Knott’s Scary Farm 2026

[DTH]

The most recent bad mazes -- let's say 2019 and onward (again this is just myyyyy opinion), and I am only counting ones that were bad starting with their debut year -- Dark Entities and Bloodline 1842.

The goofy, animated, comedy, and/or too bright type mazes in the past that were bad -- Hatchet High, Terror Vision, Feary Tales, Killer Klown Kollege, Lost Vegas, Uncle Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre, and Dia De Los Muertos. These died out in 2012 and I was glad we were leaving these types of mazes in the past so I was disappointed when I saw Inked pop up. It was around 2012 that Knotts finally saw HHN as a competitor and got more dark with their mazes. Which is ironic, because that's when HHN finally started to experiment in tone more lol

Inked feels like "I miss the dumb, more lighthearted mazes of the past, we should bring one back as a tribute"

 

[Freak]

The most recent bad mazes -- let's say 2019 and onward (again this is just myyyyy opinion), and I am only counting ones that were bad starting with their debut year -- Dark Entities and Bloodline 1842.

The goofy, animated, comedy, and/or too bright type mazes in the past that were bad -- Hatchet High, Terror Vision, Feary Tales, Killer Klown Kollege, Lost Vegas, Uncle Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre, and Dia De Los Muertos. These died out in 2012 and I was glad we were leaving these types of mazes in the past so I was disappointed when I saw Inked pop up. It was around 2012 that Knotts finally saw HHN as a competitor and got more dark with their mazes. Which is ironic, because that's when HHN finally started to experiment in tone more lol

Inked feels like "I miss the dumb, more lighthearted mazes of the past, we should bring one back as a tribute"

I understand the concern, but I seriously doubt Inked will go in that direction. I think it will still be gritty and detailed. They're not going back to that era.

Also notice how the facade literally uses the exact same build as Black Magic's facade? Much like how Scarecrow's facade was built the same as Alice Cooper's?

 

[DTH]

I don't know, the trailer seemed pretty cheesy to me. I think the only thing that'd help it be gritty is if it commits to black & white, but Daniel Miller said it changes to color at some point. I am also worried about the costumes and masks being too big and goofy (if they are really trying to stick to the roundness of the animation in the key art). HHN has pulled it off with Killer Klowns but the freedom the monsters have at Knotts can often be worrisome.

It is Daniel Miller though and he has mostly made some bangers, so there's hope.

 

[Brian G.]

Knott’s annual Nightmares Revealed event, as the name suggests, revealed everything for the upcoming 2026 season of Knott’s Scary Farm.

Knott's Nightmares Revealed Sets Up Scary Farm in 2026 - Inside Universal

It's now the middle of August, the days are still well into the 80s, and Midsummer Scream is now becoming a distant memory. It also means Halloween is right

www.insideuniversal.net

 

[Rideguy70]

Okay, I know I am in a very small minority, but I liked Dark Entities.

Was it the greatest maze ever? Absolutely not. But there was something about its low-budget jankiness and I liked, and, somehow, I always got a huge scare or two from the scareactors everytime.

I do totally understand why it gets a lot of hate, though.

 

[deadbydawn]

I don't know, the trailer seemed pretty cheesy to me. I think the only thing that'd help it be gritty is if it commits to black & white, but Daniel Miller said it changes to color at some point. I am also worried about the costumes and masks being too big and goofy (if they are really trying to stick to the roundness of the animation in the key art). HHN has pulled it off with Killer Klowns but the freedom the monsters have at Knotts can often be worrisome.

It is Daniel Miller though and he has mostly made some bangers, so there's hope.

As with just about anything, we will have to experience this one to fully judge it. Of the two new themes, this one is the more intriguing to me because of how their mazes have grown over the last ten years or so. I feel pretty confident it will lean into the scary but also have a good amount of camp. In a event full of gritty, a little camp sprinkled here and there isn't a bad thing.

I also think Unearthed will be fun. That venue location offers a pretty hefty footprint so I am looking forward to seeing how that one turns out. That logo art is revolting to look at, though.

Okay, I know I am in a very small minority, but I liked Dark Entities.

Was it the greatest maze ever? Absolutely not. But there was something about it's low-budget jankiness and I liked, and, somehow, I always got a huge scare or two from the scareactors everytime.

I do totally understand why it gets a lot of hate, though.

I liked it too! I think it showed its age very quickly and it really seemed to suffer staff shortages most of the times I went through it. As a sci-fi fan, I thought the concept was awesome.

 

[Blurr]

Just popping into this thread to say that Knott's/Six Flag's/whoever's use of the AI slop for this event and their merchandise is just appallingly bad. I will genuinely never purchase another piece of merch with "art" on it again from them unless they vow to course correct.

 

[Tobias]

And speaking of AI slop, Knott's has a shirt which does make me question WTAF they're thinking. Because the resemblance to Orlando's HHN shirt with Jack and Oddfellow is far too striking.

 

[Blurr]

And speaking of AI slop, Knott's has a shirt which does make me question WTAF they're thinking. Because the resemblance to Orlando's HHN shirt with Jack and Oddfellow is far too striking.

We definitely need something like this to be a "legal landmine" that backfires and starts a chain reaction throughout creative industries. Because until it blows up in the face of at least one major player, they (and others) will continue to put out this crap.

 

[Spooky_Bitz]

Before all this i was thinking about what merch to buy this year but at this point… i don’t think i plan to buy any

 

[RoseBlight]

And speaking of AI slop, Knott's has a shirt which does make me question WTAF they're thinking. Because the resemblance to Orlando's HHN shirt with Jack and Oddfellow is far too striking.

The part of me that loves the haunted houses that Knott's designs is...hurting badly. I want to be able to put aside the slow descent into Gen AI usage and attend the event again, I haven't gone since 2021, but I think this might just be the final straw. Whatever is going on behind the scenes...is just unacceptable. I just can't trust that this acceptance of AI won't be used in other creative departments and honestly that just kills any desire I have to attend the event. AI is a degenerative disease that is eating away at our creative fields.

Genuinely what are the optics of having a local art exhibition in the park when you're profiting off of merchandise made WITHOUT hiring working artists. Makes no sense to me. I had hope too after the genuinely wonderful Crafty’s Kitchen opened with a staggering amount of passionately made graphics, posters, props, etc, plastered all around the restaurant. Going from that to the shameless amount of AI already noticeable throughout Scary Farm this year...incredibly disappointing.

 

[MikePat]