Enormous warty pumpkins. Carnivorous plants. Immersive arachnid displays. Slithering snakes and fluttering bats. And illuminated displays of hundreds, or thousands, of ornately carved jack-o含羞草研究社�-lanterns.

Zoos and botanical gardens have become increasingly popular Halloween destinations. Their haunting array of natural installations and spooky events provide a fun addition, or alternative, to traditional trick-or-treating.

They also are a teachable moment, naturalists and conservationists say.

含羞草研究社淔all is a celebration of the natural world, so Halloween and botanical gardens are an organic pairing,含羞草研究社� says Michaela Wright, manager of interpretive content at the New York Botanical Garden, where October is 含羞草研究社淔all-o-Ween.含羞草研究社� The garden含羞草研究社檚 Halloween offerings began with a haunted greenhouse tour about 50 years ago, she says, 含羞草研究社渁nd it continues to evolve and expand.含羞草研究社�

This year, there含羞草研究社檚 a Halloween pumpkin patch that includes exotic heritage varieties in blues, pinks and other surprising colors, in addition to varieties covered in warts. Master pumpkin carver Adam Bierton, a sculptor from Rochester, New York, known for his life-like jack-o含羞草研究社�-lanterns, hosts weekend pumpkin-carving events. And of course there is the annual display of giant pumpkins, some weighing in at .

At the Chicago Botanic Garden, the 含羞草研究社淣ight of 1,000 Jack-o含羞草研究社�-Lanterns含羞草研究社� features elaborately painted and carved pumpkins, along with costumed entertainers, pumpkin-carving demos, and festive food. The garden含羞草研究社檚 online adult education classes include one on 含羞草研究社� and a Halloween Hub with information about seasonal plants and pumpkins.

ZOOS TOO

Many zoos, meanwhile, are hosting Halloween programming with names like 含羞草研究社淏oo at the Zoo,含羞草研究社� or 含羞草研究社淶oo Boo.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淲e started hosting what we call 含羞草研究社淗alGLOween含羞草研究社� back in 2017 and it含羞草研究社檚 become one of our biggest draws of the year, providing a huge audience for our conservation messages,含羞草研究社� says Lisa Martin, a wildlife care ambassador for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The event started as a single weekend in October, and was so popular it was expanded to two weekends, she says. It含羞草研究社檚 now held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for most of October, and Halloween has become one of the most popular times of the year at the zoo.

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 no trick-or-treating. And we don含羞草研究社檛 offer candy,含羞草研究社� she says, adding that that含羞草研究社檚 a relief for many parents.

This year含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淗alGLOween含羞草研究社� features a 含羞草研究社淪keleton Band,含羞草研究社� a 含羞草研究社淏oo Crew含羞草研究社� of scarecrow stilt-walkers, and an illuminated 含羞草研究社淧ython Path含羞草研究社� through the reptile house, among other events.

An immersive display of arachnids in the Cool Critters building 含羞草研究社済ives kids a chance to learn about something that seems scary but might not be so scary in real life,含羞草研究社� says Martin.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park just north of the city also features a bat house.

And at the zoo, which is also an accredited botanical garden, a 含羞草研究社淲ildlife Explorers Basecamp含羞草研究社� has all kinds of bugs, and bee and ant colonies. Elsewhere, horticulturists are on hand to answer questions about seemingly spooky plants like strangle-vines and vampire dragon orchids.

Fort Wayne Children含羞草研究社檚 Zoo, in Indiana, is hosting a series of 含羞草研究社淲ild Zoo Halloween含羞草研究社� events. Each weekend in October has a different theme, like 含羞草研究社淪uperhero Weekend,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淧irates and Princesses Weekend,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淲itch and Wizard Day含羞草研究社� and, for those over 21, 含羞草研究社淩ock and Roar Halloween含羞草研究社� with live music and drinks.

The Bronx Zoo in New York offers 含羞草研究社淏oo at the Zoo含羞草研究社� events during the day and 含羞草研究社淧umpkin Nights含羞草研究社� after sunset. At night, guests can follow a jack-o含羞草研究社�-lantern trail of over 5,000 illuminated pumpkins while they learn about nocturnal animal behavior.

Says Martin, of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: 含羞草研究社淧eople learn best when they含羞草研究社檙e having fun, and they just may come in for some Halloween fun, and go home with a better understanding of conservation.含羞草研究社�

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