It’s the last week of August, and it’s time for Knott’s Scary Farm to start letting the fog roll in. Over the years, they’ve evolved their announcement event into a whole theme park experience, and this year was no different. So yes, there are announcements in here and with the information you care about!
Fans should remember Larry the security guard from The Hanging who made an early appearance to help get the crowd close together.
And as you can see, there were a lot of people. This doesn’t even cover the online stream viewers.
The monsters came out, taking their time bringing out a coffin containing one of our MCs of the event. 
A small skit played out of two colonial-era folks discussing the forest monster and how dangerous he is. This was to lead up to the first of two of new mazes.
Eight Fingers Nine is Gus Krueger’s entry this year with his attempt at making a childhood story monster, complete with a creepy narration of a children’s rhyme of a monster that eats fingers, hence the name. The vibe will be similar to Forevermore, focusing on going in and out of 2D and 3D sets, like a scary children’s book coming to life.
Then, an old lady came out, talking a bit crazy as she’s ignored talking of the spiders. 
Widows is the second and final new maze by Daniel Miller this year. The maze revolves around the story of an abandoned senior home that has been taken over by spiders, which are slowly transforming the remaining patrons into one of their own. Understandably, arachnophobia may be a deal-breaker for some people, but if you can handle the creepy crawlies, there’s a lot to discover here.
Additionally, the two mazes confirmed to be retired in 2024 were Wax Works and Bloodlines 1842. Make an effort to see these two this year if you don’t want to miss out.
Beyond that, The Hanging is making it’s return again this year, subtitled The Errors Tour. The new location in the Wagon Camp has helped the controversy-laden show stick around as it’s not something you stumble into without warning.
Be sure to catch that multiple times throughout the season, as the show is known to evolve multiple times due to the speed of news these days.
Additionally, Carnival du Grotesque is back with more feats and amazing acts. And while Dr. Cleaver may be returning to medical school this year, the Bird Cage will play host to magicians once again.
The big surprise revealed at Midsummer Scream this year was that Elvira would be the focus of the entertainment. The Walter Knott Theater will be transformed and filled with props and photos from Elvira’s career, including the Macabre Mobile. The show will be a looping presentation covering all 20 years of her career, and at midnight each night, they’ll play her final 2017 show in its entirety. While live dancers won’t be present, this promises to be a unique experience in the area.
Of course, Knott’s wouldn’t be complete without merchandise, and Karl Busche is the champion of that. There will be a variety of shirts available, including Elvira-exclusive ones where she’ll be signing on three different nights throughout the event.
If you’re looking for more than just Elvira, there are plenty of new merchandise items to see, including a new color variation for the Loungefly headstone backpack. If you didn’t get a chance to buy the lanterns, they will be available on opening night, but it’s uncertain how much longer after that. This also marks the return of the Legacy store, which is an attraction in its own right and was already open for previews.
Elsewhere, a lot was going on. The Bird Cage Theater had two Q&A sessions with the Knott’s Scary Farm Creative Team. The Calico Saloon was playing creepy monster songs. The Chilling Chambers maze was open for a lights-on walkthrough, which was the biggest draw of the night. A few keen eyes noticed new additions from the mazes that bowed out back in 2023, like our old robot buddy from Dark Entities.
Town Hall had a bunch of the costumes on display, showcasing some of the new characters you’ll find populating the scare zones and mazes this year. On the right, you can see the new Hobo Clown and Grandma Clown that’ll be featured in Carnevil. All the scare zones have remained the same this year, but many of new the creatures inhabiting the lands are fresh and welcome.
The preview event has grown over the years, making it harder to cover everything that’s going on, but that’s part of the draw. You’ll want to get a season pass and come back again and again. Tickets and season passes are on sale at Knotts right now. Tickets are sold at the door, but are far cheaper online.
See you in the fog!
Here’s a full rundown the 2024 Knott’s Scary Farm Lineup.
New Offerings
Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman (Maze) – Become immersed in a living fairy tale in an 18th century colonial township that’s under siege by an inhuman monster who has a sick penchant for eating fingers. As night descends, Eight Fingers Nine emerges from the shadows in search of fresh meat. His vicious bite penetrates deep, causing sleep paralysis which holds his victim in sway while he slowly consumes their flesh. Step lightly and beware the dark, or you may be the main course at his next meal!
Widows (Maze) – The night of the arachnid is upon us! Enter a web-covered nursing home where demonic, eight-legged black widows emerge from their silken tunnels to possess the withered bodies of the elderly residence. Their sole purpose is to secure a mate and hatch a clutch of eggs before sunrise. Will you climb into their web and succumb to their dark desires?
