The East Bench's After-Dark Halloween Ends on October 30

The last full week of October on the East Bench brings more Halloween events than any other week of the year. They follow a schedule that surprises people who assume the big night is the 31st. All three after-dark programs on the foothill corridor, at Utah's Hogle Zoo, Red Butte Garden and the Natural History Museum of Utah, hold their final evening on or before Friday, October 30. On Saturday, October 31, the corridor runs only in daylight, with events on both sides of Sunnyside Avenue that end by midafternoon or 5 p.m.

That shifts the planning. Lighted walks and evening tickets belong to the nine nights from tonight, Thursday, October 22, through Friday, October 30. Trick-or-treating in a pioneer village and a zoo morning in costume belong to the 31st.

The evening calendar closes a night early

Starting tonight, Hogle Halloween: A Boo Lights Experience moves from its Thursday-through-Sunday schedule to a nightly one. It runs every evening from October 22 through October 30, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. October 30 is its final night, and the zoo's Halloween evening does not continue onto the 31st.

Up the hill, Red Butte Garden's Garden After Dark: Adventures in Neverland has a posted run of October 15 through 30, which puts its last night on the same Friday. The Natural History Museum of Utah holds its final Spooky Science Night of the season on Wednesday, October 28, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Here is the corridor's last ten days, laid out by date:

Wednesday the 28th runs in a fixed order

Wednesday, October 28, is the only night on the grid with all three evening programs, and they open at staggered times, and their entry cutoffs set the order you take them in.

The museum opens first, at 5 p.m., and stays open until 9. Red Butte opens at 6 but runs on its weeknight schedule, which ends at 8 p.m. with last entry at 7. Hogle Halloween opens last, at 6:30, and runs latest, to 9:30. The garden's 7 p.m. cutoff is the constraint, so it has to come early. The zoo's late close makes it the natural last stop.

A workable sequence for that Wednesday:

1. 5 p.m., Natural History Museum of Utah. Spooky Science Night activities are included with regular museum admission, so members and general admission ticket holders need nothing extra.
2. Before 7 p.m., Red Butte Garden. Arrive before the weeknight last entry and allow time for the pixie-dust bead search through the Neverland scenes before the 8 p.m. close.
3. After 8 p.m., Hogle Zoo. The zoo runs another 90 minutes after the garden closes. If the Eccles Express train matters to your group, build in a margin, because its line can close 15 to 30 minutes before the event ends.

Three venues in one evening suits older kids and adults better than toddlers. For families with very young children, the better garden option is the weekend: the Hocus Crocus all-abilities hour runs 5 to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Red Butte describes it as a calmer hour for young children and for anyone with mobility, sensory or processing needs. This year that leaves two such hours, on October 24 and 25.

Halloween itself happens in daylight

With the evening programs finished, October 31 on the corridor belongs to the two venues facing each other across Sunnyside Avenue.

At This Is The Place Heritage Park, Little Haunts runs on Fridays and Saturdays through October. That makes October 23, 24, 30 and 31 the remaining dates. The park describes it as a daytime event. Kids trick-or-treat through the Heritage Village, there's a costume parade, and the Story Telling Witch tells spooky stories. The day ends with the Candy Cannon firing taffy into the streets. Creature Encounters, with spiders, snakes and reptiles, runs on Saturdays only, so of the remaining dates it's on the 24th and the 31st. The park's fall hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Across the road, Hogle Zoo holds Boo at the Zoo on Saturday, October 31, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's included with daytime zoo admission or membership, and treats are handed out while supplies last.

Boo at the Zoo starts an hour before the park opens and ends two hours before it closes. A Halloween morning at the zoo followed by an afternoon at Little Haunts uses both windows without overlap, and everyone is home before dark for whatever the evening holds on your own street. Since treats at the zoo last only while supplies do, the zoo is the stop to make first.

What each ticket covers

The four programs are priced in four different ways, and the evening and daytime events don't follow the same rules.

• Hogle Halloween needs its own event ticket. Prices run $19.95 to $24.95, and members pay $17.95 to $22.95. The zoo sells tickets at its windows but recommends buying online to save time. The Eccles Express train and the Conservation Carousel cost an extra $3.50 per ride. Rain, ice or snow can stop the train.
• Boo at the Zoo on the 31st needs no separate ticket beyond regular daytime admission or a membership.
• Spooky Science Night is included with museum admission.
• This Is The Place charges nothing to enter the state-park grounds. The Fall Fun Pass, $15 per person age 2 and up, covers the Heritage Village, parking, demonstrations, three top hands-on experiences and a train ticket. The $25 Daily Experience Pass adds all of that day's hands-on experiences. Before you go, check the park's hours and admissions page to see how Little Haunts fits into those passes.

One more detail for zoo night. Hogle Halloween is staged after the animals have gone to sleep, so most habitats are closed or dark. The zoo's event FAQ names the Great Apes Lobby, Bear Den, Small Animal Building, Creekside, Asian Highlands and South Hill. The exception is a guided Wild Utah experience with access to the native-animal habitats. Plan on lights, costumes and live entertainment rather than an evening of animal viewing.

A morning stop at Foothill Village

The day events open at 9 and 10 a.m., which leaves time for a stop a short drive down Foothill Drive. According to KSL, JD Flannel Donuts opened its first Utah shop at Foothill Village on June 3, serving donuts, breakfast food and coffee. On a costume morning, that means donuts on the way to the zoo gate before Boo at the Zoo opens at 9.

The center is still adding tenants this year. The same June report said that Magnolia Bakery planned a 1,500-square-foot space at Foothill Village with a fourth-quarter 2026 target, and that Zao Asian Café had announced plans for the center as well. So by next Halloween, the pre-zoo stop may be a cupcake as easily as a donut.

Garden After Dark and Hogle Halloween each need their own ticket, and both end on the 30th. The 31st runs on daytime admission. If you have questions about your corner of the East Bench this fall, I'm always glad to compare notes. Jazmin Adamson works with neighbors across St. Mary's and the foothills. Let's Connect.