Step Into the Fog at Knott’s Scary Farm 2026: New Mazes, Scare Zones, Shows & Everything You Need to Know

By Erin

If you think Halloween is just about pumpkin patches, costume parties and spooky decorations, Knott’s Scary Farm 2026 is here to remind you that Halloween can get a whole lot darker.

Every fall, Knott’s Berry Farm transforms from a Southern California theme park into a fog-filled nightmare packed with haunted mazes, scare zones, live entertainment and monsters waiting around every corner. And for 2026, Knott’s Scary Farm is bringing back some fan-favorite nightmares while introducing two brand-new mazes, two new shows and a reimagined scare zone.

Knott’s Scary Farm returns on select nights from September 17 through October 31, 2026, at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. The event features 10 haunted mazes, five scare zones, live shows and more than 1,000 horrifying creatures lurking throughout the park.

Whether you’re a longtime Scary Farm fan or you’re planning your first visit, here’s everything you need to know about Knott’s Scary Farm 2026, including the new mazes, returning favorites, scare zones, shows, tickets and tips for planning your night. I attended opening night on the 17th, and you DON’T want to miss all the spooky fun in store this spooky season!

When Is Knott’s Scary Farm 2026?

Knott’s Scary Farm 2026 runs September 17 through October 31, 2026, on select nights.

The event takes place at:

Knott’s Berry Farm
8039 Beach Blvd.
Buena Park, CA 90620

Knott’s Scary Farm is the longest-running Halloween theme park event in Southern California, with more than five decades of nightmares, monsters and Halloween scares.

The 2026 event dates are primarily Thursdays through Sundays, with additional October dates leading up to Halloween. The event does not operate every night, so it’s important to check the official calendar when choosing your visit date.

What Is Knott’s Scary Farm?

Knott’s Scary Farm is an annual Halloween event at Knott’s Berry Farm where the entire theme park transforms after dark into a giant horror experience.

Instead of simply walking through a haunted house, guests can explore multiple themed haunted mazes, scare zones and live shows, while monsters roam throughout the park.

The fog is one of the most recognizable parts of the experience. You never quite know what—or who—you’ll encounter as you move from one area of the park to another.

And that’s part of what makes Scary Farm different from a traditional haunted house.

The entire park becomes part of the experience.

What’s New at Knott’s Scary Farm 2026?

There are two major new haunted mazes debuting at Knott’s Scary Farm in 2026: Inked and Unearthed.

There are also two new shows, Voodoo: Bayou’s Edge and Occultum Curated by Magic Castle, plus a reimagined version of the popular CarnEVIL scare zone.

NEW MAZE: Inked

One of the most intriguing additions to Knott’s Scary Farm 2026 is Inked, a twisted animated nightmare where cartoons aren’t nearly as cute as they look. This was my FAVORITE maze for this year.

The story follows Mortimer Morbid, a washed-up 1930s cartoonist and former head of Morbid Studios.

Mortimer discovers that when blood becomes ink, imagination can become reality.

Determined to create one final Halloween special, he brings his infamous cartoon characters to life.

Unfortunately, his creations aren’t exactly interested in following the script.

Instead, the murderous toons turn on their creator and begin pulling victims into their twisted animated world.

Inked blends classic cartoon imagery with horror, creating a completely different kind of haunted maze experience.

If creepy cartoons are your thing, this one should be high on your list.

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