Yours Cruelly, Elvira EXXperience – Walter Knott Theater
Through the years of Knott’s Scary Farm, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark©, graced the stage of the “Ghoul Time Theatre” with her electrifying shows for 20 astounding haunted seasons. Take a journey back to every single show with video highlights, behind-the-scenes footage and memorabilia celebrating the illustrious career of the undisputed Queen of Halloween.
Returning Mazes
Room 13 – Violent murders at The Blind Tiger interrupt the Prohibition-era revelry on Memory Lane. A dangerously delicious new cocktail named The Devil’s Elixir seems to be at the root of the mayhem, but where did the mysterious green aperitif come from? The answers may lie at the heart of the extravagant Argive Hotel, where many have checked in to Room 13… but none have checked out.
Cinema Slasher – Venturing through the mystical Midnight Theater, guests travel through the silver screen and into a trilogy of slasher movies. As they are swallowed into the world of gothic horror, they become the movie characters who try to escape the wrath of the dangerous Slasher. The theater opens its doors once again, daring those brave enough to buy a ticket to Cinema Slasher!
The Chilling Chambers – In honor of the first maze in Knott’s Scary Farm’s prestigious history, the 10 Chilling Chambers gives a nostalgic nod to Scary Farm’s past while terrorizing the audience of today. Guests are thrust beyond the threshold of an ominous towering cathedral that leads to terrifying classic maze themes from Knott’s Scary Farm’s infamous history.
Bloodline 1842 (Final Year) – Enter the battlegrounds one last time of the war-torn streets of the city of Valdonia. Armed with only your wits and courage, find the remaining Daybreakers and help them destroy the King of the Valhymphri.
The Grimoire – Turn the page and enter the world of an ancient relic whose dark stories exist purely to turn your greatest nightmares into reality. Enter the world of a mysterious spell book and escape the demonic creatures inside or be eternally trapped within!
Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind – Within the canvas tent lies the secret of the most potent force in the universe: the human mind. A hypnotic session with Professor Mesmer can cure all phobias, including snakes, spiders, darkness, claustrophobia and much more!
Wax Works (Final Year) – Buy a ticket for the final showing of the most amazing wax museum the world has ever seen! The figures look so lifelike you’ll swear you saw them move. And it’s rumored that blood-curdling screams can be heard as victims are horrifyingly submerged into a scorching hot cauldron of bubbling wax.
Origins: The Curse of Calico – Pierce the veil of time and discover the secret of the evil fog that hangs over Knott’s Scary Farm in Origins: The Curse of Calico. Unearth the sinister paranormal activity that plagues the town as Sarah Marshall is put on trial for her suspected crimes of witchcraft.
Returning Scare Zones
Knott’s Scary Farm is far more than a collection of haunted attractions. Every night monsters take over the streets and turn theme-park midways into murderous scare zones. From the world-famous Ghost Town Streets to the Boardwalk area filled with evil clowns, there’s nowhere to hide in Knott’s Scary Farm.
Ghost Town Streets is where Scary Farm began! The dark streets of Calico are the original and largest, most fear-filled scare zone that started it all. Terror lurks around every corner as the fog-filled alleys hold monsters of every size. Good luck finding a safe passage through the cursed town.
Return to the dark decadence of a bygone era as The Gore-ing 20’s scare zone terrorizes even the bravest and most brutal souls. The revelers at The Blind Tiger, the secret speakeasy on Memory Lane, danced their way into oblivion when their decadence brought upon them a deadly curse.
Step right up and come face to face with your worst nightmares on the Boardwalk. Deviant clowns and circus freaks are dying for your undying attention in the CARNEVIL scare zone. Smell the cotton candy as the maniacal midway monsters close in on you.
The Lake underneath Silver Bullet recedes to reveal the Forsaken Lake scare zone, where gothic creatures ravaged by the dark and murky waters wander from their crypts. Each night brings new terrors as a funeral procession makes its way to the spirit world.
In The Gauntlet, characters return to invade Camp Snoopy, but with an updated twist. Guests will again encounter the King and Queen of the realm, maniacal jesters, brutal barbarians, wicked wizards and lawless peasants. They’ve all returned with an onslaught of fresh terror.
Returning Favorites
The Hanging: The Errors Tour (Show) – Wagon Camp
The town of Calico is once again under siege! It’s up to the Lawman and the Hangman to rise up and battle the evildoers in all out bloodfest featuring the vilest villains of the past year. Grab a seat at the Wagon Camp and bear witness to the ultimate skewering of pop culture. This show is not for the squeamish!
