Thrills And Frights At Creatures Of The Night At ZooTampa
Creatures of the Night brings frightful ambience to ZooTampa.
At ZooTampa, they are proud to kick off their annual Halloween event. You can enjoy it all month long, leading up to Halloween. If you are a ZooTampa member or a Pay For A Day ticket holder, you are qualified for free admission to Creatures of the Night. The fun kicks off after 4 P.M. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The nice part about Creatures of the Night is that it’s not quite as scary as some other Halloween pageantry at various theme parks around and beyond Tampa Bay. Creatures of the Night offers what you could call “family frights.” You can still enjoy the fun, outdoor experiences ZooTampa has to offer, as well as scary characters in costume and eerie food items.
Creatures of the Night ZooTampa Theme
Want to meet Count Chirop and his creepy wife, Countess Tera. These blood-sucking sophisticates want you to join them at the Vampire Ball. You can dance the night away.
Our friends at Tampa Bay Parenting visited this special event at ZooTampa and shared some highlights on YouTube.
Click here to reserve your tickets online.
What ZooTampa Could Look Like After Their $125 Million Expansion
Manatee Rescue
Photo courtesy of ZooTampa
As we mentioned earlier, one of the first projects to be completed in this transformation is the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center. The new Manatee Rescue (opening January 2026) will be an innovative multi-dimensional environment that will immerse guests in the manatee’s world. With this new makeover, guests will be able to see the life-saving work taking place every day to save these gentle sea cows in real time.
Manatee Rescue will also feature a new interactive habitat, Stingray Shores (opening Fall 2023). Guests will have a chance to touch and feed stingrays while they swim carefree. More adventurous visitors can even wade into the water for a rare up-close-and-personal encounter!
Photo courtesy of ZooTampa
South America Realm
Photo courtesy of ZooTampa
This could be the most exciting news… In collaboration with the City of Tampa, the Zoo is developing plans to expand to the Hillsborough River. Guests will encounter multiple South American species including sea lions, giant river otters, jaguars, and a variety of other rarely seen wildlife. The expansion will also offer a new way of getting to the Zoo itself – via water taxis!
This riverfront expansion will also feature new retail, entertainment, dining and green spaces!
Photo courtesy of ZooTampa
Africa Realm
Photo courtesy of ZooTampa
The reimaged Africa realm will take Zoo guests to all new heights. At ground level, guests will see red river hogs in their natural environment. A higher climb will bring them side-by-side with mighty gorillas. Go even higher in the tree tops to safely be face-to-face with the playful primates. The expanded habitat will also allow guests to see other species such as African elephants and Masai giraffes. And the best part of all- there will be a unique opportunity for guests to sleep within the roar of the king of the jungle.
Photo courtesy of ZooTampa
Asia Realm
Photo courtesy of ZooTampa
After its transformation, the Asia realm will immerse guests with overhead paths that provides unforgettable and safe ways to connect with wildlife such as Bornean orangutans and Malayan tigers.
