Smithsonian’s National Zoo is putting a Covid-era spin on Boo at the Zoo, its beloved Halloween tradition where costumed children walk through spooky trails, stop by treat stations, and enjoy after-hours visits to some of the animal houses. At this year’s Boo Drive Thru, you can load young trick-or-treaters into your car and proceed along a mile-long stretch of road at the side of the zoo. During the drive, you’ll encounter vampires, witches and other horrors—including Count Pandula. And at the end of the tour, you can retrieve your bags of treats.
This year’s event will take place on October 24 and 25, from 4:30 to 9:30 PM. Car passes—$45 for Friends of the National Zoo members, $55, for non members—can be purchased here. You’ll also be able to reserve a time for your visit as well as up to six bags of treats (which may contain dairy or nuts).
Luke Mullins is a senior writer at Washingtonian magazine focusing on the people and institutions that control the city’s levers of power. He has written about the Koch Brothers’ attempt to take over The Cato Institute, David Gregory’s ouster as moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press, the collapse of Washington’s Metro system, and the conflict that split apart the founders of Politico.
