WORDS: Lauren Ferrone
There aren’t many things that scare me. Okay, so maybe my four-year-old daughter comes close. But, when I realised there’d be hundreds of little ones (including the scary said four-year-old) roaming Adelaide Zoo dressed as goblins, ghosts and gremlins, I was terrified just by the thought.
“Are the animals going to dress up?” my daughter excitedly asks when she finds out we’re heading to Boo at the Zoo.
I immediately envision a tiger dressed as a pumpkin and am strangely intrigued. “Maybe,” I say, trying to hype her up.
Trick
As we enter the gates, Zara, the ‘black cat’ as she’d like to be referred to, immediately shrieks with joy. “Look… mummy!” I think she’s calling out for me, until I see she’s pointing at a disheveled ancient Egyptian mummy hiding in the bushes. Five months post-partum with my second child, you could say I look similar.
We hear “… who you gonna call?” and Zara points to a decked-out white futuristic vehicle parked near the entrance. The ride is reminiscent of the 1959 Cadillac Ectomobile featured in the original 1984 Ghostbusters film and made a great photo opp for the kids.
The whole experience is a kid’s dream (or nightmare?), with suspense at every corner. Think coffins (some empty, some occupied), pumpkins in the meerkat enclosure, zombies in the kid’s petting zoo, makeshift graveyards near the giraffes… the list goes on.
Treat
There was a smorgasbord of local treats for kids to sink their teeth into. With a treat bag in-hand (even for the adults), ghoulish guests made their way along the trick-or-treat trail outlined on a kid-friendly map. Designated treat stations offered local delights, such as Melba’s special Halloween themed chocolates, Kytons lamingtons, juices, healthy snacks like Harvest Snaps baked pea crisps, plus much more.
Highlights
My favourite part, but perhaps not Zara’s given she was using me as a human shield, was the creepy, human-sized Jack-in-the-Box which sprung to life, giving the kids a scare and the adults a laugh. I’ve since threatened to buy Zara a Jack-in-the-Box for Christmas if she’s naughty.
From family-friendly to frightening, the décor was spooky as were the visitors who played the part perfectly. The adults equally went all out. Dads dressed as dinosaurs, mums as witches, blood-stained doctors roamed the premises, Beetlejuice made an appearance, and families donned matching outfits, like the Ghostbusters crew.
What’s new
New to Boo at the Zoo this year was an earlier experience for those who enjoy a low-sensory and calmer environment, featuring minimal sounds on installations.
Verdict
Boo at the Zoo is an unconventional take on the Trick or Treat culture. If you’re not keen to knock on strangers’ doors and ask for candy, this haunting experience is a different way for kiddos to develop their sense of direction, nurture their adventurous side and, of course, have fun admiring gorgeous (we mean ghoulish) animals who call Adelaide Zoo home.
Zara, the black cat’s, final verdict? “It was scary, but good scary.”
As for me, I dressed as myself… a disheveled mummy. I can also confirm no tiger pumpkins were spotted. Perhaps next year?
