Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular

This is a great place to bring your kids the pumpkins are absolutely amazing it is absolutely incredible the amount of art work on the pumpkins is unheard of I’ve never seen anything like it so well worth the money and the drive sad I missed it this year

The Jack O Lantern Spectacular is a Rhode Island tradition that occurs every October at Roger Williams Zoo. Area artists and volunteer carve and decorate thousands of pumpkins along the nature trail. There are also area businesses that sell fall treats such as kettle corn, caramel apples, and Union Station serves pumpkin beer at multiple locations through out the venue.
If you come during the week the crowds are minimal and it is very nice walk through the event. If you come on a weekend there are long waits and it is far less enjoyable as you shuffle through the event. Its a nice event to do on a nice Fall night so give it a shot if you are looking for Fall activities to do.

great way to celebrate Halloween was going to the Zoo for the JackOLantern spectacular. You walked through and see thousands of the best carver pumpkins. Wasn’t to packed on Halloween day but I head it gets bad before Halloween. They have vendors which is cool you can get snacks and hot coco.

Fun, magical, artistic. This was truly a gift! The oohs and ahs abounded, as cameras and phone cameras flashed madly. The weather totally cooperated. Enjoyable night.

It was overall a fun experience but I was surprised there were so many simple carvings, I expected it to be mainly the detailed artistic ones. An event that I would go back to but certainly wouldn’t be devastated if I didn’t. Went on a Thursday the week of Halloween and it was pretty crowded. Plus the beer was flat!

Every year, mid-​way through September, I get this little burst of anticipation when I remember that the Jack O’Lantern Spectacular is around the corner. I don’t make it to Roger Williams Park every year, but am so happy I could squeeze a visit into this busy season! The artistry was incredible: I’m always impressed, but the sheer amount of beautiful, creatively carved pumpkins blew me away. I particularly enjoyed the Sleep Hollow portion of the exhibit, which was presented under a long canopy of grimacing pumpkin faces and featured scenes on the larger pumpkins from Grimm Brothers tales.
Parking and the walk to admissions were reasonable; there’s no need to pay $ 10 for premier parking unless you’re so inclined.
Grab the kids, your SO, or a scarf, and get to Providence to see this before it spirits away Nov. 2!

I heard of this place through commercials and people always around Halloween so I had to get there! We got there like 6. 15 and it was getting crowded very fast! You will see some awesome pumpkins also you might actually see some animals… since it is the zoo! Also I think Cardis furniture and Citizens Bank sponsored it because there were banners all over the place. But it will be an awesome experience for anyone that loves Halloween!

I’ve never seen anything like this before and I really enjoyed it. It’s amazing what pumpkin artists can do with these pumpkins. They had music that went along with the themes that made it more realistic.
I won’t be here for this next year so I’m glad I get the chance to go this year to see all the pumpkins.

We have been meaning to go to this for a few years now and finally made it. We tried last year but not realizing how insanely popular it is, we tried on the night before Halloween. Haha, it was a nightmare of cars backed up everywhere, and bumper to bumper traffic. No thanks. This year, we purchased our tickets in advance and went on a weeknight. Still busy but we avoided the long line to purchase tix and walked right in.
We liked the carnival-​like atmosphere of food stands and other items for sale before the start of the pumpkins. It helped create a festive atmosphere. But there were not enough workers at the stands and long lines were forming for drinks, popcorn, etc. Missed sales there.
The pumpkins were fun & so creative– I think this year’s theme was People’s Choice, bringing back former years’ favorites. Since we’ve never been before, it was all new and exciting. I especially loved the Japanese section — gorgeous artwork!
One problem I experienced was navigating the uneven walking surface. There are no lights on the path and several times I stumbled when the path dipped unexpectedly. Some low lights along the path would be very welcome and not disrupt the experience.

I have heard about crazy lines and not being able to see etc. Well apparently if you just go really late life is great! Went at 9:20pm on a Sunday night, there was no wait and a total of maybe 12 people on the trail. We were able to look at all of the intricacies of the pumpkins, stroll through, take lots of pictures and really enjoy our night. Bring a hot beverage with you because that makes for a nice night and keeps you a little warm on your adventure. I am amazed by the job these artists do, it is absolutely incredible what they accomplish on a pumpkin. The whole experience is great for a date night after some dinner and drinks, just beautiful to look at.

I checked the reviews on here to see the generally mixed results. Well, I went last night and found them to be spot on. I showed up around 9:30 and was able to find parking with all of the early visitors leaving. They halted ticket sales for about 20 minutes due to I’m assuming to be overcrowding.
After sales resumed, our line started slowly moving (there were six or seven lines in total). I checked and no AAA discount except for Tuesday night.
The pumpkins are very cool as well as the general themes. Someone put a lot of work into everything. The issue is there are so many people that it’s hard to enjoy at times. You can’t very freely walk around.
I would suggest going at odd times like during the week to avoid the large crowds. I think if you could get in when the crowds are slimmer it would be a nice event. That being said, I think many people would enjoy regardless and it does have a very unique feel/​theme as you walk through.

We loved it. All the pumpkins were amazing, they also had beer! Weekdays seem to have less people.

