A Drive Through Halloween Show Worth the Trip From Glendale

If you live in Glendale or anywhere in the West Valley and you've been hoping for a drive through Halloween show this fall, there's a new one on the calendar. It's called Zombie Zoo, and it's coming from World of Illumination, the company behind the animated drive-through light shows many Valley families already know from the holidays. One thing to get straight before you start making plans: Zombie Zoo is in Tempe, at Tempe Diablo Stadium. It is not in Glendale.

That detail trips people up, because World of Illumination's Christmas shows ran in Glendale last season. The Halloween show is a different event at a different venue on the other side of the Valley. For a West Valley crowd, that makes it a freeway trip rather than a quick hop across town. With the right setup, though, it works well as a group night out, and the drive-through format is a big reason why.

The Drive Through Halloween Show Is in Tempe, Not Glendale

Here are the basics as they stand this summer:

Where: Tempe Diablo Stadium, 2200 W. Alameda Dr., Tempe, AZ 85282 (see it on Google Maps)
When: Zombie Zoo opens September 30 and runs through November 1, Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays
Hours: Gates open at 6:30 PM, with last entry at 10:00 PM
Tickets: Sold online, one ticket per car
Time in the show: About 20 to 30 minutes from start to finish

The show itself is built around a zoo that sits next to a graveyard. At midnight on Halloween, Tumba the Gorilla wakes the animals from their graves and they dance under the moon while DJ Monkey spins the soundtrack. Along the route you'll pass a swirling jack-o'-lantern vortex tunnel, towering spooky trees, cobweb-draped habitats, desert mummies, savannah zombies, and bamboo groves lit with glowing spirit lanterns. It's billed as a family-friendly Halloween adventure, so it leans playful rather than gory.

The Zombie Zoo drive through Halloween show page has the current schedule and ticket details, and it's worth checking again closer to your date.

Why a Drive-Through Works for a West Valley Group

Plenty of Halloween events ask a lot of a group. You stand in line, you get split up in a crowd, someone gets tired, and the person who drove spends the night watching the clock. A drive-through show sidesteps most of that.

Everyone stays in the car the whole time. The soundtrack plays through your car radio, and staff at the entrance show you how to tune in, so the music and the story are shared by everyone in the vehicle. You can talk, laugh, and point things out without shouting over anyone. Nobody has to keep up on foot, which matters if your group mixes young kids, grandparents, and friends who've worked a full day.

The pace helps too. Twenty to thirty minutes is long enough to feel like an outing and short enough that it doesn't eat the whole evening. And because the show runs rain or shine, a stray fall storm doesn't have to cancel the plan.

Pets are welcome as long as they stay inside the vehicle. That's handy if you'd rather not leave the dog home alone for an evening across town.

Carpool Before You Get There

This is the part West Valley groups most need to plan around. Tickets are priced per car, not per person, so fitting more of your group into fewer vehicles is the simplest way to keep the cost down. But you have to do that sorting before you arrive.

World of Illumination doesn't let guests combine vehicles once they're inside the park. Its FAQ on consolidating cars asks groups to consolidate before they get to the show, and staff can direct cars that try to swap passengers on site to the exit. In practice, that means two cars from Peoria and one from Goodyear can't meet in the stadium lot and pile into a single minivan.

A few ways to make it work:

Pick one meeting spot on your side of town. A friend's driveway or a shopping center lot near the freeway gives everyone a place to leave their car and pile in together.
Choose the vehicle with the most seat belts. A standard passenger van or a large SUV usually beats two sedans.
Check the vehicle rules first. Standard passenger vans are generally allowed, but there's a 10-foot height limit, and buses, limos, RVs, and anything towing a trailer aren't permitted.
Book one ticket per car you're actually bringing. If your group needs two vehicles, each one needs its own ticket.

Planning the Evening From the West Valley

Since you're crossing the Valley, it helps to think about the whole evening, not just the show.

Eat before or bring it along. There are no concessions at the show, but outside food and non-alcoholic drinks are allowed. One easy approach is to grab dinner on your own side of town and pack snacks for the ride, which keeps the after-work rush simple.

Consider a weeknight. Weeknights are usually faster than weekends, and the show runs Tuesday through Sunday. For a group coming from Surprise, Avondale, or Buckeye, a quicker line can make a weeknight trip feel easier on everyone.

Arrive with time to spare. Last entry is 10:00 PM. If your group is coordinating several pickups, build in a cushion so a late arrival doesn't push you past it.

Have the camera ready. Photos from the car are encouraged. Let a passenger handle the pictures so the driver can keep their eyes on the route.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the drive through Halloween show in Glendale?

No. Zombie Zoo, World of Illumination's Halloween show for 2026, is at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe. It opens September 30 and runs through November 1.

Can our group meet at the show and ride together?

Not once you're inside. Vehicles can't be consolidated at the park, so decide who's riding with whom and meet up before you head to Tempe.

Is Zombie Zoo too scary for kids?

It's billed as family friendly. The scenes feature dancing zombie animals, glowing habitats, and a jack-o'-lantern tunnel rather than jump scares, and you stay in your own car the whole time.