News Release

September 18, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Public Relations
Contact: Sondra Katzen
708.688.8351
sondra.katzen@czs.org

Note: Images of DinoNites at Brookfield Zoo may be downloaded at http://czs.org/pressroom

Creepy Sights and Dino Frights Await Guests at Brookfield Zoo’s DinoNites

New Nighttime Event Features Dinosaurs Alive!, Tram of Terror, Cornstalk Maze, and More!

Brookfield, Ill.—Have you ever wondered what the dinosaurs do at Brookfield Zoo when the gates close at night? Find out this Halloween season during DinoNites, which will take place from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. from Fridays to Sundays, October 16-18 and 23-25, and Friday and Saturday, October 30-31. Guests can see the dinosaurs in a whole new light, and lots of other activities will have ghosts and goblins of all ages screaming for more!

Throughout the evening, guests can stroll the wooded winding trail of Dinosaurs Alive!, presented by Dominick’s, and see the popular life-size prehistoric creatures before they really go extinct on October 31. Eerie lighting cast on the dinosaurs will create a frightfully fun atmosphere.

On the East Mall, try to escape from the 7,000-square-foot corn maze...if you dare. The giant maze, professionally installed by Corn Mazes America, LLC, will be created from approximately 5,500 cornstalks that are 6 to 8 feet tall and will have zoogoers guessing which way to turn next.

Take a ride on the Tram of Terror, but beware of creatures lurking in the night. The approximately 20-minute adventure will take riders along the shadowy walkways of the zoo’s grounds. (Caution: not recommended for young children or the faint of heart.)

For families with younger children, Hamill Family Play Zoo will have Halloween-themed craft activities and not-too-scary games. Kids can create paper bats and decorate trick-or-treat bags to use on Halloween (while supplies last). In the Play Zoo’s backyard area, staff members will lead a nightly scavenger hunt. And at The Pavilions, where there will be tasty seasonal food available for purchase, youngsters can decorate their own Halloween cookies and carve a pumpkin to take home. Just south of The Carousel, which also will be open for DinoNites, kids can jump to their hearts’ content in an inflatable bouncy Ghost Ship Galleon.

Also joining in the festivities will be a juggler, as well as a magician who will captivate zoo guests with his mystifying moves. Be sure to stop by the Swan Pavilion and join in the Monster Mash Dance Party, where a DJ will be spinning Halloween tunes throughout the night.

Guests can encounter creatures of the night at The Swamp, where slithering snakes, toothy alligators, and other critters loom. At Australia House, they can hang out with the Rodrigues fruit bats that have an impressive 3-foot wingspan. For something tamer, children can get up close and touch some of the domestic animals in the Play Zoo. (Indoor animal buildings close at 9:30 p.m.)

During DinoNites, Safari Grill, Nyani Restaurant, Wildlife Trading Post, and Zoofari Gifts will be open to accommodate guests.

Zoogoers should park in Brookfield Zoo’s main parking lot (First Avenue and 31st Street). Activities are free (with the exception of cookie decorating, pumpkin carving, and The Carousel), with paid admission of $12 for adults and $8 for children ages 3-11 and seniors 65 and older. (Brookfield Zoo members pay half price.) Children 2 and under are free. Parking is free after 6:00 p.m. Those wishing to enjoy the whole park before the evening Halloween event may purchase tickets that include general admission to the zoo plus DinoNites. The cost for a combo ticket is $18 for adults and $12 for children ages 3-11 and seniors 65 and older. (The combo ticket does not include parking, which is $8.)

DinoNites is sponsored by American Airlines. For further information about DinoNites, visit www.CZS.org/DinoNites or call (708) 688-8000.

Celebrating its 75th year, the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, inspires conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. Open every day of the year, Brookfield Zoo is located off First Avenue between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and is also accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA, and PACE bus service.



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