Good concept — POOR EXECUTION!
It ended up being a mass of people standing in a dark zoo. All of the pumpkins looked great but they need to regulate mobs of people standing in the dark. We went during the week to avoid children and tons of people but even still there were screaming, tired kids whose mothers would leave them standing in the dark to take selfies. Wheel chairs and strollers are slammed into people because there is no space and no crowd control.
This looked like the perfect start to a riot.
Definitely not worth the price or the viewing of worst parents of the year.

Visited with my family the Sunday before Columbus Day. We arrived at 5 and got in maybe around 645 – 7? Definitely waited a long time, but we were expecting to wait with it being the weekend and all. The line to buy tickets moved pretty quickly. When you enter you can buy snacks. $ 8 for probably the worst kettle corn I have ever had. I liked how they had pumpkin spice ale. Nice touch. We then entered the trail, and waited again for a long time. Thankfully, someone dressed up as a minion occasionally walked by, which kept my son entertained. You can also buy snacks while in line. We got to see a couple of elephants while waiting as well which was cool. The main event was really cool. The music was great, the jack o lanterns were amazing. However, the crowds were horrible. Highly recommend families to go on the weeknight and I don’t recommend anyone bring a stroller as it is in everyone’s way and I can’t imagine pushing one through the crowds. I did appreciate that the Facebook page kept updating us on wait times etc. the display overall was beautiful. And I must mention, they had the cleanest port o potty I have ever been in! Maintenance workers were really great and constantly picking up trash and making sure trash barrels were not full. All in all nice night — but I’m exhausted !!

One word: Overrated.
This was my first and last time coming to this place. I can’t believe I drove for an hour and half only to encounter rude people, overpriced tickets and an exhibition that doesn’t live up to the hype.

I was told 5,000 pumpkins, and I’m not sure how many there were… but 5,000 was probably an understatement! The real pumpkins probably numbered in the 5,000, but then there were plastic ones that were more spectacular looking (and painted). You had to walk quite far to get to the start, but then you looped around back to the front.

Every year the Roger William Zoo hosts the Jack O Lantern Spectacular which is actually quite a spectacular thing to see here in Providence. For such a small state, Rhode Island has a surprisingly large number of things that they do that are uniquely Rhode Island. This is one such example and every night that they have this, there are hundreds of people from all over the New England area who come here to see these pumpkins.
I thought that by going so early in the season that I would be spared the pushing and shoving. Well we arrived early and there were no parking spots and there were hundreds of people waiting in line. I think we were in line for about 30 min before we even started to see pumpkins. However, once we got to the display, it was clearly worth the time.
There are literally hundreds of pumpkins decorating several areas of the zoo. 2014’s theme was «A– Z» featuring carvers from all over the country and sponsors from all over Rhode Island. Each pumpkin was intricately carved with meticulous detail. A particular favorite of mine this year was the pumpkin commemorating Robin Williams and his many roles over the years.
This is great for kids but it’s really easy to be shoved around here so be careful! People in line with me were NOT respectful of personal space and there were a lot of angry people. Many people who cut in line so make sure they are put in their place! A little pricey for entrance but in my opinion well worth it.

This place is really magical. The artists who carved these pumpkins are truly talented. You haven’t celebrated fall until you’ve been here. There are hundreds to see. It really is a spectacular display of art. My favorite pumpkin was the Joan Rivers one. What a great tribute to such a funny lady. It changes every year so you have to come back the next.
They sell pumpkin beer with a cinnamon sugar rim at the concession stands for the big kids. It’s a nice touch. Parking if you come too late is miserable so you’ll need a drink by the time you get through the traffic and park. I suggest coming early during the week (like 5:30ish) or later (after 10pm). The trail doesn’t open until 6 but if you buy your ticket beforehand you’ll beat the lines and get to the trail before it gets too crowded. If you have little people (especially in strollers) they won’t see anything but people if you get there too late. Halloween night is a good time to go too. Weekends are a zoo as you get closer to Halloween, avoid at all costs.

This is my third year in a row coming to the Jack O Lantern Specular. This year was all about creepy movies (not my favorite with spooky music in beginning). But there is a pumpkin throughout the trail for everyone and every generation! My families favorite was the Christmas pumpkin display. What an amazing thing they thought of! High five on imagination.
We arrived 30min before zoo/​pumpkins opened at around 515 and hung around. It’s best to get there before they open so you don’t get mobbed and wait even longer in line. Go during the week not many people go on a school night and it’s not so crowded making anxiety high if you have children. It takes about 45−1hr to walk through at a nice pace to see all. It’s dark so be careful walking with children and elderly. Also they are many treats, light up toys and animals to see while you wait. Definitely family friendly!

If I heeded the warnings and took the advice of the other reviews, I would’ve had a better time.
I was so stressed before I got out of the car, so, needless to say, things didnt start out well. I was almost a part of a road rage incident trying to take left from Elmwood Ave because people in the wrong lane were cutting others off, fighting to get into the park. It was insane.
Unlike the park during the day, this is not the time to take a stroller. Well, not if you’d like the child in the stroller to see the pumpkins. They will only see the back of people’s legs.
The pumpkin displays were incredible. truly amazing! I don’t think anyone will argue that.
The problem is the crowds and the flow of the people through the displays. Maneuvering through the crowd is impossible. In most sections, we were shoulder to shoulder and nuts to butts with the people around us. Be prepared to do the 2 step shuffle throughout. I was actually a relief when we reached the end. Hopefully you have better patience than me.
Next time, I’ll go on a weeknight either very early, or very late.