Boo at the Zoo: Halloween at the Greater Vancouver Zoo

Boo at the Zoo is the Greater Vancouver Zoo’s Halloween party in Aldergrove, and the headline is the price: in 2026, any kid aged 3 to 17 who turned up in costume on October 31 got in for $10 plus tax, against $27 on a normal day. Grown-ups paid the usual rate.

What happens on the day

The 2026 version had four parts:

• A spooky scavenger hunt. You pick up an activity passport near the front entrance and work your way round the zoo.
• Trick-or-treat activity stations along the way.
• Ghosts of the Animal Kingdom, a display of tombstones to look out for as you go.
• Costume parades at 11 am and 2 pm, near the front entrance. Both are billed as family-friendly.

There was also the Boo-mobile, a Halloween-only ride with some spooky passengers, for an extra fee.

When it happens each year

The zoo has marked Halloween for at least a decade, but the shape of it keeps changing, so don’t assume this year’s dates from last year’s:

• 2016: October 28 to 31, with a haunted house in the Animalasium and a 1 pm costume parade. Kids 12 and under who paraded in full costume got in free with a paying adult.
• 2017: a Haunted Tunnel on several October days, pumpkin decorating, a night walking safari, and a pumpkin smash on Halloween itself.
• 2019: a Halloween week, October 26 to November 2, with keeper talks about creepy crawlers, a big-cat show and a train ride through a spooky tunnel.
• 2022: a two-day weekend, October 29 and 30, with animal face painting, crafts, hot chocolate and a “Boo! At the Zoo” Instagram photo contest.
• 2026: one day, Saturday, October 31, with the $10 costume deal.

This year: 2026’s Boo at the Zoo was Saturday, October 31. Halloween 2027 falls on a Sunday; the zoo hasn’t said yet whether it will keep the party to the day itself or move it to a weekend. The 2026 details were on the zoo’s site and Tourism Langley’s calendar by October 21, which is about when to start looking. Once it’s announced, it goes on the Hey Langley events page.

Tickets and cost

The costume deal is only for ages 3 to 17, only on the day, and can’t be stacked with other discounts. Adults pay the standard admission, listed on the zoo’s rates page. One outside guide notes that buying at the gate costs more than buying online, so check before you go. Add $8 for parking.

Getting there and parking

The zoo is on 264 Street (Highway 13), just south of Highway 1 at Exit 73. Parking is in the zoo’s own lot, $8 for the day, paid by QR code or at the ticket window. There is no public transit to the zoo, so plan on driving.

Tips

• Time it around a parade. If the costume parade is the main event for your kids, aim to be through the gate well before 11 am or 2 pm.
• Passport first. The activity passport is handed out near the entrance, so grab it before you head off.
• Wheels are fine. The zoo has about 3 km of paved paths and welcomes strollers, wagons and non-motorized bikes and scooters. Hoverboards and powered ride-ons are not allowed.
• Food. No outside food or drink except bottled water. Get a hand stamp if you need to pop out to the car.
• Under-13s must be with an adult, and balloons are not allowed.

Other Halloween things in Langley

• Greater Vancouver Zoo: hours, rates and house rules for the rest of the year.
• Langley haunted house map: decorated houses, yard displays and scare walks, on one map built by neighbours.
• Halloween in Langley: Township activities, Grave Tales at the fort and the fireworks rules.
• Langley’s annual events, month by month.

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