Conjurers (Show) – Bird Cage Theatre
You won’t believe your eyes when our skilled Illusionist takes the stage in the heart of Calico. Get there early as seats have been known to vanish.
Timber Mountain Log Ride: Halloween Hootenanny (Attraction Overlay) – The Timber Mountain Log Ride residents celebrate the Halloween Hootenanny, which adds a seasonal twist to a park favorite. Mysterious creatures of Timber Mountain that live out in the woods and caverns join the citizens as they honor the season at the Halloween Hootenanny. The Ride’s interior features surprises as guests venture past the Calico Coffin Creeper band, the town’s green witch, and splash down Skull Mountain through a labyrinth of jack-o-lanterns all set to an original soundtrack by Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies.
Into The Fog: A Scary Farm Tribute Art Show – The Factory Store
Into the Fog is an art show specially curated for the discerning Scary Farm fan. The show is home to a collection of original art by unique and talented artists from across the country. These artists have drawn inspiration from Knott’s Scary Farm’s rich decades long history and we’re certain you’ll find an original or print you’ll want to take home with you. Along with the Scary Farm art show, you can find all sorts of souvenirs any Halloween fan will be dying to make their own.
Le Magnifique Carnaval du Grotesque (Show) – Calico Mine Stage
Step right up and walk into the mystique and darkness of the malevolent Le Magnifique Carnaval Du Grotesque. A collection of death-defying feats and carnival acts that will delight your darkest desires and fill your senses with terror and delight.
And as you can see, there were a lot of people. This doesn’t even cover the online stream viewers.
The monsters came out, taking their time bringing out a coffin containing one of our MCs of the event. 
A small skit played out of two colonial-era folks discussing the forest monster and how dangerous he is. This was to lead up to the first of two of new mazes.
Eight Fingers Nine is Gus Krueger’s entry this year with his attempt at making a childhood story monster, complete with a creepy narration of a children’s rhyme of a monster that eats fingers, hence the name. The vibe will be similar to Forevermore, focusing on going in and out of 2D and 3D sets, like a scary children’s book coming to life.
Then, an old lady came out, talking a bit crazy as she’s ignored talking of the spiders. 
Widows is the second and final new maze by Daniel Miller this year. The maze revolves around the story of an abandoned senior home that has been taken over by spiders, which are slowly transforming the remaining patrons into one of their own. Understandably, arachnophobia may be a deal-breaker for some people, but if you can handle the creepy crawlies, there’s a lot to discover here.
Beyond that, The Hanging is making it’s return again this year, subtitled The Errors Tour. The new location in the Wagon Camp has helped the controversy-laden show stick around as it’s not something you stumble into without warning.
Additionally, Carnival du Grotesque is back with more feats and amazing acts. And while Dr. Cleaver may be returning to medical school this year, the Bird Cage will play host to magicians once again.
The big surprise revealed at Midsummer Scream this year was that Elvira would be the focus of the entertainment. The Walter Knott Theater will be transformed and filled with props and photos from Elvira’s career, including the Macabre Mobile. The show will be a looping presentation covering all 20 years of her career, and at midnight each night, they’ll play her final 2017 show in its entirety. While live dancers won’t be present, this promises to be a unique experience in the area.
Of course, Knott’s wouldn’t be complete without merchandise, and Karl Busche is the champion of that. There will be a variety of shirts available, including Elvira-exclusive ones where she’ll be signing on three different nights throughout the event.
If you’re looking for more than just Elvira, there are plenty of new merchandise items to see, including a new color variation for the Loungefly headstone backpack. If you didn’t get a chance to buy the lanterns, they will be available on opening night, but it’s uncertain how much longer after that. This also marks the return of the Legacy store, which is an attraction in its own right and was already open for previews.
Elsewhere, a lot was going on. The Bird Cage Theater had two Q&A sessions with the Knott’s Scary Farm Creative Team. The Calico Saloon was playing creepy monster songs. The Chilling Chambers maze was open for a lights-on walkthrough, which was the biggest draw of the night. A few keen eyes noticed new additions from the mazes that bowed out back in 2023, like our old robot buddy from Dark Entities.
Town Hall had a bunch of the costumes on display, showcasing some of the new characters you’ll find populating the scare zones and mazes this year. On the right, you can see the new Hobo Clown and Grandma Clown that’ll be featured in Carnevil. All the scare zones have remained the same this year, but many of new the creatures inhabiting the lands are fresh and welcome.
The preview event has grown over the years, making it harder to cover everything that’s going on, but that’s part of the draw. You’ll want to get a season pass and come back again and again. Tickets and season passes are on sale at Knotts right now. Tickets are sold at the door, but are far cheaper online.
See you in the fog!
