Every year as summer comes to a close, the nightmares begin at Knott’s Scary Farm. From mid-September through the weekend after Halloween, Knott’s Berry Farm hosts the biggest Halloween Haunt in Orange County with over 1,000 creatures to terrify you, haunted mazes, sinister shows, and attractions that play off your deepest, darkest fears. Read on for the disturbing details.
Knott’s Scary Farm Dates & Times
Select Dates – September 21 through October 31, 2023
Thursday through Sunday only
Days: Thursdays & Sundays | Hours: 7:00 PM through 1:00 AM
Days: Fridays & Saturdays | Hours: 7:00 PM through 2:00 AM
2023 Admission Tickets & Combos
- Not Recommended for anyone under 13 years of age. However, there is no age minimum to attend Knott’s Scary Farm.
- Regular Admission – Online tickets are available for as low as $59.99 and increase depending on the date you attend. This is a significant discount off the gate price of $109.99
- Scary Farm Pass Season Pass Add-on – $149
- Annual Passholders – Save up to $5.
- Fright Lane & Fast Lane – Prices begin at $145 per person.
- Boo-fet + Early Entry – Starting at $45 includes a Boo-fet, early entry and a souvenir.
- Scary Farm Parking
- General Parking: $30 for one vehicle
- Preferred Parking & Buses & RVs: $45 (available at the parking booths only)
- Very Important Monster Tour – Starting at $550, includes private guide, general parking, Boo-Fet, monster photo, T-shirt, priority access to rides and priority seating to shows.
- Scary Farm Beyond the Fog Tour – $79.99, includes 3-hour lights on behind the scenes tour and mazes.
- Knott’s Scary Farm Hotel Packages – Starting at $TBA.
- Knott’s Scary Farm T-Shirt – $TBA
- Military Personnel with Valid ID: Receive discounted admission to Knott’s Scary Farm. Ticket prices start at $TBA.
Aside from Season Pass Holder and military discounts there are typically no other discounts offered each. Including through sites like Groupon or at Costco.
Visit the Knott’s Website for more details on Scary Farm
Chaperone Required for Guests Under Age 16: All Knott’s Scary Farm events require any park guest under the age of 16 to be accompanied by a chaperone of at least 21 years of age. One chaperone may accompany no more than four guests ages 15 or younger per day.
Cashless Park: Simply swipe or tap your credit card, debit card, or smart device with Apple Pay or Google Pay where you would normally use cash.
Bag Policy: Clear plastic bags smaller than 12” x 12” x 6” as well as non-clear wristlets or clutches no larger than 5”x 8”x 2” are allowed at Knott’s Scary Farm. All bags are subject to search prior to entry.
Costumes: Costumes, masks and face painting are not allowed to ensure that there is no confusion between the Knott’s Scary Farm monster actors and guests.
Alcohol: Beer and wine are available at select locations inside the park for guests ages 21 and older with a valid Driver’s License.
Re-Entry is not Permitted
Knott Scary Farm Rides & Attractions
2023 New Mazes, Scare Zones, & Shows
- Cinema Slasher (Maze)
- The Chilling Chambers (Maze) – Pays homage to Scary Farms’ historic first maze
- Room 13 (Maze)
- The Gauntlet (Scare Zone)
- Dr. Cleaver Returns (Show)
- The Hanging: Uncancelled (Show)
- Music, Monsters, & Mayhem (Show)
Returning Mazes, Shows, & Scare Zones
- Bloodline 1842
- Carnevil
- Dark Entities
- The Depths
- Forsaken Lake
- Ghost Town Streets
- The Gore-ing 20s
- The Grimoire
- Into The Fog
- Le Magnifique Carnaval du Grotesque
- Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind
- Origins: The Curse of Calico
- Timber Mountain Log Ride: Halloween Hootenanny
- Waxworks
Scary Farm Attraction Descriptions
Awaken the Dead
Join the party in Fiesta Village with music, live DJ performances, and dancing.
Bloodline 1842
A maze through the battlegrounds of the war-torn streets of the city of Valdonia where a war rages between the immortal Daybreakers and the bloodthirsty Valhymphri.
Boo-fet
Enjoy a pre-terror all-you-can eat buffet dinner featuring Mrs. Knott’s fried chicken, a carving station, boysenberry pie, and other Knott’s signature items. Includes a souvenir cup, a digital download with a monster at the Boo-fet, and early entry to select Scary Farm areas.
CarnEVIL
If you like IT, you’ll like CarnEVIL. This scare zone is swarming with nightmarish clowns taking over the Knott’s Boardwalk – welcome to the carnival of the damned.
