KNOTT’S SCARY FARM Delivers Chills and Thrills

I have to fall on my sword here: I really wasn’t expecting much out of Knott’s Scary Farm. It’s not so much that I didn’t have a low bar for it, it’s more that the whole trip to California with friends was focused on Halloween Horror Nights, at least for me personally (also spending time with my good friends of course. I love those guys). So when we pulled into Knott’s, I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t really look into it, none of my friends had been, so collectively we weren’t sure what we were in for.

Boy did it turn out to be a fun, spooky surprise. Knott’s Scary Farm is an absolute blast, and one of the funnest theme parks I've ever been to. If you are looking for thrills and chills, it can’t get much better than this.

To preface, it’s actually Knott’s Berry Farm outside of September and October. But with the spooky season, the park completely changes once that sun goes down. It’s safe to say these guys go all in, and theme park/Halloween enthusiasts like me are all the more lucky for it. Right from the start, the atmosphere becomes one of the best parts of Knott’s. Deep blue and red lights illuminate the park giving it an eerie feel. There’s parts where fog engulfs walkways almost entirely, with costumed actors popping out to give you a proper scare. There’s a section called CarnEvil that’s entirely red, including the coasters in the area. It is, for lack of a better word, awesome. I didn’t get bored while waiting in line for a house or sitting and having a snack, because I was just admiring how great everything looked. It’s my favorite way of enjoying an October night, and for this Knott’s delivers in spades.

But it isn’t just the atmosphere here that Knott’s provides. There’s a surprising amount of rides here, something I truly didn’t expect. I wasn’t able to go on one, and I already regret it. What’s crazy is that, unlike most theme parks, Knott’s roller coasters are available to ride the whole night (they close at 1:00am). So while you’re going through the ten haunted houses, you are hearing screaming not just from scared visitors, but people having the time of their life on the rides.

But the star of the night for us, was of course the haunted houses. Like I said before, there are ten (!) haunted houses throughout the whole park. It’s kind of a great companion piece to Halloween Horror Nights. While HHN has some original houses, it’s mostly made up of big time horror IP, iconic stuff like Stranger Things, Killer Klowns, Sinners, and so on. But with Knott’s? It’s all original stuff, and it’s creative as hell. Every house is just decked out with great detail, it’s so impressive.I did go in as blind as possible to this whole thing, so I won’t go too into detail here so hopefully you get the same surprises I did. But, my personal favorite haunted house, maybe one of my favorites ever, was Cinema Slasher. Going through what felt like an old fashioned movie theater, walking through ripped screens showing cheesy b movie footage. It was something I’ve always dreamed of experiencing, but never saw back at home. And now I finally have, and it was just awesome. What a treat.

I’ve said it multiple times before, but it is always an amazing thing to be surprised by something. We could chalk it up to me just not being a ball knower, but it worked out for my friends and I in the end. Knott’s Scary Farm was my first big scary event of the year, and what a note to start on. The atmosphere is perfect, the scares are plenty, the houses are fun and creative, the rides are plentiful. What more could you want? If you’re in the California area, I would highly highly recommend checking this out and adding it to your October plans. I’m excited to check it out even in the non horror months, especially those rides, but I’m already excited to go to the next scary farm event.