Knott’s Berry Farm, the originator of the theme park haunt, opened the gates to Knott’s Scary Farm 2025 to the delight of horror and Halloween fans in SoCal and beyond. The event, in its 52nd year, brings nightmares to life offering brave guests the chance to face their fears with an art exhibit, three separate shows, thrill rides like Silver Bullet, Ghostrider, Hang Time, Supreme Scream, and more five scare zones, and a total of 10 haunted mazes.
Here we will share our thoughts on the Halloween highlights and give you tips on how to have the best time for your budget. We will also highlight things that were particularly good as a DO NOT MISS.
SCARE ZONES
There isn’t a single place to hide at Knott’s Scary Farm. Between the shows, the rides, and the mazes there is a total of five scare zones where performers tirelessly entertain visitors.
Ghost Town Streets – DO NOT MISS
We will never stop pointing out that Knott’s is the birthplace of the modern theme park haunt. But did you know it’s also the birthplace of sliders? Yes. Those monsters that run toward their victims only to slide on the ground, that came from Knott’s too and Ghost Town Streets is the birthplace of that scare.
Dive into the impenetrable Fog Alley at the center of Ghost Town and find true terror. These actors navigate a narrow strip of this western town to play on your senses and to strike when you least expect it. This year, the ensemble here is vicious and one hell of a good time.
The Gore-ing ‘20s
One of the best new scare zones in years, the Gore-ing 20’s features a collection of ne’er-do-wells, gangsters and preachers out to condemn visitors with ridicule or temptation. The cast of characters here is varied and highly interactive. If someone offers you the Devil’s Elixir, just say no.
CARNEVIL – DO NOT MISS
Without question the most engaging and lively scare zone, CarnEVIL returns to torment coulrophobics and the timid alike. These ain’t your old school demented clown types. No, these are comical, bombastic bullies out to terrorize and torment. We honestly cannot recommend this scare zone enough. Go, watch, interact.
Forsaken Lake
Elegant, eerie and shrouded in fog, Forsaken Lake returns to Scary Farm. The inhabitants of an exposed cemetery, Forsaken Lake’s characters are eager to share their tragic story with you. Additionally, there are some particularly beautiful costumes here including a gaunt, menacing figure with an umbrella that stole the show for us.
The Gauntlet
The Gauntlet returns to the Camp Snoopy Area offering a fiendish mix of fantasy and horror. Think Dungeons and Dragons but where everything is dead and evil lurks in every shadow.
Returning Mazes
The roster of returning mazes is a solid one with only one that doesn’t exactly work. Regardless all are worth seeing even if it isn’t your first time.
Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman – DO NOT MISS
The creepy tale of the Boogeyman returns with Gus Krueger’s beautifully designed Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman. Say what you will about the name, but this maze continues to deliver with rich atmosphere and exceptional talent. We journey into the pages of an 18th century bedtime story. Here the Boogeyman creeps into home to nibble the fingers off of sleeping children. But there is more to it. Deep in the forest an evil looms, watching over the village.
This year the lighting design has been altered, darkened overall. This results in a lot of the brighter scenes of sunlight becoming darkened spaces of horror. I would note that perhaps the need to bump the lighting up in these scenes just a touch, but it was the right move overall. Make sure to hit this very grim tale.
Widows – DO NOT MISS
Spectacularly creepy and undeniably crawly, Widows returns for another year of spiderific horror. Nursing homes are creepy as it is. Here a dilapidated home for the elderly is coated in layers of spider webs while the residents happily lure us in. Soon we learn that this home is not only overrun by spiders, but that the eight-legged monsters have possessed the old folks and are intent on world domination. Of course they are.
Daniel MIller’s utterly bizarre concept blends two fears, age and spiders, to assault the senses. On its second year, Widows continues to be a striking and creative experience that welcomes repeat trips through its corridors.
Room 13
Oh Room 13. We WANT to love you. But things just don’t seem to work here. The set up is this; A string of violent murders has happened at the Argive Hotel. What’s worse, it might just be something in the delicious emerald-colored drink that is served up in the speakeasy.
