Long lines, excessive admission price and overbearing scare tactics at some amusement park Halloween attractions can take the fun out of the experience. ZooBoo at Lowry Park Zoo offers a more low-key atmosphere.
The event is decorated with a lot of bright lights and an overlay of fog: simple, yet festive. There aren’t any movie endorsements or scare zones, but it works in Lowry Park’s favor.
The lines don’t have a 90-minute wait either, which is a huge turnoff for major events like Howl-O-Scream and Halloween Horror Nights.
There are six haunted houses that are rated based on “scare factor” by skulls. One skull indicates the house is for kids, while seven skulls is “scary to the extreme.” Three houses received a seven skull rating. The quality and fun of these houses pleasantly surprised me.
The event begins at 7 p.m., but the houses don’t open until the sun is completely down. That made it all the creepier; the houses are all outside and pitch black. I couldn’t see what was about to scare me, which was the best part.
The scariest house was Wake the Dead. As the ground rumbles, an animated skull tells a frightening tale. Because it was so dark, it was hard to see the next passageway to walk through, and then there were skull creatures popping out at these areas. Automated skulls also jumped in and out of holes. This made me jump. The typical zombie-like figures try to get you, but there are more fake elements than real people trying to scare you. I don’t like when people try to get in my face, so this was perfect for me.
Another interesting house was French Quarter Phantoms 3D. It has a skull rating of three skulls, “spooktacular.” But for me, that’s seven skulls for creativity. For an extra dimension, 3D glasses were provided, and the creepy, colorful house jumped out at me the whole time. The abandoned house felt like an early 1900s New Orleans style scene. Old jewelry and mannequins popped out, and the house ends with a creepy young girl with pigtails waving goodbye; something I hadn’t seen before.
The only downside is that all of the animal exhibits are closed besides Stingray Bay and the Flying Fox Bat House. I did happen to see a tapir chasing a goose. I would have liked to have seen some spooky animals at night.
The event is family friendly with a unique twist. There are carnival games, treats and even some ghoulish alcoholic drinks for those of age. I enjoyed the Werewolf drink myself. It consisted of rum, pineapple juice and blackberry schnapps in a tall pilsner glass for $9; refills were $5, which is not a bad deal. The Voodoo drink contains vodka, cranberry juice and peach schnapps with the same price tag.
Maybe it’s a family night, or maybe you can’t handle being scared too much, but ZooBoo is a creative, inexpensive and less frightening alternative to celebrate the Halloween season.