The Chilling Chambers
In honor of the first maze in Knott’s Scary Farm’s history, this ghastly attraction gives a nostalgic nod to the past. Guests are guided through the conservatory of horrors and into terrifying classic maze themes from the last 50 years of terror.
Cinema Slasher
Venturing through the mystical Midnight Theater into a trilogy of slasher movies. Where they are immersed into gothic horror, becoming movie characters who must attempt to escape from the slasher.
Dr. Cleaver Returns – Bird Cage Theatre (New For 2023)
Visit the world-famous Bird Cage Theatre for a wicked journey into the great beyond and experience Halloween hijinks with your favorite demented doctor.
Dark Entities
This maze transports visitors to the absolute darkness of a space station taken over by flesh-eating mutants.
The Depths
After a Nightwatch Cove Mining Crew disappears in an abandoned port village, rumors surface that they fell victim to blood-thirsty creatures lurking in underground caves and the tunnels beneath the town. Make your way through the maze of The Depths and see if the superstitions are true.
Forsaken Lake
Beware the creatures that lurk near the lake below Silver Bullet. This major scare zone is back with forsaken souls and gothic undead searching for new victims to drag to their doom.
The Gauntlet
A reimagined version of the fan favorite, classic characters return to invade Camp Snoopy, but with fresh, terrifying twist. Guests encounter the King and Queen of the realm, maniacal jesters, brutal barbarians, wicked wizards, and lawless peasants.
Ghost Town Streets
The original scare zone is the most horrifying of the park. Beware the monsters lurking in the dark corners, the spine-chilling sliders lunging from the fog, and the freakish beasts who wander the streets. There’s no escaping the terror here.
The Grimoire
A maze where dark stories turn your greatest nightmares into reality. Enter the world of a mysterious spell book and try to escape the demonic creatures inside.
The Hanging: Uncancelled
The Lawman tracks down vile villains in this pop culture parody stunt extravaganza in Wagon Camp.
Into The Fog: A Scary Farm Tribute Art Show
Located at the Bizarre Bazaar (aka the Nautilus Merch Store), Into The Fog features a collection of Scary Farm-inspired original artwork from fans across the nation. This is also the destination for Halloween-themed souvenirs.
Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind
Are you ready to confront your phobias? Enter the professor’s dark world of hypnosis and come face to face with what lies beyond.
Music, Monsters & Mayhem
This new show takes you on a provocative musical journey celebrating 50 years of terror and frights. Featuring a rockin’ score, wild laughs, and a cast of singing and dancing monstrosities.
Origins: The Curse of Calico
In this all-new maze, the town of Calico is plagued by the curse of Sarah Marshall. Accused of witchcraft, all her accusers have been transformed into the wicked undead, wandering the fog in search of fresh flesh to feast on.
Room 13
In this Prohibition-themed maze, guests investigate the violent murders at the Blid Tiger and look for answers in the extravagant and deadly Argive Hotel.
Timber Mountain Log Ride: Halloween Hootenanny
Log Ride lovers celebrate the season with Timber Mountain transforming into a Halloween Hootenanny based on a song by Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies. The Halloween festivities abound complete with the Calico Coffin Creeper Band, the Green Witch, a maze of Jack-o-Lanterns and a splash down Skull Mountain.
Wax Works
This maze is set in an abandoned wax museum where the formerly fabulous plastic surgeon Dr. Augustus Scratch has gone grotesque, torturing and tormenting his victims with terrifying tools and cauldrons of skin-scorching wax. Beware entry to Wax Works – you may wind up part of his next mutilated masterpiece.
Knott’s Scary Farm Fun Facts
- Knott’s Scary Farm is in its 50th year. It is the longest-running Halloween event at a theme park.
- Knott’s Scary Farm was originally called the Halloween Haunt.
- One of the first mazes built for the event was Trail of Terror, located in Boot Hill Cemetery.
- Scary Farm generates half of Knott’s Berry Farm’s annual revenue.
- It is the biggest Halloween-themed amusement park event.
- Scary Farm began as a 3-night event in 1973.
- The Green Witch is a legendary character created for the original event, and continues to be part of the annual Haunt.
- Charlene Parker has served as the Green Witch since 1982. She is the longest serving of the Haunt-sters.
- In 1977, a hydroloid swamp monster was the star of one of the early shows, “Sacrifice of Fire.”
- Popular actors have played roles in the annual Scary Farm event including Elvira and “Weird Al” Yankovic.
- Elvira, Mistress of the Dark had a recurring role at Scary Farm from 1982-2001.
- Ghost Town is the original scare zone, but the haunt eventually expanded to encompass the entire park.
- The “Terror of London” maze was one of Scary Farms most popular mazes and was based on the Jack the Ripper murders.
- Scary Farm combines humor with horror, and guests will find a variety of comedic shows and events during their visit to the park.
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