National Zoo Cancels Boo at the Zoo Due to the Government Shutdown

The after-hours event brought live performances and trick-or-treating to the zoo.

By Michele Kettner • Posted October 15, 2025 at 10:20 a.m.

Boo at the Zoo (Juan-Carlos Briceno, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute)

The government shutdown is starting to rain on the region’s Halloween fun. This week, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute announced that Boo at the Zoo has been canceled due to the shutdown.

Ticketholders for the annual family-friendly Halloween event, which was supposed to be held October 17 to 19, can receive a refund for their tickets and parking passes or can donate the cost of their purchase to support animal conservation.

The zoo and other Smithsonian facilities officially closed on Sunday, October 12, after funding to keep operations open ran out. The zoo and other Smithsonian museums are now temporarily closed until the government reopens.

Boo at the Zoo would have let guests explore animal exhibits after hours, trick-or-treat, and catch live performances.

At the moment, Night of the Living Zoo, the zoo’s adults-only party, is scheduled for October 24 and 25. If the government shutdown continues, that event may be canceled, too.

Feature image by Juan-Carlos Briceno, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Michele Kettner

Audience Engagement Editor

Michele Kettner joined Northern Virginia Magazine in 2020 after spending two semesters as an editorial intern at the magazine. The University of Maryland graduate is currently the audience engagement editor and covers everything from can’t-miss things to do and holiday events to new restaurant and store openings throughout Northern Virginia.