[Columbia, SC] - As the days get cool, animals in the wild might be thinking about hibernation, but at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden they're getting ready for the thousands of kids that will visit the Zoo after hours on weekends from October 14 through October 30.

"We're thrilled at the reactions we get from families about Boo at the Zoo," said Satch Krantz, Executive Director of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. "Families tell us that we offer just the right mix of kid-friendly scary."

All the favorites are back. The trick-or-treat trail will feature a dozen miniature houses just the right size for little ones. The Hobgoblin Express takes riders through the Zoo's dark and spooky back roads. Animal encounters with creepy creatures let children get up close and personal with all things that go hssss and crawl through the night. The eeky-freaky DJ Dance Party in the Zoo's Palmetto Plaza offers kids the chance to get down and scary and a nightly costume parade makes every child famous.

Preparations begin Monday, October 3 with the beginning of castle construction at the Zoo's main gate. Trick-or-treat houses go up October 6 and hay and pumpkins are rolled out beginning October 7.

"The park will have been transformed by the time we open our gates at 6 p.m. on Friday, October 14," Krantz said.

To celebrate castle construction, Boo at the Zoo advance tickets also go on sale online October 3. Tickets are $5 for Riverbanks Society members and $7 for the general public. Kids and adults are the same price but children who are under 3 and choose not to trick-or-treat are free. Tokens to ride the Hobgoblin Express are an additional dollar. The Zoo will "Boo" October 14-16, 21-23 and 27-30 from 6 to 9 p.m. each evening.