Fintastic Pumpkin Glow 2026 returns to Adventure Aquarium in Camden from September 18 through November 1, bringing glowing pumpkin displays back through the shark tunnels and open tanks for its latest run. The fall event stays included with regular admission, with four new additions layered into this year’s edition.

The Rotunda gets a larger-than-life candy corn installation this year, built from three jumbo candy corns with jack-o’-lantern faces. A new 10-by-8-foot light wall photo op adds a pumpkin hippo and pumpkin jellyfish backdrop, and Ocean Realm Theater is running a new “Sea-sons of Change” program on the fall fish migration happening just off the Jersey Shore. Shark Cage is showing a new video shot from a diver’s point of view as the underwater pumpkin displays go up.

Fintastic Pumpkin Glow 2026’s Returning Favorites

Fintastic Pumpkin Glow 2026 keeps its returning favorites in place too. Paint-A-Pumpkin runs in the Rotunda, the dive team carves pumpkins live underwater during “Meet the Divers,” and the “Bones or No Bones” program digs into real animal X-rays and biofacts for kids curious about what’s under the scales and shells.

The underwater pumpkin octopus and land-based pumpkin sea turtle sculptures return too, alongside neon-glow lighting and fall-themed decor spread throughout the building, plus seasonal culinary offerings for anyone looking to make a full day of it.

Adventure Aquarium itself gives the setting some real weight beyond the seasonal decorations. The facility holds two million gallons of water, the largest shark collection in the Northeast, and the longest shark bridge in the world, alongside a colony of endangered African penguins and Nile hippopotamuses Button and Genny, the only hippos exhibited at any aquarium worldwide.

It’s held AZA accreditation for more than 30 years, the kind of credential that separates a serious animal-care institution from a seasonal pop-up with pumpkins bolted on.

Fintastic Pumpkin Glow 2026: Pre-K Passes and Planning a Visit

Families planning repeat visits should know about the Pre-K Kid’s Adventure Pass, which gives kids ages 2 to 5 free, unlimited admission for a year after registering online and activating in person by October 25 with proof of age. Parents can also look into a full Aquarium membership for year-round access beyond the pass’s age cutoff.

For a bigger day out, the AquaZoo Combo Ticket pairs a visit here with the Philadelphia Zoo, and general tickets are available at AdventureAquarium.com.

Fintastic Pumpkin Glow 2026’s best new addition is the diver POV video—watching someone free dive around a shark tank while wedging jack-o’-lanterns into place is a stranger sight than most fall decorations manage, setting Fintastic Pumpkin Glow 2026 apart from a standard run-of-the-mill pumpkin patch.

About Post Author

Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

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