Montana WILD is hosting a Halloween-themed wildlife event on October 24th, offering Helena families a chance to get up close with live raptors, reptiles, amphibians, and more — all under one roof on the south side of town.
The event is built around two live raptor programs, scheduled at 4 and 5 p.m., where visitors can watch birds of prey up close with staff naturalists narrating. Between programs, a reptile and amphibian table will let kids and adults handle scaly and slimy creatures that don't typically show up at your door on Halloween night.
Owl pellet dissections — a perennial favorite for anyone who's ever wanted to know what an owl had for dinner — will be available as a hands-on activity. Montana WILD has also set up a bat cave walk-through and a craft station, along with a photo opportunity at a themed backdrop.
Montana WILD, the wildlife education center operated by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks off Interstate 15 on the south end of Helena, regularly hosts public programming throughout the year. This Halloween event follows the center's pattern of wrapping natural science education inside seasonal themes that bring in families who might not otherwise make the trip. For Helena parents looking for something that isn't a corn maze or a haunted house, it's worth the drive.