WOW. WOW. WOW. There's simply nothing like this! The photos tell much more of a story than my words, and the photos don't even do it justice. This is one of the most magical things we did last year - I can't wait for this year (and can't believe it took me this long to finally go!) HOT TIP: It gets busier the later it gets into the night, but don't worry - the sun sets early so you'll still see plenty if you go in the earliest group! We felt like we hacked the system getting right in - as we walked out, we saw a huuuuge line forming. GO EARLY! Plus, going early means you get much better parking spots and have space to walk around and enjoy. So many pumpkins, expertly carved, with absolute masterpieces on each one! It's truly a spectacle and sight to behold. I will be recommending to anyone who will listen as Halloween season approaches this year! read more

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I've always wanted to do this and finally got to this year due to getting free tickets from a professional event, I definitely would not dish out the big bucks for this but I loved it ($25ish per person, then $10 for parking and $6+ for drinks). We went on a Saturday so it was real busy with families, pretty crowded but folks respect the walk for the most part as they send you in timed groups. read more

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The MN Zoo went aBOOve and BOOyond for this event. Everything was laid out strategically and with such artistry. It was really fun, engaging and entertaining and we all genuinely had a great time! I recommend! read more

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The Minnesota Zoo Jack O Lantern Spectacular is Phenomenal!!! Over 5,000 pumpkins that have to be replaced every 3-5 days due to rot. It took us almost an hour and a half to go thru and I only took photos of my favorites (almost 60 photos in total)! I'm only posting a few so you can go and enjoy it - definite worth the money. read more

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I normally post pictures with my reviews, but this one I really believe the less you see before, the more magical it will be when you are there!! Things to know: You buy your tickets online. You will also pay for parking online as well, unless you are a zoo member. There is plenty of parking and it is easy access to get into the zoo! You may arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled time! Definitely do that! They had a silent disco, picture opportunities, a s'mores making area, food and gift shop areas and places to sit along the trail leading to the actually pumpkins! They extended the trail! This is about 1.5 miles of walking from zoo entrance, trail and back. Wear good walking shoes! It can get busy but I've gone every year since it opened and this year they added even more lights, things to look at and food areas! It definitely helped with the crowd in my opinion! Don't expect to see animals, they are all sleeping. When you are on the trail, take pictures! But leave the flash off and keep the line moving :) Oh and don't touch!! People worked really hard on these and we saw people letting their kids touch them... don't be that person haha Strollers, wagons, wheelchairs, electric wheel chairs are all welcome! There are benches along the trail to the pumpkins but not inside the 1/2 mile of light up pumpkins. Most of all, have a blast!! read more

Simply spectacular! Perfect name for it. Walk into a Halloween wonderland! It was such a fun evening of exploring and seeing some incredible pumpkin art! I can't wait to go back every year and bring new people! Perfect date night or family night out. read more

Such a cool "fall " event- went on opening night and it was soo busy Even though tickets are bought ahead and they have time slots- they need more organization in the beginning of the trails I would suggest going on a weekday rather than a weekend to avoid such heavy crowds That said the 5000 hand carved pumpkins are pretty amazing and they change the themes every year! They also have quite a few beverage and bite vendor stands throughout The apple cider was the perfect accompaniment on the walk!! And they even have canned wine! A little overpriced but glad I went once at least read more

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I've gone here two years in a row - both times have been very enjoyable, but I loved it the most the first time when I went on a weekday early October and it was raining a bit. There was barely anyone there and the rain made it SO moody and magical. I absolutely loved it. I felt like I wasn't rushed and could appreciate each detailed pumpkin much better, and I could also hear the music which added to the mood. This second year I went was still amazing, just a bit more rushed. I went twice - once on Sunday and once on the Monday before Halloween. I think since it was closer to Halloween, it was packed! Like State Fair level packed. Tons of crowds, lots of people stalling. Hard to move around. The pumpkins were still beautiful and fun to look at, but it wasn't as enjoyable since it was so crowded. I did love the friendly staff despite the crowds. The hot chocolate is very good! Get the reusable souvenir mug. If kept my hot chocolate warm throughout the whole trip and I was able to use it again for a discounted price. It's also easy to find parking, though on the weekend we had to park quite a ways' back due to the crowds. Despite my last busy experience, I know I'll go again next year. It's really worth it to see the experience and detail that the artists put into carving these pumpkins. I think next year I'll try to stick to a day that's not too busy. read more

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular - Zoos Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

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Parking is easy as they have a very large lot at the zoo. It might be busy though. Booking online is smooth and easy. I prefer the later time slots. They have fun things to check out in the beginning like DJ, photo ops, & more. You can also grab food/drinks. After you will walk from to the entrance of the pumpkin trail which seemed to be about 10-15 minutes. I wish this walk was more entertaining. The whole event took us about an 1.5 hours, but you could definitely walk through quicker. I do enjoy this event each year. It's really cool to see all the beautiful art. Everyone is really talented who works on these Jack O Lanterns. read more

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It was my first time visiting this attraction. Went with a group of friends. There was enough event parking space as it was located in the Minnesota zoo and yuu had to ở-purchase tickets for admission and parking. Overall, it was a cool experience. Lots of intricate details down to various pumpkin sizes and themes. You basically follow a line through according to your time slot. They attempted to have two split lines one going fast and bypass while the other stopping more frequent. read more

