Kid-friendly Halloween Characters are on hand at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo

Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo Halloween Event, Creatures of the Night, has what families crave, spooky fun and great food to keep them going all night.

I’m so glad that there’s a Halloween event in Tampa that showcases the best of Halloween for kids without being scary, and that’s Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo’s Creatures of the Night. Families with kids of all ages have blast. The very young ones laugh in the Pumpkin Palooza that includes a petting zoo and friendly pumpkin people. Other kids can howl at the moon over at Wolf Haven, and if they’re really into the Halloween spirit; they can venture inside a Mummy’s tomb at Scarab Point. My son usually gets really scared at night in the usual Halloween events, but Creatures of the Night was different. It was the first time he didn’t get overly scared and had spooky Halloween fun.

Have family friendly Halloween fun at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo Creatures of the Night

I must say that one of the best things Creatures of the Night has going for it, aside from the animal exhibits, creature encounters, and rides, is the Halloween characters that fill Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. From the wolfs at Wolf Haven to Creeps at Carousel of Creeps and the mummies at Scarab Point, all the characters knew how to give each child the best experience. For some kids, it was a simple stare down with a smile. For other, selfies were key. If they were a little older, a fun startle was in the works. It seemed like all the character were experts at getting kids to have some silly fun, and that’s just what happen.

Wolf Haven
Now these wolves knew how to have fun as one of them showed passing kids how to he can break dance. With their friendly wolf makeup, fuzzy tail, cute ears, and relaxed dress code, these wolves invited kids into their home, a sort of play house, where there was a dentistry shop, a tailor for hounds, a hair and nail salon, and more. They even showed my son one of the baby cubs too. This is a perfect hideaway spot where kids can mix and mingle, and for parents to take fun photos of their kids in a safe wolf society.

Carousel of Creeps
Creepy but cool, heading over to the Carousel of Creep, there are some creepers that like to take things nice and easy, and that was just perfect for my little guy. At first he thought they might want to jump out at him, but he soon realized their gentle nature. With Wacky inflatable tube ghost by their side, and a haunting blue hue with tomb stones surrounding the hazy Jungle Carousel, theses playful folk slowly engaged with children and posed in funny ways, gave bunny ears, and sly friendly interactions made my son very curious.

Scarab Point and Critter Canal
The characters that were my son’s favorite were definitely the mummies, which can be seen lurking inside Critter Canal, hanging around Scarab Point, and dancing at Safari Lodge at the dance party. Their funny grunts and naive nature made it perfect to make kids laugh. Whether it was playing peek-a-boo with young ones or playing wake up the mummy, these characters had kids smiling. Of course, older kids could also visit their tomb, which was a short walk through of their home, where they could pop up unexpectedly. I will say the mummy characters did an excellent job in gauging which kids wanted to get a little spooked, and which ones didn’t, and changed their behaviors accordingly.

Kids will have a blast during the dance party at Lowry Park Zoo’s Creatures of the Night Event

One thing is for sure, these mummies know how to boogie. Inside the Safari Lodge, theses mummies were showing kids how to do the Cupid Shuttle, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and more fun dance moves that had all the kids booging down with mummies.

Pumpkin Palooza
Join the happy pumpkin people, they are the friendly scarecrows you’ll ever meet, and definitely fun for even the youngest toddler. Plus in the area, you have all the kiddie rides your small ones want to ride, a water play area, and even a petting zoo. This is easily a nice place to take the Halloween photo for the greeting card this year.

Animal Mingles
While not necessarily characters, the animals that are brought out for the kids by handlers in fun costumes are educational and attention grabbing. From animals with over 1000 little legs to reptiles and hedgehogs, these guys catch the imagination of children and bring some realism to the Halloween event.

Get your tickets Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, and Creatures of the Night is included with regular admission. Creatures of the Night goes on until 10pm every Friday and Saturday night in October!

Tampa, FL – 10/21/16

By: Alex Mateo