Halloween at the Bioparco

A Halloween celebration like no other

In the zoological garden of Villa Borghese, in the heart of Rome, Halloween isn't a parade of ghosts but a scientific pretext. For several years, the Bioparco di Roma has dedicated the last weekend of October and the All Saints' Day bridge to a thematic program that blends play with education: pumpkins, the stars of the holiday, become tools for environmental enrichment—objects designed to stimulate the curiosity, sense of smell, and dexterity of the animals housed there.

Pumpkins for the animals

This is the most anticipated and photographed moment. During regular feeding times, keepers deliver pumpkins filled with fruit, vegetables, and seeds to various animal groups in the park: recent editions have involved Japanese macaques, bears, chimpanzees, lemurs, and hippos. Each distribution is accompanied by commentary from keepers and educators, who explain to the public why a simple vegetable can improve the well-being of an animal in captivity and how reactions differ from one species to another.

Workshops, face painting, and "Scary Animals!"

Activities for children revolve around the pumpkin event, typically from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM and included in the entrance ticket:

• Creative recycling workshops, to build Halloween-themed decorations and little monsters using plastic and recovered waste;
• Face painting, to transform into scary animals and creatures of the night;
• "Scary Animals!", a close encounter with tarantulas, toads, snakes, scorpions, and rats: a test of courage that serves primarily to dismantle prejudices against species considered repulsive but essential to ecosystems;
• the usual appointments with animal feedings and keepers, who adopt a thematic flair during the holidays.

An event designed for families

The formula is tailored to a public of children and parents: short paths, activities repeated several times throughout the day, and no mandatory reservations for workshops. In recent editions, the Bioparco has offered a promotional rate for children arriving in costume, encouraging dressing up and giving the day a festive atmosphere right from the entrance. The visit naturally intertwines with the rest of the park—about 17 hectares and over a thousand animals of two hundred different species—and with an autumn stroll through Villa Borghese, when the colors of the urban forest are at their peak.

The Bioparco, a Roman institution

Opened in 1911 as a Zoological Garden and converted in 1998 into a Bioparco, the park of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region, has progressively shifted its mission from exhibiting animals to conservation, research, and environmental education. Seasonal events like Halloween, Bioparco at Sunset, or Safari Nights are the tools through which this educational vocation reaches the general public: you enter for the party, you leave having learned something about animal behavior.

When to go

The event traditionally takes place between October 31st and the first days of November, often covering the entire All Saints' Day bridge. Roman autumn days are generally mild, and the park is less crowded in this season than in spring: however, it is advisable to arrive in the morning, as thematic activities are concentrated in the central part of the day and spots around the enclosures during the pumpkin distribution fill up quickly.