Houston Zoo marks Día de los Muertos on Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2, and the celebration is included with general admission and free for members. The zoo is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the Sunday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Monday.
The decorations are already up. Guests walking the grounds this fall pass under an arch built from oversized flowers and calavera skulls, with papel picado, the perforated paper banners cut into patterns for the holiday, strung overhead. At night the whole structure is lit from inside.
What is Día de los Muertos?
It is a celebration of the lives of people who have died, observed on November 1 and 2. Families build ofrendas, altars laid with offerings and photographs, to welcome the spirits of the dead home for those two days. The tradition traces to indigenous practices in Mexico and Central America, with roots reaching back to the Aztecs, and it is observed across Mexico and other Latin American countries. It has been gaining ground in the United States for years. The register is not mournful. The point is a joyful, continuing connection with the people who came before.
What happens at the zoo
At the center of the Houston Zoo’s observance is an ofrenda for animals that are no longer there. Guests are invited to bring a photograph of an animal they cared about and make a keepsake frame for it, either to take home or to add to the zoo’s altar. For a place where staff and regular visitors form long attachments to individual animals over decades, it is a fitting use of the form.
On Sunday, November 1, La Catrina appears. The elegant skeleton figure in an elaborate flowered headdress is the holiday’s most recognizable image, and the zoo describes her as such. There are seasonal foods for sale as well: Día de los Muertos tamales and sugar skull cookies.
Everyone is welcome, and no special ticket is needed. The zoo’s regular hours and admission apply.
Houston Zoo published its Día de los Muertos details on October 27. It is the second Texas zoo on our pages observing the holiday this season: San Antonio Zoo is running Fiesta de los Muertos alongside its fortieth Zoo Boo, through November 1.
Quick answers
- When is Día de los Muertos at the Houston Zoo?
Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2, 2026. The zoo is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the Sunday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Monday.
- Does it cost extra?
No. The celebration is included with general admission and is free for members. No special ticket is needed.
- What is an ofrenda?
An altar laid with offerings and photographs to welcome the spirits of the dead home during the holiday. The Houston Zoo’s ofrenda honors animals that are no longer there, and guests are invited to bring a photograph of an animal they cared about and make a keepsake frame to take home or add to the altar.
- Will La Catrina be there?
On Sunday, November 1. She is the holiday’s most recognizable figure, an elegant skeleton in an elaborate flowered headdress.
- What food is available?
Día de los Muertos tamales and sugar skull cookies, available for purchase.
