Time to Get Spooky

Pumpkin, witches and ghouls, oh my! October beckons Oklahomans to visit a variety of Halloween-centric activities.

Along with the spooky stuff, you might also find some lions, tigers and bears at the 39th annual Haunt the Zoo in Oklahoma City. 

Every Saturday and Sunday in October from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Haunt the Zoo provides an entertaining and unique way for guests of all ages to experience one of Oklahoma’s largest and longest-running trick-or-treating events – all while connecting with wildlife and nature. 

Adults and children alike are invited to wear their Halloween costumes, barring full face masks and fake weapons. Guests will also discover 20 original booths, perfect for photo ops. 

It takes about six months of planning, multiple sponsors, nearly 500,000 pieces of candy and hundreds of zoo employees and volunteers to kick off the annual event, according to Candice Rennels, director of public relations at the zoo.

Other activities include pumpkin painting crafts, a hay maze, a Halloween-themed sea lion show and the endangered species carousel. Tickets are on sale now at okczoo.org/htz. The Oklahoma City Zoo also offers an adult-only event, Haunt the Zoo: All Grown Up, on Friday, Oct. 28 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Whether you’re looking for family fun or a good scare, Haunt the Zoo is not your only option around the state. There are plenty of mazes, ghosts, fall fun and good frights just about everywhere. 

On the hunt for some Halloween spirit without the creepy crawlies or ghouls? Visit Pumpkinville from October 7-23 at the Myriad Botanical Gardens in OKC. Visitors can see creative displays made of more than 30,000 pumpkins, gourds, haystacks and mums. There are a variety of activities to try, including hand-crafted games, pumpkin painting, storytimes and unlimited rides on Mo’s Carousel. Visit myriadgardens.org for complete details.

Pumpkin Town Farms on 61st and Garnett in Tulsa also offers a bevy of activities for all ages. You can catch the horse-drawn hayrides or get lost in a corn maze. After the sun sets, the farm gets a little eerie at Insanity Farms. Brave scare-seekers can take their chances every Friday and Saturday in October with haunted mazes and zombie paintball. Visit pumpkintownfarm.com for more info.

The Castle of Muskogee is 14 acres of fall festivities and Halloween thrills. The gates open from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday during October. To plan your visit go to okcastle.com/halloween. If you’re worried about the frights, the castle’s website provides a “skull” rating to help guide you from fall fun to the truly terrifying. Guests can ride the castle train, take a journey on the haunted hayride, stroll through the woods on the Trail of Blood, or choose among a variety of other activities at the castle.