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Spent a magical evening at the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Minnesota Zoo! We purchased our tickets for 7pm and had a beautiful fall evening (cool weather, slight drizzle) which made the event even more enjoyable. We arrived a bit early and lined up in mass, waiting to be let through at 7. It was a really nice walk through the outdoor park, and beautiful pumpkins and other staged lighting/fall decor all around. There was a fun theme, too, of seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter. For $22, I think it was worth going to see all the pumpkins and decorations, and I might go again next year! We didn't get any concessions, but they had wine (I think?), beer (for sure) and other drinks. The only food I saw advertised was mini donuts, but I'm sure other snacks were available at the drink trucks. Lots of families, and at times a little difficult to navigate around kids/strollers, but worth the trip! read more

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So far, it's a big cluster f$&@!! Don't arrive early as suggested. They make you wait in line past your entrance time, and then you enter with a huge mob of people. Next, be prepared to enter a large circular area of pumpkins, and wait some more before you can actually go on the crowded path. Not a good way to be able to see the pumpkins!! Come later than your scheduled time, (like 8:55 instead of 8:30) you won't regret it. My suggestion would be to pick a late time, like 10:00 pm when the crowd is much less. Our experience was so frustrating. read more

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular - Crowded! - Zoos Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

such a great experience for the family or a date so creative! nice easy paved path for people to walk read more

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I've been to this event at the Minnesota zoo twice now, once when they 1st opened and then last year. They definitely added more lights and colors, especially in the background, which makes it even better. I love holiday themed events, and this event definitely gives you a Halloween experience. read more

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular - Jack-O-Lanterns - Zoos Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

Such fun! This was our second time going to this event. I love walking around in the dark and seeing all the pumpkins. I love the ones in the trees! It is a little walk to the entrance of where the event starts so expect to walk about 1.5/2 miles. If there is a line it may take you longer to get through as the paths are pretty small and they have you exit the way you came in too so it gets more congested. But what a fun event! It is a little spendy but I'm happy to support the zoo and go to a fun Halloween/ fall event like nothing else around. We plan to go every year! read more

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The jack-o-lanterns were cool. Parking and leaving were easy. But the wait to get into the actual trail was a mob scene--no organization or information whatsoever, and a long wait. We almost left. Once in, it was still quite crowded, though we were able to move relatively quickly through by going around slower people. But on our way out, the backup was extreme. Those people were probably waiting hours. Overall, not worth the hassle and wait. We won't go back unless it becomes better organized (sell fewer tickets, have organized lines, more communication, etc). read more

Long lines and rude staff. Not at all worth what I paid for. Will not be going back again

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was very cool to see. It was pouring rain and kind of hard to see with everyone carrying umbrellas. Very talented artists. Quite a long walk to the pumpkins for children and elderly guests. Mn Zoo was very organized and kept guests on paths going on the right directions. Highly recommend it. read more

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Plan on waiting for 1-2 hours before even getting to the entrance!!! We ended up leaving after a 45 minute wait and still not close to the entrance Very crowded!! read more

This was my second time attending the Jack-o-lantern Spectacular. Our ticketed time was for 9PM but you can get in as early as half an hour before your ticketed time. We got there just a little before 9PM, got scanned in and started our trek to the main entrance, keep in mind that the walk from the main entrance of the zoo to the entrance of the Spectacular, is about a quarter of a mile, when you get closer to the entrance it'll for sure slow down, there are a lot of people taking photos of just the normal carved pumpkins, if you wanted you can just take the left closest to the chain rope and head all the way up, people will probably look at you weird, but it's what the workers tell you anyways, they're telling everyone to move all the way up, but the reason for the stop is cause at the very beginning of the spectacular is a carved pumpkin already and everyone is taking photos and that is what causes the stop. If you wanted to avoid the stop, you should be able to to walk to the left of everyone going up right along the chain rope. After that, it'll be about quarter of a mile to look at everything. As 2 adults we got done with the loop in about 45 minutes. Be sure to dress warm and bring hand warmers! read more

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular - Zoos Near Me - Apple Valley, Minnesota

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JOLS is a fall favorite for us. We always make sure to visit once or twice a year. The artists carve so many impressive pumpkins. We always recommend the later time slots for a little less crowds. There's always something different to admire. Excellent event and hope there are many years of JOLS to come. read more

This is a cool event to go to. I can tell the zoo puts a lot of effort into it and tries their best to make it worth the higher price ticket. I would recommend going on a weeknight though bc I went on a Saturday night and there was a bit too many people for my liking. The path can get easily congested and people are stopping to take pictures frequently. There's hundreds of beautiful intricate pumpkins and thousands of more standard jack-o-lanterns surrounding them. I love how they put them all up throughout the trees too it really adds to the atmosphere. There was several different themes to walk through and music would play that matched the theme. There was a little live band playing before the trail started to try and slow the crowd down. There was also a hot cider/chocolate stand and you can add alcohol shot for $5 if you want, multiple gift shops and mini donut stand. I enjoyed it overall even though the tickets were a bit pricey even for the discounted rate of $20. read more

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Cold dark congested waste of money. Kids had no fun. Adults trying to take 5 pictures of every pumpkin just standing in the way of every family. Food and drinks cost the same as a major sporting event with little to no quality. Bathrooms are hard to find an when you do they smell like a dirty pee filled animal exhibit. 4900 of the pumpkins are random non exciting common carvings. The random areas of music just loop and sound horrible as u transition from one poor music loop to the next. Won't be doing this ever again An make me second guess visiting the tree top walkway next summer! read more