Most people would probably consider standing outside in 98 degree heat in the middle of August a form of torture, but then again, most people aren’t standing in line waiting to find out what Knott’s Scary Farm has planned for Halloween. On August 18, that is exactly what hundreds of horror fans did as NIGHTMARES REVEALED took over Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, giving fans their first look at what awaits them when the fog rolls back into Ghost Town.
The excitement was obvious from the moment we arrived, and honestly, it felt like there were more people than last year. Considering tickets for Nightmares Revealed were selling for $55 and the event sold out incredibly quickly, we weren’t exactly surprised to find ourselves surrounded by a wall-to-wall crowd of Scary Farm faithful. The annual preview has become an event in its own right, and for longtime fans, this is where the waiting finally pays off.
JEFF TUCKER OPENS THE DOOR
The presentation kicked off promptly at 7:45 p.m., with Knott’s Show Director Jeff Tucker taking the stage and once again serving as the ringmaster of this particular circus of screams.
Tucker has always been refreshingly open about his love for Scary Farm and the people who come back year after year. You can usually find him after the presentation greeting guests, taking photos and talking with fans, which is something we appreciate because he genuinely seems to understand why this event means so much to the people standing in front of him.
He quickly ran through some of the returning attractions before getting to what everyone had been waiting for.
UNEARTHED AND INKED
First up was UNEARTHED, which takes guests deep into an archaeological excavation where something ancient has gone very, very wrong. A distress signal leads a search and rescue team to a ravaged base, where the discovery of ancient tablets awakens a malevolent force that should have remained buried.
Then came INKED, and this one immediately caught our attention.
The story follows Mortimer Morbid, a washed up 1930s cartoonist and former head of Morbid Studios, who discovers that when blood becomes ink, his drawings become reality. He decides to create one final Halloween special, only to unleash his murderous cartoon creations upon anyone unfortunate enough to enter their world. The presentation for INKED leaned heavily into that vintage cartoon aesthetic, and we couldn’t help but think there was something wonderfully twisted about taking those old colorful animated shorts and giving them a healthy dose of blood.
We are definitely curious to see how this one translates from the presentation into a full maze.
KEEP YOUR CAMERAS OUT OF THE MAZES
One of the biggest announcements of the evening had nothing to do with a new monster. Knott’s made it clear that filming inside the mazes will not be permitted this year. That announcement produced some immediate groans from portions of the influencer and YouTube crowd, but honestly, we understand where Knott’s is coming from.
There are plenty of reasons someone might watch a maze walkthrough online. Maybe they can’t afford the event. Maybe they can’t physically make the trip. Maybe they simply want to see what they’re missing. We get it, but there is also something to be said for walking into a maze without knowing exactly what is waiting around the next corner.
Tucker explained the reasoning during the presentation, saying, “We want these mazes to be a surprise for you fans, the way it used to be. You never knew where the scares were going to come from.”
We have to agree.
A maze walkthrough can show you what you’re going to experience, but it can also strip away the surprise. For us, that is part of the fun, so we decided not to do the lights on walkthroughs of Widows and The Chilling Chambers during the event. We’ll wait until Scary Farm officially opens.
CARNEVIL GETS A NEW RINGLEADER
The CarnEvil scare zone is also getting a major makeover this year, with Mesmer taking control of the circus following the retirement of the Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind maze.
The new version of CarnEvil puts the hypnotist in charge of the sideshow, turning the entire area into his twisted attraction. That is a fun way to bring a familiar character back without simply recreating the old maze.
The evening also introduced Occultum, a new dark magic show in the Bird Cage Theatre featuring illusions and impossible sleight of hand, along with Voodoo: Bayou’s Edge, a new musical production at the Calico Mine Stage hosted by Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. This was a really cool addition, and we truly loved the old maze known as Voodoo that took over the park a few years ago. We liked how Knott’s is keeping past ideas and using them in future iterations or styles.
THE BOULET BROTHERS AND “THE HANGING“
The Boulet Brothers made an appearance during the presentation, although this year’s involvement was considerably different from last year’s. They came out, waved to the crowd, and helped announce a podcast recording taking place later that night before taking their seats off to the side of the stage. Last year, they helped host the event. This year, they were there to say hello.
And then came THE HANGING.
This year’s edition is officially titled THE HANGING: NOOSE MAXXXING, continuing the long-running and deliberately controversial parody show at Wagon Camp. Jeff Tucker is once again the director for this year’s show and guarantees to shock and offend fans who attend. We wouldn’t want it any other way. You’ll have to attend in person to find out.
THE LEGACY STORE IS GOING TO HURT OUR CREDIT CARD
Once the presentation wrapped, we wandered through the park and eventually made our way into the Legacy Haunt Store, which was absolutely humming with fans looking for this year’s merchandise.
There was plenty to choose from, including new Spirit Jerseys, hats, collectibles and this year’s Loungefly backpack. Glow in the dark merchandise was everywhere, which is probably going to look fantastic once the sun finally goes down and the fog rolls through Ghost Town.
We already know how this works. You walk into the store telling yourself you’re just going to look. Then you walk out carrying a bag. Then you see the credit card statement next month.
THE FANS HAVE SPOKEN
As we walked through the park, we spoke with several Scary Farm fans about the presentation. One guest enjoyed the event but felt the main presentation could use some trimming.
“If they could get this down to like 20 minutes, it would be great to check out everything else that’s here,” the guest told us.
Another longtime fan brought up something that has become a familiar conversation among Scary Farm veterans.
“We love the originality of Knott’s and that’s what brings us back, but we wish that some rooms in the mazes weren’t exact replicas of the year before.”
That is the difficult part of running an event that has been around for more than five decades. Fans want new experiences, but they also become attached to the attractions they have spent years visiting.
This year, Origins: The Curse of Calico and The Chilling Chambers are both heading into retirement after the 2026 season.
OUR FINAL WORD
There were a few hiccups during the presentation, particularly with the sound, and we felt the musical number used during the announcement of INKED went on a little longer than necessary. Those are small complaints when you consider how much work goes into putting an event like this together.
And we have to remember something.
Knott’s doesn’t actually have to do Nightmares Revealed.
For years, the preview was primarily a media and annual passholder event held inside the Charles M. Schulz Theatre. Now it has become something fans actively fight to attend, with tickets disappearing almost immediately. That growth is great for Knott’s, but there is a strange little part of us that misses some of the intimacy of the old days.
Scary Farm doesn’t need to chase anybody. Knott’s has been doing this longer than almost anyone in California, and the event remains one of the most important Halloween attractions in the country. The park has its own identity, its own history and an audience that has been coming back through the fog for generations.
Now we want to see what they’ve built.
Knott’s Scary Farm returns September 17 and runs on select nights through October 31, 2026. Tickets currently start at $65 for general admission, with Passholder and member pricing starting at $55. We’d recommend getting your tickets sooner rather than later because some nights will undoubtedly sell out.
A personal thank you to Jeff Tucker for inviting us as his guests for the evening.
We’ll see you in the fog.