A new haunted house and scare zone are coming to Hersheypark's Dark Nights this fall, as the park announced details for this year's Hersheypark Halloween event.
Hersheypark Halloween starts September 15 and runs Fridays through Sundays until October 29 this year. The park will open at 5pm on Fridays and noon on Saturdays and Sundays for the event, with the Dark Nights haunts opening at 6pm each day. Kids ages 12 and younger can trick or treat at 13 sweet stops until 8pm each night, and the park will offer "lights out" rides on several of its coasters. Starting October 13, Hersheypark Halloween admission also will include a special "Creatures Of The Night" flashlight tour at the adjacent ZooAmerica.
Event admission this year also includes all Dark Nights attractions, including this year's new house, Auntie Mortem's Abattoir.
"Ethel Mortem, known as Auntie to the community, is a second-generation meat processor running the family business with the help of her sinister nieces and nephews," Hersheypark said in its press release announcing the house. "Trucks keep coming to feed the machine, but the bones tell a more sinister story. Farm to table has never been more gruesome when Auntie is planning the menu."
Returning houses to Dark Night this year will be Creatures Uncaged, The Descent: Catacombs Of Decay, Haunted Coal Mine: Curse Of The Tommyknockers, and Twisted Carnevil.
Fallout Zone will join the scare zone line-up this year, which includes the returning Midway Of Misery and Darkstone’s Hollow.
Tickets start at $49.99 on Hersheypark's website. Access to Hersheypark Halloween and Dark Nights this year also is included on 2023 season passes. Fast Track access to the houses will be available as an upcharge.
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I'm wondering how this will affect attendance earlier in the day, before the Dark Nights haunts. In past years I've made it a point to visit Hersheypark in late October, when attendance dropped significantly and almost every ride was a walk-on. This was a refreshing change from the wait for some rides, especially Fahrenheit, whose limited capacity (12 riders) resulted in very long lines. With the advent of Halloween events, I don't expect the park to be much less crowded than usual. There's a downside to almost everything.