Knott's Scary Farm 2026 guide: tickets, bags and parking

Knott's Scary Farm runs at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park on 26 select nights from September 17 through October 31, 2026. The event starts at 7 p.m. and combines ten haunted mazes, five scare zones, three shows and rides after dark. It is a separate-ticket event, not an evening extension included with ordinary daytime admission.

The two rules most likely to stop a visitor at the gate are straightforward. A guest aged 15 or younger needs a chaperone who is at least 21, and the event accepts only a small clear bag or a smaller non-clear clutch. Fright & Fast Lane can shorten queues, but it does not include admission.

Photo: METRO96 via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. The photograph was taken at Knott's Berry Farm in 2019. It shows the WaveSwinger at night, not Scary Farm 2026.

The practical plan: buy the dated event ticket first, then add parking or line access only if it improves the same night. Arrive before opening, start with one of the two new mazes, reserve a show time rather than hoping to fit one in, and confirm the ride home before entering. Public transport serves Knott's, but the final departures may be earlier than the 1 or 2 a.m. event close.

This guide was checked on September 15, 2026. Dates, prices, showtimes, attraction availability and entry policies can change. Use the live event page and Six Flags app again on the day of the visit.

Knott's Scary Farm 2026 dates and hours

The published 2026 calendar has seven September nights and nineteen October nights:

• September: 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 and 27
• October: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30 and 31

Current schedules show 7 p.m. opening. Thursdays and Sundays are scheduled to finish at 1 a.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 2 a.m. Check the official Knott's Scary Farm page and selected ticket date before travel because the event runs on select nights, not every Thursday through Sunday.

Choosing Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday

A Thursday gives six event hours and an earlier finish. It suits someone who can arrive before 7 p.m. and wants mazes more than rides. Sunday has the same scheduled closing time and may work better for a weekend visitor who can accept a late night before Monday.

Friday and Saturday provide an extra hour. That helps when the plan includes several coasters or two shows, but the extra time is not a guarantee of shorter queues. Pick the date around the group's actual arrival and return transport, not only the closing time. A visitor landing at Los Angeles International Airport at 5 p.m. does not have a realistic opening-hour plan once baggage, traffic and hotel check-in are included.

Halloween is one of the dates on sale, but the same 2026 maze and show programme runs across the season. Choose October 31 for the date itself, not because it unlocks a separate attraction list.

Which Knott's Scary Farm ticket do you need?

The official ticket page separates admission from upgrades. Read the word "includes" under the exact product before paying.

Single-night admission currently starts at USD 65 online before taxes. The season pass is listed at USD 164, and Fright & Fast Lane starts at USD 139. Those are price floors, not a quote for every night. Date, inventory, taxes and selected extras change the total.

Do not buy Fright & Fast Lane by itself and expect to enter. It is an add-on. Likewise, a daytime Knott's Berry Farm ticket does not replace Scary Farm admission. If visiting the park in daylight as well, treat the two admissions, the closure between sessions and parking as separate planning decisions.

Is Fright & Fast Lane worth it?

It solves one specific problem: regular queues for mazes and selected rides. It does not create more showtimes, include admission or remove the need to walk across the park.

Consider it when the group has one fixed Saturday, wants all ten mazes, and also intends to ride major coasters. Skip it when the group can arrive for opening, has a short priority list, or can attend on two separate nights for a comparable total. Price both options in the same checkout session before deciding.

What is new at Knott's Scary Farm in 2026?

The two new mazes are Inked and Unearthed. Inked uses the story of a 1930s cartoonist whose characters escape into the real world. Unearthed follows a search-and-rescue team into an excavation site after an ancient discovery goes wrong.

The official event page also lists three shows:

• Occultum, a new magic and illusion programme curated by The Magic Castle
• The Hanging, the returning Calico stage show
• Voodoo: Bayou's Edge, a new production built around Marie Laveau and Baron Samedi

Returning maze names on the current event material include Widows, Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman and Chilling Chambers. The current event map also lists Mary: The Haunting of Worth Home, The Zoo, Room 13, Cinema Slasher and Origins: The Curse of Calico. Use the Six Flags app for the final operating list and date-specific showtimes. A maze can close temporarily even when it appears on the map.

The five scare zones are open-air areas rather than queues into a single building. Ghost Town Streets, Forsaken Lake, CarnEVIL, The Gauntlet and GORE-ing 20s connect parts of the park, so there is no completely scare-free shortcut between every attraction.

A realistic one-night route

Trying to complete ten mazes, three shows and several rides without priorities usually produces a night spent crossing the park. Use three tiers before arrival:

1. Must do: the two new mazes plus one favourite returning maze.
2. Timed: one show, chosen after the app publishes its schedule.
3. Optional: coasters and remaining mazes, added by proximity and live wait.

