Getting Spooky at Knott’s Scary Farm

I have to start off by saying that I hadn’t been to Knott’s Scray Farm in more than 20 years. The last time I went to the event was around 2000/2001 when I was a teen. I don’t remember much of my experience, and for quite some time, I kept hearing people rave about how good Halloween time at the theme park had gotten. So, 2024 was the year I planned my grand return, and I’m here to divulge all the details.

The park commences its haunt event at 7 p.m. on the dot. The husband and I arrived a bit early, and guests were herded in the main entryway. Everyone waited excitedly for the gates to open. I’ll admit, I began to feel squished among the crowd after a few minutes, so I think next time, I’ll wait outside the amusement park until it’s officially open to walk in. It was a welcome relief when we were all allowed to proceed into the shadows beyond.

It’s also been a while since I’ve visited the theme park, so besides walking through the haunts, I also wanted to get on a few rollercoasters. But let’s talk mazes first. There were 10, so that meant I needed to stay on track to make sure I had time to get to each one.

The park was divided into five scare zones with themes that included Ghost Town Streets, Forsaken Lake, CarnEvil, The Gauntlet and GORE-ing 20s. To avoid confusion, we started off with scare zone one: Ghost Town Streets and made our way through the theme park from there. The scare zones were shrouded in fog and there were a ton of frightening characters sneaking around waiting to catch guests off guard and jump out.

We kicked off the night with Widows, which was one of the new mazes for this year. This is not an attraction for anyone with arachnophobia because spiders are everywhere. I’m not afraid of these eight-legged creatures, but the ones inside this maze were gigantic and unsettling. Bloodline 1842 has been part of the Knott’s Scary Farm lineup in the past. It stole my heart because it was vampire themed. It had a steampunk vibe to it and was fun to walk through.

While I experienced all the mazes, there were a few that stood out to me. I believe it was Room 13 that showcased possessed hotel guests and had a huge, sinister face of the devil. Cinema Slasher contained several terrifying movie theater rooms. Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind was one of my favorites. It was centered on a professor who uses the power of hypnosis for dark purposes. The effects in this maze were really neat.

The Chilling Chambers was the 10^th and final maze and was in the form of a cathedral. It paid homage to the various themes of Knott’s Scary Farm mazes throughout the event’s 50-year history. The visuals were spectacular and if there weren’t other people behind me, I would’ve taken advantage of all the macabre photo ops. On a side note, this maze played a clip of one of Midnight Syndicate’s songs! They make gothic instrumental music, and many haunts nationwide play their tunes for an eerie effect. Their music certainly worked its magic in this attraction.

I thought the special effects and visuals utilized in all the mazes were impressive. The scare actors were also a nice touch and helped to bring these ghastly stories alive. The actors interacted with attendees and made you feel a part of the unfolding plot. The haunts were immersive and brought me into interesting worlds.

The biggest highlight of the evening for me was the Yours Cruelly, Elvira XXperience. This was a major reason I wanted to attend Knott’s Scary Farm this year. The creators and Cassandra Peterson herself teased guests about it during a panel at Midsummer Scream. It lived up to its expectations and more.

The Yours Cruelly, Elvira XXperience is set up in the Walter Knott Theater inside the amusement park. This is where the Mistress of the Dark would put on live shows during spooky season before she retired. It’s essentially an Elvira museum. The retrospective pays homage to the 20 years she spent putting on spooktacular performances for audiences. This is not an exhibition you get many opportunities to witness.

Photos of Elvira graced the walls of the foyer. When I walked into the theater, there was a huge screen playing non-stop clips of her playfully naughty acts and musical numbers. Displays were set up on the stage and the area surrounding it.

There were so many notable artifacts and memorabilia. I snapped a ton of photos, so seeing them with your eyes will be more entertaining than me listing the items here. However, a few I will mention are the nightgown she wore in Elvira’s Haunted Hills, the Macabre Mobile (read the fascinating story behind it in one of the pictures), Elvira’s couch from Movie Macabre, and a huge erect coffin holding a sultry photo of her inside. I doubt this will be a returning attraction, so I’m thrilled I got to see so many iconic pieces with my own eyes.

Earlier, I mentioned wanting to hop on a few rides. I did get on Ghost Rider, which is one of the best rollercoasters at the theme park. Although, I did have my eyes closed for a lot of it. I also got on the swings for a couple minutes before they stopped the ride because someone disobeyed the rules and pulled out their cell phone.

Knott’s Scary Farm is definitely a Halloween event I recommend if you’re a local or visiting the Orange County, CA, area during haunt season. It often gets compared to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights and recently, it’s been the preferred choice for many. Mainly, I think, because HHN has become overpriced and overcrowded. I love going to HHN, but even I have to admit those are its primary downsides. There were plenty of guests at Knott’s Scary Farm the night I went, but it was easy and comfortable to move around the theme park for the most part. Also, ticket prices are not as expensive, and I did the Fright & Fast Lane.

A few tips before I leave you. Since I hadn’t bought tickets to this event in so long, the process confused me somewhat and created a bit of a complication when we got to the park. General admission tickets and Fright & Fast Lane passes are sold separately, so you need to add each to your cart when purchasing online. Other haunts I’ve attended include both in a single purchase. I bought two Fright & Fast Lane passes assuming that was all I needed. When I got there, the staff member told me I still needed to buy general admission tickets to enter the amusement park. That was a little frustrating to deal with, but we got it sorted out. When I looked back at the website, the fine print does mention these details, but fine print is also easy to overlook.

Overall, I enjoyed myself at Knott’s Scary Farm, and I think it may be a Halloween event I want to attend annually.

Where to Stalk

Knott’s Scary Farm