SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s Hogle Zoo is offering a special ticket price in celebration of Día de los Muertos and the return of the Monarch butterflies. Visit on Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to receive a discounted price of $5 online and $7 in-person at the gate.

This event is separate from BooLights which begins at 6:30 p.m. The Día de Los Muertos event will continue the celebration at the regular admission price through 9 p.m.

The $5 fee includes traditional Día de Los Muertos activities throughout the day.  The day’s activities will be animal-centered, including an ofrenda, an altar honoring beloved passed zoo animals, keeper chats with animals from Central America and crafts that feature the Monarch butterflies, a symbol of the souls of ancestors visiting during the holiday.

Additional October events

• BooLights runs Oct. 12-29; 6:30 p.m.- 9:00 p.m (excluding Oct. 19). BooLights includes Halloween-themed light displays, scavenger hunts of “not-so-spooky” animal facts, carousel rides,face painting, and a maze. Admission is $16.95 for adults, or $13.95 for children 3-17. Children 2 and younger are free.
• BrewLights is a one-night-only event for adults 21 years and older. Hogle Zoo calls this event: “Halloween-themed event filled with beers, cheers, and fears.” The zoo donates a portion of the night’s proceeds go to saving the local Boreal Toad populations and habitats.

More about these events and to purchase tickets, visit hoglezoo.org.

Related: 

• Hogle Zoo hosts ‘ZooLights’ event for free throughout December
• Utah’s Hogle Zoo celebrates 46th birthday of George, the rhinoceros