Before 7 p.m.

Reach the entrance early enough for parking, the walk, bag screening and ID checks. Keep every ticket on the holder's phone or in a shared wallet that can still be opened if one person loses signal. Screenshot the reservation details as a backup, but use the live ticket or wallet pass when the barcode changes dynamically.

Open the current event map and mark Inked, Unearthed and the theatre for the selected show. Agree on one fixed meeting point outside a maze exit. "At the entrance" is not precise enough when a group splits in fog and a large crowd.

First hour

Go directly to the higher-priority new maze that is farthest from the group's later show. Complete a second nearby maze before taking a long ride queue. The first hour is the least replaceable part of the night; using it for food, merchandise or deciding what to do costs more than the same pause later.

Middle of the night

Move toward the reserved show area through adjacent mazes and scare zones. Eat before the show or during a deliberate gap, not when everyone becomes hungry at once. If a ride posts a long wait, compare it with the same ride during an ordinary daytime visit. Scary Farm-only mazes should normally win that trade-off.

Final hour

Use the last hour for attractions near the chosen exit. Do not finish at the opposite end of the park when a rideshare reservation, bus or meeting point has a fixed time. Recheck the pickup location before the group separates for a final maze.

Knott's Scary Farm chaperone and ID policy

Under the current Knott's code of conduct, every guest aged 15 or younger must enter with a chaperone aged 21 or older. One chaperone may accompany no more than ten guests aged 15 or younger.

The chaperone must show valid government-issued photo identification with date of birth, enter with the group, remain inside the park and be reachable by phone. Guests aged 16 or older may also be asked for government-issued photo ID to verify age. A school card or a photograph of an ID is not listed as a substitute.

Knott's says Scary Farm is not recommended for children under 13. That is guidance rather than a posted minimum age, but every child still needs paid event admission. The nighttime event uses loud audio, darkness, fog, startling performers and horror imagery across the park. Knott's Spooky Farm is the separate daytime Halloween event intended for younger visitors.

Knott's Scary Farm bag policy

The event-specific bag rule allows:

• a clear plastic bag smaller than 12 by 12 by 6 inches; or
• a non-clear wristlet or clutch no larger than 5 by 8 by 2 inches.

All bags are searched. "Smaller than" matters for the clear option, so a bag sold as exactly 12 by 12 by 6 inches may not satisfy the wording. Measure the filled bag at home and leave ordinary backpacks at the hotel or in the car.

The general code of conduct prohibits weapons, pepper spray, fireworks, smoke devices and clothing that conceals identity. Evening Halloween events may also prohibit themed attire that is permitted during the day. Wear ordinary clothes and comfortable closed shoes rather than arriving in costume.

Check medicine and accessibility needs against the current policy before travel. A medically necessary item should not be hidden or repacked in a way that makes it unsafe. Contact Guest Services when the posted bag dimensions do not accommodate a documented need.

Parking, rideshare and public transport

Knott's Berry Farm is at 8039 Beach Boulevard in Buena Park, about ten minutes by road from the Anaheim resort area in ordinary conditions. Halloween traffic and the entry queue can make that estimate unreliable.

Driving and parking

Buy the parking product that explicitly applies to Scary Farm. The ordinary daily-parking page warns that its standard product is not valid for Scary Farm. Event admission also does not include parking unless the selected bundle lists it.

Save the parking row and lot entrance before walking away. Photograph the nearest marker and note which side of Beach Boulevard the group used. At the end of the night, do not follow another crowd without checking that it is heading to the same lot.

Rideshare

Set a pickup point while the group still has time and battery. Crowds leaving at 1 or 2 a.m. can make driver matching and vehicle identification harder. Keep one phone available for the ride rather than using every remaining percent on video.

If the driver cannot reach the original pin, move only to a well-lit public location allowed by event staff and share the new location with everyone in the group. Do not walk into an unfamiliar residential street to chase a cheaper fare.

Bus and rail

Metro route 460 serves Knott's Berry Farm from Disneyland, Norwalk C Line station and Downtown Los Angeles. OC Bus routes also serve Beach Boulevard. The published 460 timetable has late service, but not every departure works with a 1 or 2 a.m. finish. Check the exact event night in the official trip planner and decide whether to leave early or reserve another ride home.

Buena Park Metrolink station is about four miles from the park. OCTA's current Knott's guide suggests a rideshare or OC Bus route 25 with a transfer to route 29. Metrolink is useful for the outward journey only when the return timetable also works. Do not assume a train will wait for the event close.

