On Thursday, Knott’s Berry Farm held its special “Nightmares Revealed” event to unveil its plans for the 51st season of Knott’s Scary Farm. The limited-capacity live event was available to select guests lucky enough to score tickets and was streamed live via the theme park’s YouTube channel for those who couldn’t attend in person. The event was hosted by Knott’s Scary Farm Show Director Jeff Tucker and Halloween and horror personality LeeAna Vamp.
New Mazes
During the event, Knott’s announced two new mazes for 2024: Eight Fingers Nine and Widows.
Eight Fingers Nine
Eight Fingers Nine is unique in that it is a Boogeyman tale entirely imagined for Knott’s Scary Farm. The park is even uniquely styling the maze to make it feel like you’re walking into a classic storybook. Guests will step inside a living fairy tale in a colonial township under siege by an inhuman monster that preys from the dark.
“Eight Fingers Nine is a magical being that’s embued with the power of the forest,” explained Creative Designer Gus Krueger in a pre-recorded video played during the event. “His victims enter sleep paralysis. The idea is that you went to sleep, and everything was fine, and now you’re awake, and someone is slowly chewing at you finger by finger, inch by inch, just gnawing at your flesh.”
The maze will feature scenes in a forest, an orphanage, and The Miller Shop, an oddities shop filled with Easter eggs paying homage to past mazes of long-time Knotts Scary Farm Creative Designer Daniel Miller.
Widows
The name Widows is a play on words for this maze, referring to a woman who has lost her spouse and the terrifying spider, the Black Widow. In it, “demonic spiders have burrowed through the underground to take over the withered bodies of the residents of this convalescent home.”
The maze will be covered in webbing from top to bottom, so needless to say, folks suffering from arachnophobia will want to avoid it.
Returning Mazes
In addition to the new mazes, Knott’s announced eight returning mazes for 2024:
- Origins: The Curse of Calico
- Mesmer
- The Grimoire
- Cinema Slasher
- Room 13
- The Chilling Chambers
- Wax Works
- Bloodlines
During Midsummer Scream, we learned that 2024 would be the final year for Wax Works, however during Nightmares Revealed, Vamp announced that this year would also be the final year for Bloodlines.
Knott’s is also bringing back its special 50th-anniversary maze, The Chilling Chambers. Introduced last year as part of its 50th anniversary, the maze pays tribute to the 10 Chilling Chambers, which debuted at Knott’s Scary Farm in 1977. The maze is filled with nods to past Scary Farm mazes and is home to The Keeper, a character inspired by late-night horror host Larry Vincent, who used the moniker Sinister Seymour and was an integral part of the start of what was then known as Knott’s Halloween Haunt.
2024 Knott’s Scary Farm Scare Zones
No new Scare Zones were announced for 2024, but the lineup again included The Gauntlet, which returned in 2023 after a 15-year hiatus.
- Ghost Town Streets
- Forsaken Lake
- The Gore-ing 20s
- CarnEvil
- The Gauntlet
Returning Attractions
Staples of Knott’s Scary Farm, the Timber Mountain Log Ride, and the Calico Mine Ride both get their annual Halloween makeovers as Timber Mountain Log Ride Hootenanny and Calico Candy Mine Ride.
New & Returning Entertainment
Knott’s Scary Farm will again host several themed entertainment experiences during Scary Farm, with the return of fan-favorite shows “Conjurers” at the Bird Cage Theater, “Le Magnifique Carnaval du Grotesque” at Calico Mine Stage, and “The Hanging,” which returned in 2023 after being canceled in 2019.
“The Hanging” will again be held at the Wagon Camp Stage. At Midsummer Scream, Tucker alluded to its return, sharing that the new location helped protect the show from unwanted scrutiny from passerby guests who were often offended.
Yours Cruelly, Elvira XXperience
First announced at Midsummer Scream, more details about this tribute to the Mistress of the Dark’s over 40 years of stage show appearances at Knott’s Scary Farm were shared. Being shown at the Walter Knott Theater, where Elvira performed for her 20-season Knott’s Scary Farm residency, the experience will feature video highlights from every year Elvira performed. In addition to her Scary Farm performances, the experience will also look back on some of the highlights from Elvira’s long career as the queen of Halloween and feature behind-the-scenes photos, props, wardrobe, and more.
Elvira actress Cassandra Peterson will also be on hand for select nights during the event. On September 19, October 18, and October 20, fans who purchase exclusive Knott’s Scary Farm Elvira merchandise will be eligible for a special autograph signing with Peterson.
On October 18 and 20, Peterson will also participate in a special panel discussion featuring several of the talented people who helped bring her Knott’s Scary Farm shows to life.
Knott’s Scary Farm returns on select nights from September 19 to November 2, 2024. Tickets for the event start at $59.99 and are on sale now. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Knotts.com.
