Pumpkins, ghosts and lions: Czech safari park gets a Halloween makeover

Around 18 metric tons of pumpkins will help transform Safari Park Dvůr Králové into a Halloween attraction from Saturday, Oct. 24, with visitors invited to carve lanterns, follow haunted trails and take a ghost-themed ride through the lion safari.

The annual Týden duchů, or Week of Ghosts, runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. Its program combines Halloween traditions with Czech folklore, including devils, water spirits and an anticipated appearance by Krakonoš, the legendary guardian of the Krkonoše Mountains.

The event spans the Oct. 28 public holiday and the following school autumn break, offering families several opportunities to visit. Some activities require advance reservations, while others allow visitors to join on arrival.

The park has prepared approximately 7,000 pumpkins for carving stations at four locations around the grounds. Visitors can carve them into lanterns and help decorate the zoo, with supplies replenished during the event.

Carving is free, but participants must bring their own tools. The wider park will also feature handmade decorations, including mysterious animal faces and masks.

Animals will receive pumpkins as part of feeding and enrichment activities, with keeper commentary scheduled throughout the week.

Highlights include elephants at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26; bat-eared foxes at 11 a.m. and meerkats at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28; and ring-tailed lemurs at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. The final day, Nov. 1, features the park’s Barbary lions at 11 a.m. and drills at noon.

These sessions give visitors a chance to see how different species respond to the seasonal additions to their routines.

This year’s Spooky Truck rides will operate on Saturdays, Oct. 24 and 31, combining views of lions from the vehicle with staged encounters involving Czech supernatural characters.

The park’s theatrical program draws on figures such as vodníci, or water spirits, woodland creatures and devils, with drivers sharing stories along the route.

Rides run between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., with the final departure at 3:30 p.m. from the Kibo gate. No reservation is required; passengers pay at the Kibo ticket office.

The haunted walking trails on Oct. 24 and 28 run from 5 to 8:30 p.m. and require advance booking through the Safari Park’s website.

A larger trail on Halloween itself, Saturday, Oct. 31, runs from 4 to 6:30 p.m. without reservations. Visitors will collect symbols, solve a secret password and complete tasks, with a sweet reward at the end.

Organizers also expect Krakonoš to appear that day. Other planned attractions include a wishing tree and spider races.

The Africa-focused safari park, in Dvůr Králové nad Labem in eastern Bohemia, attracts thousands of visitors to the event each year. Families planning an evening trail should secure the required reservation before traveling and check the park’s admission arrangements separately from individual activities.