal guest will join us in the morning to say goodbye.

Spend the Night at the Zoo!

Florida is full of diverse habitats that are bursting with thousands of animal species, from walking-on-water basilisks to slow-and-steady manatees. We’ll dive headfirst into the astonishing biodiversity of these habitats, centering around the lives of our resident manatees who are a part of a rehabilitation program. Throughout the night we’ll explore a few places in the Zoo, participate in fun, educational activities, get a behind-the-scenes sneak peek, including our amazing science and research center CREW, and meet some of our animal ambassadors up-close and personal! When the night ends, you’ll doze off at our Manatee Springs building in the big open-spaced habitat area.

 

Note: All program attendees must be 5 years and older and be registered. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a registered adult. 

This program sleeps in the Manatee Springs building. This is a beautiful open-spaced room that will be shared with other families/groups. So you will be combined with other groups for the program and sleeping.