The Fort Wayne Zoo's 2026 regular season ends on Saturday, October 31, with a final day of Zoolooween. The gates open again the next morning, Sunday, November 1, for the zoo's first-ever Dog Day, according to WOWO. So the last weekend of the season now has two days and two different sets of guests. Saturday is for costumed kids. Sunday is for adults walking leashed dogs through a zoo that has spent all season with no pets on the paths.
Both days run 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the tickets, prices and entry rules for each day are different.
The last three weeks, laid out
The zoo has been open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. since April 24, as WANE reported when the season opened. The rest of October fills up with special events on top of those regular hours:
| Date | Event | Hours | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat. Oct. 17 | Princesses & Pancakes | Seatings 9:30–11 a.m. and noon–1:30 p.m. | $28 per person, zoo admission not included |
| Sat. Oct. 17 & Sun. Oct. 18 | Zoolooween | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | $24 adults, $22 children, free for ages 1 and under; included with membership |
| Fri. Oct. 23 | Beastly Bash, ages 21+ | 7:30–10:30 p.m. | $25 general, $15 members |
| Sat. Oct. 24 & Sun. Oct. 25 | Zoolooween | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Same as above |
| Sat. Oct. 31 | Zoolooween and last day of the regular season | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Same as above |
| Sun. Nov. 1 | Dog Day | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | $25 per dog; pet parents free for members, $12 for non-members |
Zoolooween started on October 3 and has run every weekend since. The October 10–11 weekend is already over, which leaves five Zoolooween days: October 17, 18, 24, 25 and 31.
One date detail matters if you're planning around a Sunday. The zoo's Dog Day page lists the event as "Saturday, Nov. 1." November 1, 2026 is a Sunday, though, and the zoo's own November events calendar lists Dog Day under "Sun 1." Go by the calendar. On Saturday, October 31, the zoo will be running its final Zoolooween.
Why a dog costs more than a person
A non-member adult pays $24 to get into Zoolooween on Saturday. On Sunday, that same adult pays $12, half the Saturday price, and the dog's ticket costs $25. That's more than a Zoolooween adult ticket and the same as general admission to Beastly Bash.
For members the gap is even wider. Membership covers Zoolooween, and member pet parents get into Dog Day free once they register through the member portal. A member household pays only for the dog.
The $25 isn't just an entry fee. Each dog ticket includes a free pup cup, a spot in the costume parade and a Dog Day souvenir. 21Alive's report adds that the costume parade has prizes and that there will be several photo spots around the grounds.
Sunday has a stricter guest list than Saturday
Saturday works like any other Zoolooween day. On Sunday you need advance registration, because the zoo describes Dog Day as a limited-capacity event and says attendance is limited. It hasn't published a number. These are the requirements on the ticketing page:
- Each dog needs an adult handler age 18 or older, and each adult can bring one dog.
- Dogs must be older than six months.
- Dogs must be current on rabies and Bordetella vaccinations.
- Dogs must be healthy, well behaved, and comfortable around both people and other dogs in a public setting.
- Dogs in heat can't attend.
- Dogs must wear a properly fitted harness and stay on a non-retractable leash the whole time.
- Pet parents clean up after their own dogs.
- Dogs can't ride any rides or attractions that are open that day.
The one-dog-per-adult rule matters more than it might seem. A household with two dogs needs two adult handlers, and that means two pet-parent tickets for non-members. The harness rule matters too. Plenty of dogs walk on a collar and a retractable leash, and under these rules that setup won't be enough. Both are easy to sort out at home before Sunday morning.
The zoo also says dogs that show aggressive or reactive behavior shouldn't attend and may be removed if staff see those behaviors.
The published materials do say dogs must be current on rabies and Bordetella. What they don't say is whether you'll have to show records at the gate or how the zoo will check. If you'd rather not find out at the entrance, Guest Services is at 260-427-6800 and [email protected].
Where dogs can't go
The event page says dogs can visit "select areas" of the zoo. It doesn't list which areas those are. It does name the four that are closed to dogs:
- Giraffe Platform
- Indonesian Rainforest Dome
- Stingray Bay
- Kangaroo Yard
The no-rides rule includes the zoo's newest attraction. Before the 2026 season, a community fundraising effort paid for a new electric train to replace the old diesel engine, Inkfreenews reported in April. Dogs can't ride it on November 1. If your family hasn't been on the new train yet, Zoolooween is your last chance this season.
What changed on the grounds since spring
If you last walked the zoo in April, several exhibits have changed. Each one gives you a reason to come on Saturday, and some give you a stop to plan for on Sunday.
The bald eagle exhibit in Australian Adventure. It opened July 1 with a ribbon-cutting, and its first resident is a bald eagle named Liberty, who arrived June 11, according to WANE. When the exhibit opened, the plan was to add a second eagle, Spirit, later in the season. In an August 25 report, WANE said the timeline for Spirit's addition "is not finalized." We haven't found anything confirming that Spirit has joined Liberty since then.
Raya, the baby Sumatran orangutan. She was born January 11, and WANE introduced her to viewers in April.
A male white-bearded wildebeest in the African Veldt. He was one of the animals the zoo said in the spring would arrive later in the year. WANE reported in July that he was among the zoo's most recent arrivals as of July 7.
Quinty, a female California sea lion. According to the zoo's announcement, she arrived at 9:10 a.m. on June 2, 2026, and went into quarantine behind the scenes. We haven't found a report of the date she first went on public view. If seeing her is the reason for your visit, call ahead.
The spring announcement also included zebras. As of this writing, we haven't found any report that they've arrived.
The season also brought other new residents: hatchling birds, three Mandarin ducks and a reticulated python named Miki. Matilda, a rescued hawk, moved to a larger aviary, and Bubba the harbor seal was highlighted at Coastal Cove.
Planning around the double weekend
Families with both kids and a dog have a scheduling choice to make. Saturday, October 31, is the last Zoolooween day, the last regular-season day and the last chance to ride the train. Sunday, November 1, runs the same 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. hours, costs a non-member adult half as much, and keeps four areas closed to dogs.
Princesses & Pancakes on October 17 doesn't include zoo admission, so if you want to stay after breakfast, you'll need a Zoolooween ticket or a membership too. Beastly Bash on Friday, October 23, is the only evening event on the zoo's October calendar and the only one limited to ages 21 and up. Members pay $15 instead of $25.
Dog Day tickets are sold through the zoo's online ticketing portal, and members register by logging in to the member portal. The zoo hasn't said how many spots there are. You can find the full event details on the Dog Day page at fwzoo.com.
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