Knott's Scary Farm Haunt 2009
- Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, CA
- 2009 dates: September 24-27 and 30. October 1-4, 7-11, 14-18, and 21-25, and 28-31.
- 2009 tickets: There is a separate admission to Knott's Scary Farm. Tickets are $53.99 at the gate and, depending on the date, range from $31.99 to $49.99 in advance. Group discounts available (call 714-220-5163 for info).
Other admission options include a "V.I.M" (Very Important Monster) guided tour. For the very pricey fee of $2000, up to six guests can get front-of-the-line entry into the mazes and a personal guide. The tours require advance reservations by calling (714) 220-5298. There are also "Pre-Scare Dinner" and "Post-Scare Breakfast packages as well as hotel packages available.
- Knott's Scary Farm Haunt photo gallery.
- Official Knott's Scary Farm 2009 Web site. Presale tickets are available online.
Among the six stage shows is the always wildly inventive The Hanging, which takes a cheeky look at current events through blood-colored glasses. Other highlights include inferno (which, as you may suspect, includes fire eating and other "hot" acts) and Festival of Freaks, professional weirdoes that eat glass and stick their fingers in light sockets (ouch!).
Many of Knott's regular rides will be open in addition to the Halloween mayhem. Particularly appropriate: the wonderful Ghost Rider wooden coaster.
Be forewarned: Knott's doesn't skimp on the gross-out gore. It's probably best to leave the younger kiddos at home. (On the weekends, the park offers Snoopy's Costume Party in Camp Snoopy--redubbed Camp Spooky, a daytime, tamed-down Halloween event expressly for smaller children and included with regular park admission).
Halloween Horror Nights
- Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, CA
- 2009 dates: October 2,3, 9-11, 15-18, 23-25, and 28-31.
- 2009 tickets: The nighttime event requires a separate admission. Day-of-event tickets are $56. Advance tickets are discounted and vary according to the event date. Day and HHN combo tickets are available. Front of line passes are available. "RIP" guided tours are available for $149 and require advance reservations (call 818-622-5140).
- Halloween Horror Nights 2009 Photo Gallery
- Official Halloween Horror Nights Web site. Presale tickets are available online.
- Saw: Game Over
- Halloween: The Life And Crimes Of Michael Myers
- My Bloody Valentine: Be Mine 4 Ever!
- Chucky's Funhouse
The creepy characters from Saw will also loom large on the famous Universal Studios Backlot Tram Tour, which is re-dubbed Terror Tram: Live Or Die for Halloween Horror Nights. Guests aboard the tram will also have to endure "The Containment Zone," a fictional set from a zombie slasher flick.
Bill and Ted will be back for another excellent adventure. For the uninitiated, the slacker time travelers star in a bizarre Broadway-esque song and dance romp each year in which they skewer current events and people in the news. Universal will also present a musical tribute to the cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Many of the park's regular rides, such as the particularly timely Revenge of the Mummy, will be open for the event.
More California Halloween Events
The next page has info about Six Flags Fright Fest, Disney's HalloweenTime, and other Halloween events at Legoland, California's Great America, and SeaWorld San Diego.
