A Funny Little 'Zoo'
On a quiet, pitch black Friday night, the Franklin Park Zoo looks haunted. A rusty gate is propped open, and behind it stands a smiling woman in a dimly-lit ticket office. Giant plastic giraffes stand next to bright orange porta-potties. A miniature trolley meant for children pulls up, blasting creepy Halloween music. Contrary to what the word “zoo” might suggest, the Midnight Zoo at Franklin Park Zoo is a “kid-friendly” puppet spectacle, features no animals awake. The only hints of the slumbering creatures are the occasional whiff of animal droppings and some muffled sounds coming from the darkness.
Upon arriving, children and adults alike pile into tiny train cars. The journey begins with the conductor, a college-aged, hoodie-wearing guy with tired eyes, yelling, “Ladies and gentleman, keep your hands and feet in the vehicle at all times.” Guests are captivated by the view as they ride the trolley, which chugs along slowly. The cold jungle is deserted; its eerie monkey bars glinting against the moonlight. It takes a moment to realize that the slide, shrouded in darkness, is meant to resemble the neck of a giraffe. These first notes of terror are just a prelude to the main attraction: The Midnight Zoo.
At the main exhibit presented in partnership with the Puppet Showplace Theater of Brookline, Mass, each guest receives a glow-in-the-dark tattoo. Cast members dress up as kid-friendly dark lords and witches. Speaking in what guests can only assume to be the accent of medieval guardians of the night, the actors crack jokes and never break character. They lead guests—termed recruits— through the various exhibitions, which feature everything from shadow puppeting to 15-foot-tall, glow-in-the-dark horse dancing. Though not particularly frightening, the theater and puppet designs are admittedly impressive, with artfully constructed glow-in-the-dark elements brought to life by talented actors.
There are only two other non-parent adults at the zoo tonight. “We wanted to try something new,” the couple says before returning to staring at the googly-eyed frog puppet that an actor is stroking. A few minutes later, everyone is sprayed with some unknown liquid. The grownups might seem confused, but the children are in their element.
The Midnight Zoo is an ideal spot to re-live nightmares from our toddler years and despair about future Friday nights.