There are a number of factors working against the concept for this creative and beautiful walkthrough. While the story is interesting, and the 1920’s setting is captivating, it just isn’t all that scary when there are too many people allowed to enter at once. It’s grizzly, savage at times, and unquestionably beautiful.
But I can safely say that over the past three years, every trip through the Argive has resulted in a conga line experience that brings the horror to a halt. The talent sells it beautifully and, for the record, I had a great jump scare in this one in the bar scene. But once the pacing slowed to a crawl a few scenes later, the scares died. The actors can only do so much, and they do try, admirably.
Since I am nitpicking, there is a scene midway through the maze that is supposed to create the illusion that you are up on the balcony of a high rise hotel. This can be a powerful illusion. However it can only work if maintained. On our trip through, the mirrors were coated in a layer of dust bunnies and dirt that killed any notion of endless space. So easy to address.
Do a clean up and fix the throughput and this could be something really special.
Cinema Slasher – DO NOT MISS
One of our favorite mazes is back! Cinema Slasher invites horror fans to jump into the movies and become part 0f the terror. Here we visit the mystical Midnight Theater and travel through the silver screen and into a trilogy of Slasher movies. All the tropes are here. A slasher is after a sorority house on Halloween, next a camp site in the middle of nowhere, and finally a meat plant. Each chapter is marked by walking through a movie screen and into the nightmare.
The brilliant Jon Cooke delivered this walkthrough for the 50th anniversary and now, on its third year Cinema Slasher shows no signs of letting up. This is a simple framework, a brilliant execution (pardon the expression) and another example of Knott’s Scary Farm’s knack for original concepts.
Just look out for the killer popcorn.
The Chilling Chambers – DO NOT MISS
Now in its third year, The Chilling Chambers shows no signs of fatigue. Designed as an homage to 50 years of Knott’s Scary Farm, this maze highlights the memorable scares and iconic scenes from Haunt past. The menacing Crimson Lord, replaces Seymour this year as horror host as we visit the likes of asylum inmates, chupacabras, and dolls. The cast this year really seems to get it with the ensemble firing on all cylinders.
Origins: The Curse of Calico – DO NOT MISS
The streets of Ghost Town are infested with nightmarish creatures and an impenetrable fog every Halloween. Find out why in the brilliant maze Origins: The Curse of Calico. Unearth the sinister paranormal activity that plagues the town as Sarah Marshall is put on trial for her suspected crimes of witchcraft. Jon Cooke and Plague Productions delivered this beautiful creation for 2019 and it has been entertaining visitors ever since.
That said, our single trip through this maze on opening night was a bit lacking. While the talent that was there was engaging and energetic, there were key positions missing, including the Green Witch in the finale. Thanks to the great story and wonderful design, the maze can withstand such obstacles here and there. This is one of the few perfect mazes that we have ever experienced and, even when it is pushing through a slow moment, it is better than most.
Departing Mazes
The normal lifecycle of Scary Farm mandates that with every new maze, another must depart. Here are the two walkthroughs that you need to experience before they are gone.
The Grimoire
The beautiful but convoluted maze The Grimoire is back for a final chapter. Here we encounter a plucky group of teens who read from an evil book only to let loose more evil upon the world. The Grimoire is, unquestionably, a beautiful maze. Every inch of the walkthrough is themed, every scene beautifully designed. The talent performs wonderfully in their given scenes. Yet for all of the production, the concept is far too complex. We travel from a clubhouse to a campground to Revolutionary America, to the 1950’s, to what could be World War 2, back to the clubhouse, then beyond. Yet any casual visitor is lost in a riot of scares and loud noises.
The poor storytelling, or rather the OVERtelling of a story is the disservice to everything that is good in this walk through. Let’s consider, for instance, the glowing verses painted throughout the maze. I feel confident in saying that few visitors read these words, much less remember them. If they needed to convey anything they needed to be paired down to a sentence or even a word
When this attraction moves on to another park, I hope that they refine the concept, simplify the story, and they will have a hit.
Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind – DO NOT MISS
We are honestly so sad that Mesmer will be moving on. Mesmer, the nefarious magician and sideshow attraction invites guests into his tent for an introspective journey of terror. Probing the human mind, we explore phobias including snakes, spiders, and falling among many. Sadly, we get lost in the madness and give in to our own minds. This is easily one of maze designer, Daniel Miller’s most elegant mazes that works whether or not you are looking for a story or just a good scare.
NEW MAZES
The two new mazes for 2025 are winners. Coming from designer Jon Asperin (The Grimoire, Bloodline 1842) is a creepy Bloody Mary themed walkthrough. Meanwhile, Daniel Miller (Widows, Mesmer) goes for sci-fi savagery with an idea straight from Dr. Moreau, but with more gore, of course.
Mary – The Haunting of Worth Home (Maze) – DO NOT MISS
The Bloody Mary myth is given new life with the maze Mary – The Haunting of Worth Home. We approach an average suburban home on Halloween night and things are a bit off. Soon we discover a dead body on the staircase and we know we are in trouble. As we go deeper into the home we catch glimpses of something in the mirrors, in the windows, and in the shadows. The no-good kids in the house have decided to summon Bloody Mary with the usual childhood game, with a little extra help from a few rituals, and Bloody Mary arrives to rip the place up.
For the most part this is a solid walkthrough with plenty of creative scares. Some highlights include menacing Mary’s bursting through mirrors, an upside down bedroom (not sure why, but it was cool) and some spectacular animated figures. The effects, from lighting, wind, and scents, are used effectively and not overdone. The talent really works hard here including the handful of actors portraying Mary herself.
Maze designer Jon Asperin should be proud of this immersive maze that keeps the scares coming and the premise focused.
The Zoo (Maze) – DO NOT MISS
Just wow. Something has taken over the abandoned zoo. An evil corporation, in fact, that is offering to splice animal DNA into humans to give eager customers animal powers. Of course nothing that crazy could work out that well. Chaos has erupted and these animal human hybrids are out for blood. Violent humanoid creatures terrorize guests as they attempt to navigate and escape this living nightmare.
Maze designer Daniel Miller delivers another gritty, disturbing, and creative maze that leaves you shaken and with his signature icky feeling. This one is wall-to-wall themeing and gore with generous and creative scares made even more frightening by the stellar cast.
But there is a twist. At 11:00pm every night, the animals take over and shut off the power, darkening the maze and making the scares even more intense. When this happens, visitors are handed nothing more than an unreliable flashlight and told to head on in. What I thought would be a basic gimmick turned out to be a stroke of genius, amplifying the chaos and scares. Well Done!
Lights On (Opening – 11:00pm) – DO NOT MISS
Lights out (after 11:00pm) – DO NOT MISS
The Shows
A mix of art and spectacle return to Scary Farm for 2025 with all new editions of four fan favorites.
Into The Fog: A Scary Farm Tribute Art Show (The Factory Store)
Into the Fog is an art show specially curated for the discerning Scary Farm fan. The show is home to a collection of original art by unique and talented artists from across the country. These artists have drawn inspiration from Knott’s Scary Farm’s rich decades long history and we’re certain you’ll find an original or print you’ll want to take home with you.
The Hanging – There’s a new Tarif in Town (Wagon Camp)
The Lawman is back to carry out justice and condemn pop culture’s worst offender in this silly, sometimes hilarious parody stunt extravaganza. This time writer Jeff Tucker takes aim at everything from Fantastic Four to Diddy in this annual yukfest. It’s crude, it’s goofy, most of the jokes are in bad taste, yet I wouldn’t have it any other way. With the absence of shows like this at other events and a generally safe approach to entertainment, it’s nice to have a place to laugh. It’s not South Park, but it’s something that proves Knott’s is willing to take a chance.
Our advice here though is to get to the Wagon camp 30 mins before the show to line up. They place fills up fast.
Conjurers (Bird Cage Theatre)
You won’t believe your eyes when our skilled Illusionist takes the stage in the heart of Calico. Get there early as seats have been
known to vanish.
