Although Halloween is not my favorite holiday, I do enjoy it quite a bit. The fun and spooky decorations, pumpkin-flavored treats, and the scent of fall it the air. One of my favorite things about Halloween though? Theme parks at this time of year. Knott’s Scary Farm in Buena Park is the original theme park haunt and has been going on for 51 years. Mike and I were able to attend the opening night of Knott’s Scary Farm again this year and we had a great time! Keep reading for everything you need to know. This blog post is in partnership with Knott’s Berry Farm, all opinions are my own. As a Get Away Today partner some links may contain affiliates.

Knott’s Scary Farm 2024

First of all, you need to know that Knott’s Scary Farm requires a separate ticket and is not included in a daytime admission to Knott’s Berry Farm. The main park closes down in the evening (time varies by day) and then Knott’s Scary Farm opens at 7:00 pm on select nights. Note that Scary Farm takes place Thursday through Sunday evenings, as well as Wednesdays starting on Wednesday, October 9th.

experience the mazes

Knott’s Scary Farm has 10 mazes in total that are spread throughout the park and eight of them are returning favorites. Here are all the mazes, categorized by returning and new, as well as how I personally rank them. Keep in mind, these are my personal opinions and I have read some reviewers online vastly disagree with me.

returning favorites

Cinema Slasher: This is my absolute favorite maze because I think the concept is so cool. It was also one of the three new mazes last year. You start by walking into a movie theater concession area and are instantly met with incredible special effects. Then you walk through movie screens into classic slasher films (non-licensed versions of real slasher flicks).

Chilling Chambers: This was a special maze they brought back last year to celebrate their 50th anniversary of Scary Farm. I love it because I grew up going to Knott’s Scary Farm and there are lots of homages to mazes from years past.

Bloodline 1842: This is the last year for Bloodline 1842 which is a shame because it’s a neat maze full of lots of jump scares (literally, people jumping down on bungees). This is a daylight maze so if you go early in the evening you’ll be able to see more details in some of outdoor portions of the maze, which is kind of fun.

Room 13: This maze kind of has a The Shining vibe going on and was also a new maze for last year. I want to love this maze so much because there are some really neat sets and optical illusions. However, for me it’s just okay because there I feel like it’s kind of light on scare actors. Maybe we’ve just gone during a shift change both years, but many of the rooms were completely empty of actors for us. Otherwise it would probably be in the number two spot for me!

Terror Tip: The best way to experience Knott’s Scary Farm is with a Fright & Fast Lane pass, which gives you front of the line access for rides and mazes. Honestly, if you are trying to hit every maze, you will likely be unable to do so without a front of the line pass.

Origins: The Curse of Calico: This one gets credit for giving us some background into Sarah Marshall’s character (the witch of Calico Ghost Town). It’s definitely one of the better story lines. I also like a room where the witch in on a tether system above you and glides around. I don’t know why it’s not ranker higher for me other than I just don’t love some of the gross design choices.

The Grimoire: This one would be ranked lower except that some of the set design is so unique and interesting. Entire rooms done in old-school black and white?! Sign me up. The “pre-show” is a neat concept too, although I’ve heard from some guests that it doesn’t always happen. For me though, the storyline is just kind of odd and disjointed.

Wax Works: This is the last year for Wax Works and I’m excited to see what replaces it next year. This maze is not my favorite because I don’t like when things are unnecessarily gross. (See my comments on the Origin maze above.) Also, I once saw the the House of Wax 2005 remake and it has bothered me ever since so… yeah, not my favorite.

Mesmer: This one is absolutely ranked last on my list of old and new mazes. I think the storyline is very odd and fragmented. I also found that some of the special effects used in the maze were giving me issues with vertigo. So if you have a type of motion or photosensitivity, you might want to skip this one.

new scares

Widows: I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this new maze because spiders and I are not fans of each other. But everything from the maze facade to the sets and some of the costumes are just too cool to not love. This is also one of the mazes you can have early access to if you purchase a Boo-fet ticket.

Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman: This is a new maze for 2024 and was our first maze of the evening. The concept of being the origin of a Boogeyman is interesting, but for me it probably ranks just above Mesmer. As a mom I don’t love storylines that negatively involve children. And like some other mazes, this one has several instances of unnecessary and excessive grossness.

five scare zones

The scare zones connect all of the park and you literally can’t go anywhere without walking through one (or several). Personally, scare zones are one of my favorite parts because it’s just fun to walk around and people watch, or monster watch. Here is a brief description, starting with my personal favorite and going down to my least favorite.

