Every year in late September when the days slowly get shorter and make way for more chilly nights in Southern California, you know that it’s that time of the year again – when Knott’s Berry Farm transforms to Knott’s Scary Farm.
The theme park’s annual Halloween Haunt is arguably one of the best Halloween events in the country. It’s touted as the first event of its kind and the inspiration for hundreds of “copycat” theme park Halloween events worldwide. Knott’s also claims that it’s the “world’s largest theme park Halloween event” and the “largest event in the amusement park industry.”
With “160 acres of horror” via a series of over 1,000 monsters, several mazes, and a collection of scare zones, Haunt is indeed pretty impressive, but what about the crowds?
It’s a complaint we hear often from attendees of the event. Lines for mazes can easily stretch to over 1-hour waits, and with Haunt only open for a few hours (usually 6-7 hours), that leaves many guests unable to experience all of the attractions.
So, when is the best time to go to Knott’s Scary Farm?
Check out our updated Knott’s Scary Farm: Best & Worst Dates to Go crowd guide, where we handpick the best and worst nights to visit every year. Be sure to also check the Knott’s Berry Farm Crowd Calendar in the months of September and October for crowd predictions (dates will be marked as “KSF”).
Knott’s tells us that the busiest days are Fridays and Saturdays. On these nights, expect the park to be packed with people. Don’t be surprised to run into heavy street traffic on the way there, either. There’ll be a line to get in, long lines for the mazes,and long lines for the rides, so be prepared if you plan on going to Haunt these nights.
Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are usually the lightest days for crowds (the event isn’t typically held on Monday and Tuesday nights). By no means will the park be dead-empty, but it generally shouldn’t be too crowded on these nights.
A good rule of thumb to find the most and least crowded nights is to simply look at the Knott’s Scary Farm calendar for ticket sales. On nights when it is expected to be packed, tickets will be more expensive (around $50). For the least crowded days, just look for the lower ticket prices.
What do you think of Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt? How were the crowds and what do you think is the best day to go? Let us know in the comments below.
For real-time updates and information of current crowd levels and conditions at the park, check out the Knott’s Berry Farm Live Crowd Tracker.
Definetly Go In Late September!! Lot Less People!
My school always gives us the first Monday in October off for a “faculty inservice”. It’s been my tradition for the last 3 years to go to Haunt on that Sunday night. Every year, arriving around seven and leaving within the midnight hour, I’ve been able to get into all thirteen mazes and ride the major rides (Silver Bullet, Xcelerator, and Ghost Rider). Empty streets make for better atmosphere, and I’ve never been so terrified as the time I went through Slaughterhouse almost completely alone! It’s by far the best night to go if you can manage it.
i plan on going friday october 14. my first time going to knotts scary farm and i was just wondering if it will be packed then?
I think it will be busy on that day. Fridays in October are usually crowded.
thanks (: when do you recommend going ?
that the crowds wont be to bad?
There’s definitely a lot less crowds in September, so I recommend going then. If you must go in October though, go on either Sunday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Fridays and Saturdays are usually busy in October. Hope this helps.
ok thank you very much, this is my first time going and im excited. Thanks for your help (:
do a lot of people go on the 29th like the last week at knotts scary farm
It should be very crowded this weekend. Saturdays are always packed!!
Do you think it will be busy on the 31st? It is a Monday this yearned …