Halloween Celebrations by ©TripAdvisor / DFBGuide/ YouTube (None)
Theme parks come alive with extra thrills around Halloween, as winding mazes full of sinister surprises and foggy “scare zones” teeming with monsters complement the heart-pounding, gravity-defying rides. But don’t worry: For scaredy-cats and parents, there are family-friendly autumnal celebrations, too, with pumpkin-spiced eats and not-so-spooky fun.
Anaheim, California and Orlando, Florida
Though Disneyland's annual Oogie Boogie Bash and Disney World’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are quick to sell out every year, other festive touches — including themed food, character costumes, and decor — are available all season. Disneyland has a nightly Halloween Screams projection show, attraction overlays like the Haunted Mansion with a Nightmare Before Christmas twist, Dia de los Muertos displays and activities, and more. Disney World’s spooky Haunted Mansion and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are open all year long.
Mason, Ohio
Sunken ships, an alien research facility, and a killer grocery store are just some of the scares within Kings Island’s seven mazes. There are also five scare zones and live music, trivia, and laser shows. Attendees can download the Haunt app to see wait times, show times, and more on the go.
Various locations
Many of Six Flags’ 27 amusement parks put on an annual Fright Fest with haunted houses, live entertainment, and rides in the dark, but the size and themes vary. Some have original stories, while others mix in popular horror franchises. The largest is Fight Fest Extreme at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Ventura, California, offering 11 mazes — including The Conjuring universe, Saw, and Trick’r Treat — and nine scare zones.
Los Angeles, California and Orlando, Florida
Halloween Horror Nights bring the latest horror blockbusters to life. This year, Universal Studios Hollywood has eight mazes, including A Quiet Place, Insidious: The Further, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and The Weeknd’s Nightmare Trilogy, plus a Blumhouse-themed Terror Tram through the studio’s backlot. In Orlando, expect some of the same mazes, but also original concepts including a killer sweets shop, a goblin feast (spoiler: they eat humans), and more.
Buena Park, California
This long-running attraction features a whopping 10 mazes and five scare zones. New mazes this year include Widows, about a spider-possessed nursing home, and Eight Fingers Nine: Boogeyman, set in a colonial town haunted by a demon that stalks citizens in their sleep. Live shows include an illusionist, a macabre circus, and an Elvira retrospective show with, on select nights, appearances by Cassandra Peterson, who has long portrayed Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
Williamsburg, Virginia, and Tampa, Florida
Virginia’s park has five mazes and six scare zones including The Bash, featuring characters from the event’s past 25 years; music and variety shows; and themed BOOze bars with seasonal drinks and snacks. During the day, the family-friendly Halloween Spooktacular features costume parades, games, and other activities for kids nine and under.
In Florida, shiver through five mazes, and enjoy circus shows, “scare-e-oke,” scare zones, and themed eats and drinks. For younger guests, the daytime Kandy’s Sweetactular Celebration offers trick-or-treating, story time, and magic shows, while a “Sesame Street” Halloween event includes games, shows, and photo ops.
Sandusky, Ohio
A private club with a dark secret and a suspicious meat factory are a couple of the mazes you can try at Cedar Point this Halloween. In between, survive outdoor scare zones featuring sinister clown rock bands and undead mariners. Or, if that sounds too scary, get a no-boo necklace to dissuade the roaming ghouls from getting too close. Daytime family-friendly entertainment includes a whimsical walk-through house, trick-or-treating, games, crafts, and more.
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Dark Nights' five mazes — including the new 13-room Estate of Evil — and three scare zones transform this chocolate-lover’s paradise into a terrifying thrill. Need a break? Stop by Spirits Rooftop Bar at The Chocolatier for themed cocktails, seasonal eats, and classic horror movies.
Brooklyn, New York
NYC’s famous Coney Island hosts a bevy of fall and Halloween attractions for the whole family, including trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, and a mini-tractor race through a hay maze for the little ones. Adults can enjoy a seasonal cocktail menu or indulge in treats like pumpkin-spiced fried Oreos.
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Country legend Dolly Parton’s Dollywood is a family-friendly autumnal wonderland. Guests can enjoy live gospel, country, and bluegrass bands and seasonal eats — pumpkin-spiced ribs or Belgian waffles with toffee ice cream, perhaps — during the day. At night, 12,000 real and faux pumpkins and twinkling lights make for a magical stroll that’s occasionally spooky, but not scary.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
There’ll be no nightmares after this family-friendly event, offering corn mazes, dancing, scavenger hunts, a costume parade, diving shows, plays, and a not-so-spooky story time. A trick-or-treasure trail provides lots of goodies — and no tricks.
Doswell, Virginia
As the sun sets, Kings Dominion becomes Halloween Haunt. Thrillseekers can enjoy five mazes, including a creepy corn maze and a twisted forest; scare zones; a spooky midway; a showcase of horror props and vendors; and live music, burlesque, and pyrotechnics. Kings Dominion is owned by Cedar Point parent company Cedar Fair, so you’ll find the same no-boo necklaces here if you require milder thrills.
West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Phantom Fall Fest at Kennywood includes six mazes and four scare zones. Expect a villa full of vampires, a cemetery crawling with zombies, a voodoo swamp, and clowns run amok. Other attractions include a trick-or-treat scavenger hunt for kids and an add-on ticket to experience the park’s Noah’s Ark funhouse — but with the lights out.
Charlotte, North Carolina
A paranormal investigation at an abandoned sanitarium, a forsaken film set, a journey into the mind of a kidnapper, a cannibal abattoir, and a sinister take on the tooth fairy round out Scarowind’s five mazes, with plenty of foggy scare zones in between. Live entertainment includes a heavy metal rock show and a murder mystery musical in which guests must identify the killer.
Bristol, Connecticut
This year’s festivities at the oldest operational theme park in the US include two new mazes — the voodoo-themed Bloodcraft and a monstrous gardens of Malignant: Overgrown Evil — and scare zones. Returning are the trippy Malice in Wonderland 3D and MediEvil, a tour through a Middle Ages dungeon. Guests looking to stay caffeinated can enjoy free Pepsi products all October.
Salem, New Hampshire
Screeemfest has Halloween fun for all ages. For little ones, Sundays are family fun days featuring a monster parade, character meet and greets, and a lights-on, actor-free walkthrough of one of the park’s haunted houses. At night, check out live adult entertainment like a circus sideshow, tribute bands, and five mazes, including a new carnival-themed attraction.