Ghost Town Streets

This is the original scare zone that started it all and in my opinion, is the best. This is where the fog will be thickest which is really fun. The Ghost Town Streets are also where you’ll find the Green Witch (Sarah Marshall) and the Conductor roaming around, along with all the other monsters and undead.

The Gauntlet

Although Camp Snoopy is totally family-friendly during the day, at night the plague-ridden residents of The Gauntlet take over and I could not be more thrilled. This area is somehow so fun, even with all the spooky characters behind every turn. To me, some of the characters very much remind me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. There’s also a wandering band of undead minstrels if you’re lucky enough to seem them.

CarnEVIL

I hate clowns, but I love this section of Knott’s Scary Farm. This is also one of the more well-lit scare zones, so if you want a decent picture with a monster, head here. I also feel like the clowns are pretty interactive and “friendly”, in their own creepy clown way.

The Gore-ing ’20s

This is a very small scare zone, and honestly not very scary. But the costumes and characters are a lot of fun. It’s also somewhat decently lit, so much like CarnEVIL you might be able to snag a good picture. This is also where you’ll find the Blind Tiger Balcony Soiree, which is some fun music you can enjoy as you stroll through.

Forsaken Lake

For whatever reason, this scare zone is my least favorite. It gets scenic points for surrounding the little lake under the Silver Bullet ride, but it’s just okay. It’s not super fog-filled like the Ghost Town streets, and the characters aren’t very memorable like in some of the other scare zones.

| Read: Spooky Farm vs. Scary Farm |

take in the shows

Shows of all kinds are a Knott’s Scary Farm tradition but keep in mind, most are not family-friendly. After all, they bill the entire event as being for ages 13 and up, but I personally feel like more of their shows lean slightly more towards being R-rated.

The Hanging: The Errors Tour

After a hiatus, The Hanging came back for the 50th anniversary last year and it’s back again. If you’re not familiar, this show is an irreverent and politically incorrect look at some of the biggest pop culture and political moments from the year. Seats for this show fill up fast so plan accordingly.

Conjurers

Taking place in the iconic Birdcage Theater, this show features different magicians every weekend. The small venue means you’re up close and personal no matter where you sit. We were able to see Brian Ochab the night we were there and he is considered to be one of the top close-up magicians in the world! Very fun show to watch.

Le Magnifique Carnaval Du Grotesque

This show returns and is just as impressive as ever. It takes place on the Calico Mine Stage so it’s easy to walk up and watch a bit on your way somewhere else. This show features a dance troupe, fire dancing, and more. You definitely don’t want to miss seeing part of this show as some of the feats are quite amazing and will have you wondering if the performers are collecting hazard pay.

Yours Cruelly, Elvira Xxperience

This isn’t so much a show as it is an experience–or rather an Xxperience I suppose. The Walter Knott theater is full of props and memorabilia that fans will love. Considering Elvira’s history with Knott’s Scary Farm, this is a fun tribute to her work over the years. The actress who portrayed Elvira for so many years, Cassandra Peterson, will be in attendance for a Q & A on select nights.

Knott’s Scary Farm exclusive items

merchandise

As always, there are several fun Knott’s Scary Farm specific items you can purchase. You can find everything from stickers to shirts with Scary Farm emblazoned on it. Also returning this year after debuting last year are the interactive lantern and the “No-Boo” necklace, both of which have slightly different looks from 2023.

food

As an attendee of the media night, I was able to sample many of the dishes that are available during Knott’s Scary Farm. Ghost Town Bakery is always our favorite place to stop for a sweet treat no matter what time of year it is. Some of our favorite desserts this year were the Graveyard Mousse Cup and a Whoopie Pie with Oreo® Buttercream. Looking for something savory? The parmesan risotto was a delicious side and I couldn’t get enough of the Boysenberry Sausage. Also, don’t sleep on the Grimoire’s Pastrami Burger. Keep in mind that some items are available with the Scary Meal Deal, and others must be purchased a la carte.

Have you ever been to Knott’s Scary Farm?