Dark Nights at Hersheypark Halloween Returns Sept. 12 for 5th Anniversary

Date: August 27, 2026

Celebrating five years of haunts in 2026, Hersheypark amusement park today announced that its award-winning Hersheypark Halloween event and immersive Dark Nights haunt experience presented by Reese’s and Kit Kat® will return on Sept. 12, 2026. To commemorate the milestone season, the eight-weekend event introduces the all-new Reese’s Depot Of Doom scare zone, part of an expanded lineup of five haunted houses with evolved storylines and five scare zones included with admission.

Spanning nearly 25 days and including Halloween night, a single ticket grants guests access to more than 50 rides and dark coaster experiences, Hershey’s Trick Or Treat Trail, live entertainment, five haunted houses and five scare zones. Visitors can also indulge in exclusive seasonal food and beverage offerings—including themed menu items along the Avenue Of The Afterlife path—or opt for the fan-favorite Hersheypark Halloween Tasting Pass.

Hersheypark Halloween is recognized as one of the top Halloween events in the country. The seasonal experience was just nominated for the USA TODAY 10Best Theme Park Halloween Event for 2026, with daily voting open through Sept. 21 at noon. 

Hersheypark Halloween event hours are 5-10 p.m. on Fridays (beginning Sept. 18), 12-10 p.m. on Saturdays and 12-9 p.m. on Sundays. Dark Nights begins each night at 6 p.m. and extends one hour after the Park closes, running Fridays and Saturdays until 11 p.m. and Sundays until 10 p.m.

Dark Nights Presented by Reese’s and Kit Kat®

Dark Nights at Hersheypark Halloween returns for its fifth year of spine-tingling haunts nightly at 6 p.m. Dark Nights features five haunted houses with evolved stories.

• Kill ‘N Fill Garage: The lights are back on at the Kill ‘N Fill Garage, but it’s not for a tune-up. The group of killers has returned, trading grease for blood and bringing reinforcements. Navigate the wreckage of the body shop and a gore-soaked car wash as the cries of bending metal drown out the screams. They aren't fixing cars anymore; they're stripping you for parts.
• Estate of Evil: A long-forgotten room has been discovered, and there’s a reason it has been sealed away for generations. Enter with caution; a collection of never-before-seen horrors awaits you, and it will leave you questioning what monster would curate these malevolent mementos.
• Auntie Mortem’s Abattoir: Auntie Mortem has a new partner and now features prime beef, but the secret to the specialty sausage is how it blends old family flavors with the fresh stock entering the back room. The blades are sharper, the floor is slicker, and the meat is fresher than ever.
• Twisted Carnevil: The Hypnotist presides over the never-ending hall of illusions where greasepaint drips like blood. Punchlines echo through the dark, but with a jagged edge as he stitches together his most sinister act yet.
• Haunted Coal Mine: Drip… drip…. drip. Something dark is flooding the mine. Something new is crawling out of the black water. The mud is moving, and the mine is hungry for more than just oxygen. Escape before the murky waters drag you further down.

Also, as part of Dark Nights, midways will transform into five scare zones - more than ever before - each evening for guests to come face to face with the creatures that haunt their nightmares.

• NEW Reese’s Depot Of Doom: Follow the fractured tracks of the Reese’s Depot Of Doom, but beware. The freight yard may look abandoned, but it comes alive at night with shadowy trespassers starving for company. Navigate the fog-drenched boxcars with caution. Will you escape the Depot, or will you be doomed forever?
• Path of Shadows: Coven’s Curse: The whispers have come to a roaring bubble. It’s true: the coven has grown. Prepare for all-new rituals and spells, but heed this warning: the newest converts hold an unimaginable darkness.
• Fallout Zone: The green fog has yet to be contained. Chaos continues to rise, and the peak of destruction is still on the hazy horizon. Fight through the dense smog to unearth the souls that were left to survive the wreckage.
• Midway Of Misery: The Midway Of Misery remains under The Decayed Brigade’s regime. Escape beyond the fiery arches but stay alert, the creatures that lurk within are faster, fiercer and each spark and scrape brings louder screams.
• Darkstone’s Hollow: Darkstone’s victory was a delusion. Jezebeth has returned to reclaim her throne, igniting a brutal battle in the shadows. Traitorous secrets are spilling, and the creatures are clashing. Choose your side wisely. The real war begins now.

