Last week, the beloved Southern California Halloween series Knott’s Scary Farm returned to Knott’s Berry Farm for the 2022 spooky season. The event runs through Halloween Night (Monday, October 31) and features frightful scare zones, haunted mazes, themed shows and more. We were invited to opening night to get a look at this year’s terrifying lineup.

Knott’s Scary Farm 2022

The Mazes

There’s a scare for everyone at Knott’s Scary farm. Fright & Fast Lane passes are an excellent investment since lines can get quite long. We moved at a leisurely pace and still managed to catch four of the mazes. Each maze is intricately themed, longer than most haunts we’ve visited and fantastically frightening.

We started with “Origins: The Curse of Calico,” which told horrifying tales of the Calico Ghost Town. “Dark Ride: Castle of Chaos” was next with a creepy carnival that’s sure to spook (especially if you’re afraid of clowns). “Wax Works” took place inside an abandoned wax museum, and “Dark Entities” brought us on a terrifying journey to space. Each maze was interactive, and the actors were scary but more respectful than other haunts we’ve visited.

Knott’s Scary Farm Calico Candy Mine (©Melanie Lee)

Scare Zones

Prepare yourself for these sections by downloading the Knott’s Berry Farm app in advance! In many ways, it seems like these were almost scarier for guests than the actual mazes due to the size of the sections and the unexpected nature of the scares. There’s also plenty of fake fog to add to the spooky vibes, so if you’re hoping to avoid them (or looking for a particular one), check the map. We somehow wandered straight into several of them multiple times, likely because we never consulted the map!

The actors are highly interactive, and we found them fun and engaging. The “carnEVIL” zone is filled with clowns, so if that scares you, definitely avoid it (unless you want to be terrified). The “Gore-big ‘20s” zone had an entertaining variety of flappers and dapper gentlemen (and a fun musical performance”). The “Ghost Town Streets” features classic spooks from ghost town residents of the past.

Knott’s Scary Farm Calico Railroad (©Melanie Lee)

Experiences

If you’re hoping for an all-night experience, buy tickets for the “Boo-get” to complement your evening. You’ll enjoy a buffet meal and some additional perks you won’t find elsewhere, like exclusive photo ops with the monsters and early entry to some of the mazes and attractions (read- no lines).

Don’t forget to enjoy the shows! “Conjurers: Dark Magic,” “Le Magnifique Carnaval du Grotesque,” and “Puppet UP! Uncensored” each show has several performance times throughout the night and is a fun interlude to all the scares. We especially enjoyed “Le Magnifique” and its Cirque vibes and performers.

Knott’s Scary Farm Log Ride (©Melanie Lee)