With my family in town, I thought it would be a great idea to go to the Audubon Zoo. As we arrived, I couldn’t help but notice the ample Halloween decorations alongside a sign with the words “Boo at the Zoo.” This event was a fundraiser for the zoo and the Manning Family Children’s Hospital. My family and I quickly realized that the zoo had decided to create a perfectly festive experience. Apparently, this is something the zoo does for all holiday seasons, but since Halloween is my favorite holiday, this felt especially magical.
Picture this: Walking up to an explosion of Halloween Spirit with giant pumpkins, cobwebs covered in spiders, ghosts popping out of trees, and statues dressed in costumes. There were fun activities as well arts and craft stations, a face painting stand, and carnival games. My personal favorite was the face painting stand. For the kids, there were also trick-or-treat stations, making it an ideal place to bring your little siblings or other relatives.
Image via Audubon Nature Institute
Of course, no reflection of the zoo would be complete without mentioning the stars of the show: the animals. The Audubon Zoo has one of the largest varieties of animals I have ever seen, with exotic animals such as the Babirusa and Nancy Ma’s Night Monkey. The park is split up into four region-based sectors: The African Savanna, Asia, Jaguar Jungle, and the Louisiana Swamp. My personal favorite exhibit was the Asia exhibit, as I loved seeing the Orangutans and Elephants. I also really liked the Louisiana Swamp, which consisted of Alligators, Blue Crabs, and Foxes. I am not used to seeing these animals at zoos, but I thought it was really engaging to see and read about the local animals and the recent conservation efforts taken to help them.
Babirusa (Image via Audubon Zoo)
Beyond the animals, there are also ample activities offered. If you’re tired and it’s a warm sunny day, you could take a ride on the lazy river at the Cool Zoo Waterpark. Another option if your legs are tired from all the walking is purchasing a ticket to the Swamp Train, which will stroll through many animal exhibits. For those who want to get up close with the animals, you could opt to do the Wild Encounters program. Through this, you can get first hand encounters with Black Bears, Jaguars, Orangutans, and Rhinoceroses. If you want to get as close and personal as possible with the animals, you could even choose to feed the giraffes. Those are just some of the activities you could pick for your zoo agenda. The excitement everyone had, including my own family members, was incredibly contagious.
Image via Audubon Zoo
While Boo at the Zoo has ended for the year, there are plenty of upcoming events. The winter-themed event, Holidays at Audubon, is going to run from November 28 through New Year’s Day. There will be seasonal beverages, candy cane decorated palm trees, and even festive-themed activities with the animals. The headliner of the event is the appearance of the Cajun Santa Claus, Papa Noël, who uses alligators instead of reindeer and a pirogue instead of a sleigh. If you have family visiting during the holiday season, I cannot recommend visiting the zoo enough. Also, with Wave Weekend coming up, the Zoo makes for a great place to visit with your family. I know my family definitely enjoyed the time spent together, as well as seeing all the decorations and animals.