Le Magnifique Carnaval du Grotesque (Calico Mine Stage)
Step right up and walk into the mystique and darkness of the malevolent Le Magnifique Carnaval Du Grotesque. A collection of death-defying
feats and carnival acts that will delight your darkest desires and fill your senses with terror and delight.
Knott’s Scary Farm Event Details
Knott’s Scary Farm has welcomed millions of visitors for over 50 years of never-ending nightmares and has become an institution
in the Southern California theme park landscape.
This year, the event returns on Sept. 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 and 28; Oct. 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30 and 31; and Nov. 1.
Knott’s Scary Farm is open 7 p.m.–2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m.–1 a.m. on select Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Due to the explicit and frightening nature of the event, it is not recommended for children under 13.
ADMISSION, Parking, and Packages
Scary Farm Pass – Enjoy the ultimate Scary Farm experience with unlimited visits to all event nights. A Scary Farm Pass is just $159 for a limited time. Knott’s Season Passholders can currently get a Scary Farm Pass for the discounted price of $155. Limited quantity available.
Single Night tickets – Buy tickets at knottsscaryfarm.com and save with prices as low as $64. Knott’s Season Passholders also receive a discount on single-night tickets. Taxes may apply.
Fright & Fast Lane – Ride and scream all night long with unlimited priority access to all mazes plus priority boarding on all Fast Lane rides. Fright & Fast Lane starts at $139 and varies by night. Separate Scary Farm event admission is required and not included.
Knott’s Scary Farm Boo-fet – Boo-fet offers a special chance to dine with the monsters of Scary Farm. Meals include a 2025 souvenir bottle and one digital download photo with a monster at the Boo-fet location. After dinner, enjoy early entry into select areas of Knott’s Scary Farm before it opens to other mortals. Boo-fet early entry will grant access to the mazes Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman, Widows and two all-new mazes. The Knott’s Scary Farm Boo-fet dinner starts at $49 when purchased online. Taxes may apply. Separate Scary Farm admission is required and not included.
Knott’s Scary Farm Vacation Packages – Turn your Scary Farm experience into a gruesome getaway with an overnight stay at the all-new The Knott’s Hotel. The Knott’s Hotel Package includes a one-night stay and hotel parking. Depending on the package, each registered guest can receive daytime admission to Knott’s Berry Farm, admission to Knott’s Scary Farm on the night of arrival, an exclusive Knott’s Scary Farm t-shirt, Fright & Fast Lane for unlimited priority access to all mazes and select rides at the park, Pre-Scare Dinner Experience at the Knott’s Hotel with early entry into select areas and access to the breakfast buffet.
Event Parking – All season-long parking is valid for Knott’s Scary Farm nights. Knott’s Scary Farm General parking is $40 per vehicle and can be purchased online or at the parking booth upon arrival. For those looking to park closest to Knott’s Scary Farm, Preferred Parking is $55 per vehicle at our Grand Preferred Lot and subject to availability.
POLICIES
CHAPERONE POLICY
A chaperone policy will remain in effect for all Knott’s Scary Farm event nights. Under this policy, all guests ages 15 years old or younger must be accompanied by a chaperone who is at least 21 years old to be admitted into the park. The chaperone must present a valid government-issued photo identification with date of birth at ticket entry. One chaperone may accompany no more than ten guests ages 15 or younger per day. In addition, the chaperone must accompany their party during entry, remain inside the park during their visit, and be available by phone throughout their stay. Guests 16 years of age or older may be asked to present a valid government-issued photo identification (driver’s license, state-issued ID card, passport) with date of birth at entry to verify their age. If unable to verify proof of age, guests may be denied entry into the park. Guests ages 15 years old or younger who are found inside the park unaccompanied by a chaperone will be subject to ejection.
BAG POLICY
A bag policy will remain in effect for this year’s Knott’s Scary Farm. 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.
The Verdict
Knott’s Scary Farm 2025 is a success. The scare zones are exciting, the mazes are creative and for the most part scary, and the show offerings, while limited compared to years past, still offer something worth watching. Make sure to hit every maze in the front of the park near Ghostrider, get there early, and stay late to enjoy every minute of fun. Halloween Haunt is back kids, and it’s out for blood.
