Halloween 2026: Zoo Boo at Bergen County Zoo — Daytime Trick-or-Treating in Paramus, NJ

Looking for a Halloween outing that is all treats and no real scares? Zoo Boo at the Bergen County Zoo turns the whole zoo into a daytime Halloween wonderland — decorated exhibits, trick-or-treat stations, and costumed fun made for little kids. It runs Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18, 2026, so today is your last chance this year.

Photo: Magda Ehlers / Pexels (free to use)

📍 Place

Bergen County Zoo — 216 Forest Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652 (inside Van Saun Park). A small, very manageable zoo that is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers: you can see everything in about two hours without marathon walking. During Zoo Boo the whole park gets decked out in Halloween decorations, and kids collect treats at stations around the zoo. Gates open 6 PM Friday and 10 AM Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are sold online — buy ahead, since the weekend sessions are popular.

🚗 Drive Time

About 20–25 minutes from Tenafly / Fort Lee / Palisades Park — one of the shortest drives of any Halloween event on this blog. Parking is in the Van Saun Park lots.

👶 What Kids Can Do

• 🎃 Trick-or-treat at stations around the zoo — candy without the after-dark crowds.
• 🦒 See the animals in costume-season mode — the zoo's residents (including crowd favorites like the giraffes) are out during the day sessions.
• 🚂 Ride the safari train — during the day it is a gentle family ride through the decorated park.
• 🎠 Spin on the carousel in Van Saun Park, right next to the zoo entrance.
• 📸 Pose with the decorations — giant pumpkins, hay bales, and Halloween displays everywhere make easy photo ops.
• 🍂 Run the playground — Van Saun Park's playground is a great burn-off-energy stop before or after the zoo.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What Adults Can Do

• ☕ Enjoy a relaxed stroll — this is Halloween at toddler pace, not a haunted house; you can actually enjoy your coffee.
• 🌙 Try the evening session (Friday) — after dark the zoo goes spookier, with a haunted train ride aimed at older kids and thrill-seekers.
• 🍩 Grab seasonal treats at the park's food stands — cider, donuts, and other fall snacks.
• 🚶 Walk the Van Saun Park trails — fall foliage is peaking in mid-October, and the park paths are stroller-friendly.
• 📷 Capture costume photos — the decorations beat most backyard setups, and the light is great in the morning session.

🧭 Things to Do Nearby

• Van Saun Park playground & pony rides — steps from the zoo; the playground alone can fill an hour.
• Garden State Plaza (Paramus) — 10 minutes away for lunch or a warm-up break if the October air turns chilly.
• Clinton Place, Hackensack — Bergen County's famous "Halloween Highway" of over-the-top decorated houses, about 15 minutes east; swing by before dark with little ones.

🎃 Parent tip: go to the morning session today (gates 10 AM) — lines are shortest, the animals are most active, and you will be home for naps. Bring a wagon for candy hauls and tired toddler legs.