Halloween Events in Colorado Springs: Boo at the Zoo, Coffin Races, and Which Nights

Boo at the Zoo (the one I actually went to)

My actual experience with Halloween events here is Boo at the Zoo at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It’s been a couple years since I went, but it was a lot of fun. They decorate the whole zoo for Halloween, and you walk around in the evening and see the animals along with everyone else in costume. It’s a great way to spend an evening. You get some exercise in, and the kids get to see the animals lit up for Halloween. Highly recommend it for families.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo sits at the base of Cheyenne Mountain, so it’s a walking zoo with some uphill sections. Wear real shoes. There’s a trolley if you need a break partway through.

For 2026, Boo at the Zoo runs seven nights: October 16, 17, 23, 24, 25, 30, and 31, from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are advance and timed only, there’s no walk-up at the gate, and nights are expected to sell out as the dates get closer, so don’t wait until the week of. Posted prices are $24.75 for ages 3 to 64, $19.75 for members, $22.75 for military and 65+, and 75 cents for ages 2 and under (75 cents of every ticket goes to conservation). Your ticketed time is your earliest entry, with a half-hour window to get in line, and once you’re in you can stay until 8:30 p.m. Parking on-site requires an advance ticket too; rideshare has its own ticket option if you’d rather skip parking. It runs rain, snow, or shine, and online refunds or exchanges are allowed up to two weeks before your ticketed date.

A few notes if you’re going with younger kids: Primate World is closed for the event, the haunted house area is recommended for ages 6 and up, and guests 12 and older can’t wear masks or costume weapons inside. Full details and tickets are on the official Boo at the Zoo page, current as of September 3, 2026.

If you want the zoo itself outside of Halloween, here’s the full rundown.

Emma Crawford Coffin Races (Manitou, free to watch)

I haven’t done this one myself, so this part is researched, not firsthand. It’s Colorado Springs’ other big Halloween signature, and it happens in Manitou Springs.

The 32nd annual Emma Crawford Coffin Races is Saturday, October 24, 2026. It’s free to watch. The Fan Zone opens at 10 a.m. on the 700 block of Manitou Ave, the costume parade goes off at noon, and the coffin races follow around 1 to 2 p.m. on the 900 block. If you want to enter a coffin as a racer, that’s a separate paid team entry, not something you just show up and do.

Parking is the part people get wrong. The old advice about free shuttles isn’t quite right for 2026. Here’s what the city’s official parking page says: park free at 1675 Garden of the Gods Rd (the Citizens Service Center/DMV lots, open until 8 p.m.), then take the shuttle. Shuttles run 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., roughly every 15 to 20 minutes, $5 round trip, cash only, kids 12 and under ride free. They drop you at Hiawatha Gardens, a block from downtown Manitou. Last shuttle back leaves Memorial Park at 6 p.m. There’s also paid lot parking at Manitou Springs High School for a $10 cash donation, and a designated Uber/Lyft drop at 484 Manitou Ave. The road closes 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., so get there early if you want to be near the action.

While you’re downtown, look for the Skeleton Craze skeletons decorated around Manitou all October. It’s free and self-guided, you vote for your favorite, and ballots are available at Visit Manitou Springs, 354 Manitou Ave, starting October 1.

Full race details are on the official Emma Crawford Coffin Races page.

Family vs haunt, zoo vs Manitou vs downtown

Quick way to decide where to go:

• Little kids, want decorations and animals: Boo at the Zoo. Buy tickets ahead, it’s an evening event, and it’s for all ages.
• Free, outdoors, daytime, whole family: the Emma Crawford Coffin Races in Manitou. Parade, costumes, no ticket needed, just plan your parking.
• Teens and adults who want to get scared: the downtown haunted houses below. Paid admission, not built for little kids.
• Something quieter: Miners’ Pumpkin Patch at the Western Museum of Mining & Industry runs every Saturday in October, with pumpkin picking, hayrides, games, and gold panning. Prices vary; call 719-488-0880 if you need details.
• Or Miramont Castle’s Halloween High Tea in Manitou: $65 a person, reservations required, with seatings October 23-25 and October 30 through November 1. Several seatings are already sold out as of September 3, 2026, so check miramontcastle.org before you plan around it.
• Want a haunted cave instead of a haunted house: Cave of the Winds runs its Director’s Cut tour October 2 through 31, starting at 6 p.m., about two hours, recommended 13+ for content. Flash/early-bird pricing is $39.99 per adult as posted this week.

A couple of researched haunts if you want scared

Also researched, not something I’ve been to. Both of these open the same night, September 25, 2026, and both start tickets at $26:

• HellScream, 3021 N Hancock Ave, runs select nights through the season, 22 nights total, plus a Lights Off special November 6 and 7 from 7 to 10 p.m.
• The Fear Complex, 2220 E Bijou St, puts four themed areas on one ticket with a virtual queue so you’re not stuck in one line all night.

Check each site directly for the night-by-night calendar before you buy, since that changes through the season.

Related guides

• Free things to do in Colorado Springs
• Manitou Springs visitors guide
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Author: Dominic