Hersheypark Halloween

For more than 40 years, the fall season has meant sweet Halloween fun at Hersheypark. Guests of all ages can experience Hersheypark Halloween as they play by day and fright by night with the following family-friendly offerings:

• Thrills on more than 50 rides and attractions (weather and maintenance permitting)
• Dark rides on select coasters during the last hour of Hersheypark Halloween operation, plus lights-out rides on Laff Trakk indoor coaster during all Hersheypark Halloween operating hours
• Trick-or-treating with 14 stops (10 in Treatville region and four at Hershey’s Chocolate World Attraction) for guests 12 and under
• Meet and greets with select Hershey Characters dressed in their Halloween costumes at Hershey’s Hangout and Reese’s Cuphouse during the day
• NEW Monster Meet & Shriek show offered nightly in the Chevrolet Music Box Theatre venue to meet featured creatures from the haunted houses and scare zones
• Avenue of the Afterlife to dance, dine and celebrate the season with Hershey Characters (new location) and a crew of family-friendly creatures

The original Creatures Of The Night flashlight tour will also return to ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park for three weekends starting Oct. 16. The Halloween-themed, after-hours experience features a special nighttime flashlight tour and new themed activities included with admission.

Limited-Time Culinary Creations and Retail

Hersheypark Halloween and Dark Nights will feature an elevated food and beverage scene with more than 60 scary good eats and spell-binding drinks. Guests can taste five frightfully delicious snacks, desserts and drinks with the Hersheypark Halloween Tasting Pass. New items include Flamin' Hot Cheetos Corn Dog Nuggets, Brisket Cuban Sandwich, Tres Leches Cake and Pumpkin Horchata. Stay tuned to the Hersheypark social media channels for official reveals in early September.

Located in the Hershey’s Chocolatetown region, The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio will bring back Spirit’s Rooftop Bar, a rooftop rendezvous available during all Hersheypark Halloween and Dark Nights operating days. The all-new menu features 10 savory items, including an Auntie Mortem’s Butcher Block with wagyu brisket pastrami, duck breast prosciutto, smoked chive liver pâté, spicy soppressata, crostini and dips. Back by popular demand is the Carnevil Wheel, with new items including Diesel Smoked Wings, Marksman’s Empanadas and Burnt Rubber Elote Dip, to name a few.

Guests ages 21 and older can also enjoy theatrical cocktail presentations, such as drinks served through a vintage TV screen, in beakers and syringes, inside decanters brimming with heavy fog and illuminated by black light, or in a retro cooler with red party cups. Select beverages feature dramatic touches like theater-style kettle corn, a flaming sugar cube, or swirling silver luster dust designed to mirror the look of a flickering television set.

Visitors can bring home a ghostly keepsake from Dark Nights with new, event-exclusive branded merchandise to be unveiled as the season approaches.

Ticketing Information

Hersheypark Halloween admission includes access to the Dark Nights haunted houses and scare zones, more than 50 rides and attractions, Hersheypark Halloween entertainment and ZooAmerica when guests enter through Hersheypark during Park hours. Hersheypark Halloween pre-sale tickets are available now, starting at $36.99 when you pick your day on Hersheypark.com. One-Day Any Day Halloween tickets are also available for $54.99, giving guests the flexibility to visit on any Hersheypark Halloween public operating day. Current 2026 Season Pass Holders can enjoy unlimited visits to Hersheypark Halloween and Dark Nights.

Guests can get to the scares faster with Fast Track program, enhance their experience with Halloween Cabanas and enjoy limited-time food and beverages with the Hersheypark Halloween Tasting Pass - all available for purchase now.

The Official Resorts of Hersheypark

During the Halloween season, guests can extend their stay in Hershey, Pennsylvania, at The Official Resorts of Hersheypark: The Hotel Hershey luxury accommodation, including The Villas at The Hotel Hershey experience, Hershey Lodge resort, Hersheypark Camping Resort campground and the all-new Hershey Inn & Suites. All guests receive Free Resort Benefits like free front gate shuttle service and Preview Plan hours. Overnight guests of Hershey Lodge receive exclusive access to Hershey’s Water Works at Hershey Lodge indoor pool complex. Hersheypark Halloween One-Day and Two-Day packages, and a Dark Nights Two-Night package are now available.