Spooktacular

"So much fun! I had an amazing time. The volunteers and workers were friendly and cool. The decorations looked great especially at night. The scare zones were also great. I read some reviews complaining about the event but I honestly don’t understand why. Go see for yourself and explore the whole zoo. There are a lot of people but we had no problems with parking or anything because we got there early."

"Terrible. We've went for many years to Spooktacular, and had a fantastic time. This year? Tragically bad. 1) The lines to park/enter the zoo. Unorganized, and horrible. 2) New rules stating No costume masks for adults. Meanwhile, plenty of adults walking right in with all sorts of masks on. (2 of our party went costume-less for this reason.) 3) No cash accepted ANYWHERE. Went to get dinner, and tried to pay in cash. Both cashier, and manager were extremely short saying "you won't be able to purchase anything at the Zoo." (Last year, we purchased exclusive with cash. No signs on any doors as "stated." We had to go to the Zoo website, and search "cash." Found it WAAAAYYY down in the bottom of the guidelines. Kind of upsetting when you save hundreds of dollars to being your Family to an event. 4) The staff overall? Rude. Candy organizers YELLING at Children. Screaming at people. Arguing with people. Absolutely terrible night. Disappointing for our Young ASD Child. Disabled Veteran Husband, and multiple family members. Find somewhere else for Spooky Celebrations. Because the Jax Zoo Spooktacular of 2023 isn't it."

"Every year they have less and less stuff. And now they're pushing rules that are very, very stupid. Adults can't wear masks, what is the point of that? We did not have a good time this year, so we're probably not gonna be going again."

"This year was fantastic! Lots of candy and even some non candy items for littles who can’t have candy! Included more of the zoo this year as well and the scare zone was good, had some creepy characters! The kids loved it and so did the adults!!"

"This was our second year and Spooktacular upped its game this year and I had been totally impressed last year! The addition of a DJ let the kids strut their stuff and, positioned near the refreshment area, made it comfortable for parents to take a break while the kids danced. The staff was totally engaging, we got to see many animals even more beautiful at night, the candy was good quality and just enough and the characters on stilts were an added touch. The decorations were well done and there were lots of photo opportunities. Great job, JAX Zoo!"