For flights, John Wayne Airport is the closest major commercial airport by road, while Long Beach and Los Angeles International are other common choices. Compare the complete ground trip at the planned arrival hour. A lower airfare at LAX may create a longer and less predictable transfer to Buena Park.

Access planning for a foggy, high-intensity night

Knott's directs visitors with disabilities to its accessibility programme, which covers the Attraction Accessibility Program, the IBCCES Accessibility Card, mobility rentals, hearing and visual support, service animals and ride-specific rules. Register or request support before the event when the programme requires advance action.

Scary Farm adds conditions that are not captured by an ordinary daytime accessibility plan: low light, fog, sudden sound, scare actors, long periods standing and dense moving crowds. A No-BOO necklace is currently sold as an add-on, but visitors should read its exact scope before relying on it. It may affect some scare-actor interactions and cannot remove dark environments, loud shows or maze content.

Choose a non-maze meeting point, identify Guest Services on the current map and tell the group how to pause without blocking a walkway. Anyone who may need to leave should remember that event re-entry is not promised by a normal daytime policy. Confirm the event rule before exiting.

Apps for the Scary Farm map and late return

The official Six Flags app provides the current map, directions, ride wait information and showtimes. Install it before reaching the gate and sign in while a dependable connection is available. App-store downloads and account recovery are poor uses of the first event hour.

Also prepare:

• the relevant Metro, OCTA or Metrolink trip planner for the exact date;
• a navigation app with the Buena Park area downloaded offline;
• the airline or airport app if the event is part of a fly-in trip;
• a weather app for heat, wind or rain checks;
• a wallet pass or offline copy of admission, parking and the return booking.

An offline map does not show a temporary maze closure or a moved pickup point, so keep both a saved baseline and a live source. Bring a compact power bank only if it fits the bag rule.

Mobile data for the event and the California trip

Mobile data is useful here for the current map, showtimes, wait information, rideshare changes and group messages. It is not a guarantee of fast service inside a crowded park. Download tickets, the map and the ride-home plan before entering, then treat live data as an update layer.

For an international visitor, a United States Roaming eSIM plan can be installed before travel on a compatible unlocked phone while the usual SIM remains in the device. The live catalog checked on September 15 showed 37 United States data plans, with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon named across current package records. Network availability depends on the selected package, device, location and local capacity.

The practical advantage over waiting to buy connectivity in Buena Park is preparation: the traveler can install at home, save event and transport details, and arrive with a data option ready. It does not replace emergency calling, guarantee indoor coverage or include a local phone number unless the selected package explicitly says so. Check when to install a travel eSIM, phone compatibility and the travel data calculator before choosing an allowance.

Knott's Scary Farm visitor questions

Is Knott's Scary Farm included with daytime admission?

No. It is a separately ticketed nighttime event. Every guest needs Scary Farm admission, regardless of age.

Does Fright & Fast Lane include entry?

No. The official ticket page labels it as an add-on and states that event admission is not included.

Can a 16-year-old enter without a chaperone?

The posted chaperone requirement applies to guests aged 15 or younger. A guest aged 16 or older may be asked for government-issued photo ID to prove age.

Can one adult bring a group of teenagers?

One chaperone aged 21 or older may accompany up to ten guests aged 15 or younger. The chaperone must enter with them, stay in the park and remain reachable by phone.

Can I bring a normal backpack?

Not under the current event-specific dimensions. Use a clear bag smaller than 12 by 12 by 6 inches or a non-clear clutch no larger than 5 by 8 by 2 inches.

Are costumes allowed?

Do not plan to wear one. The park's code prohibits identity-concealing costumes and says themed attire may be prohibited during evening Halloween events.

Is Knott's Scary Farm suitable for children?

Knott's says it is not recommended for children under 13. There is no posted minimum age, but every child needs a ticket and the horror experience extends beyond the mazes.

Can I do all ten mazes in one night?

It is possible on some nights, but not guaranteed. Arrive before opening, prioritize the two new mazes, reserve one show time and decide in advance whether line access is worth its separate cost.

Is public transport available after closing?

Some late buses serve Knott's, but the final trip depends on the day and may leave before a 1 or 2 a.m. event close. Check the exact return before entering and arrange a backup when it does not work.

What must I save before reaching the gate?

Save admission, parking, the current event map, the return route, the group's meeting point and accommodation details. Keep the live app available for showtimes and closures when the network is usable.

Final check before leaving for Buena Park

Confirm the selected date, event hours, ticket inclusion, parking product, current app map, bag dimensions and every young guest's chaperone. Check the return journey against the time of the final attraction, not merely the gate opening.

Roaming eSIM will review the official event page, ticket page, code of conduct and transport timetables during the 2026 season. If Knott's changes a date, entry rule, attraction, price floor or operating time, the guide will be updated and the revision date will change.